Hyderabad: The next 10 years could witness a biological revolution, with artificial intelligence and advances in biology transforming science and technology, Bharat Biotech founder and chairperson Dr Krishna M Ella told graduating students at Osmania University’s 85th convocation on Tuesday, urging them to prepare for a rapidly changing world.Speaking about opportunities emerging from AI and advances in biology, Ella said students would need to learn to use technology constructively rather than remain passive users. A degree alone, he said, would not be enough to succeed, with graduates needing to develop skills and imagination alongside academic knowledge.The convocation was presided over by Telangana Governor and OU chancellor Shiv Pratap Shukla, with vice-chancellor professor Kumar Molugaram in attendance.The university conferred 640 PhD degrees across 12 faculties, while 71 gold medals were awarded to meritorious students for academic excellence.Building on his call for students to actively engage with emerging technologies, Ella also urged them to rethink entrepreneurship, saying its purpose should be to solve problems faced by society rather than simply make money. Innovation, he said, could not be left to universities or govts, and individuals had to take responsibility for creating solutions.“Entrepreneurship is about solving society’s problems, not just making money. If making money is your only goal, you don’t need to become an entrepreneur,” Ella said.Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, meanwhile, stressed that technological progress must be accompanied by human judgement and ethical responsibility.“AI can provide information, but the final decision has to remain in the hands of human beings. Such decisions must be based on understanding, ethical values, sensitivity and compassion,” he said.He also urged graduates to use their education to create opportunities for others, saying, “You should not see yourselves as job seekers, but as entrepreneurs who create employment and innovators who find solutions to social problems.”For the university, the convocation also highlighted its research and infrastructure expansion. OU vice-chancellor Prof Kumar Molugaram said the university had secured more than Rs 250 crore in external research grants from agencies including RUSA, DST, SERB, ICMR, ICSSR and UGC.He also thanked the state govt for allocating Rs 1,000 crore towards infrastructure development, describing it as “an investment in education, research and in the bright future of Telangana youth”.
