Thank You, DVK! by Dona Mary CHF (Certificate in Philosophy 2015-2016)

Thank You, DVK!

I deem it a rare opportunity to represent the students of Certificate in Philosophy (batch of 2015-2016) and share my experience at DVK. We really feel so proud for having been part of the Faculty of Philosophy at DVK. Today, as we flip back the pages of our lives at DVK, we can confidently say that each one of you has played a unique role in inscribing the best moments of our lives. You are all part of an important chapter in the book of our lives. Each encounter with you was an enriching experience which nourished and nurtured our lives. We wish to thank each and every one of you.

When we joined Dharmaram, it was really a new experience, a whole new world for us. But from the very first day itself we felt at home here in this Faculty, because our respected dean Rev. Dr. Saju Chackalackal was trying to give different types of orientation programme for mingling with our fellow brothers and sisters. Dear Father Saju, you are truly a father and friend to us. You personally know each one of us. You edified us by your simple and loving behaviour. We remember your inspiring words by which you gave us confidence and hope. We accord our special thanks to our beloved president Fr Paulachan, Dean and all our Professors for having walked with us shoulder to shoulder in all our endeavours. You were always ready to go an extra mile to help us out in every way possible. Dear Fathers, even though each one of you is a genius in the fields of your expertise, you were humble enough to come down to our levels. Beyond the textbook knowledge, you have taught us truths of life. Yesterday, we were babies of Philosophy. But today we have started taking small steps. We are nearing the completion of the course. But we are certain that Philosophy will always be part and parcel of our lives. Philosophy has taught us to broaden the spectrum of our vision towards life and people. Philosophy taught us the importance of using reason and it is superior to doing. The modern dictum is “work smarter, not harder.” If we want to work smarter, we have to use the faculty of thinking. Very few people think. Only those who think produce results. This is what Philosophy has proved. Our professors are great thinkers and visionaries. It is your thoughts and actions that give flesh and blood to DVK. We find in you the rarest of human species. When many people out in the world have no time to listen to others, you keep on encouraging us to ask questions. We love the way you attempt to answer our questions, even stupid ones at times. We find our faculty as a team of professors, who are very dedicated, hardworking and humble down to the earth. Persons come and go, but the memories of dedication, selfless service and sacrifice are remembered for generations. Thank you for all what you have been and are to each one of us. A special note of thanks to our animator, Rev. Fr. Thomas Kunianthodath, who took the trouble to animate us, listen to us, and bear our grievances with a fatherly concern.

We are indeed grateful to our friends of all batches. We thank you most sincerely for your friendship, support and smiles which were great sources of encouragement for us. Thank you for being our role models of hard work and cooperation. We will treasure your friendship and love. We wish all the best for our outgoing friends and hope that all your dreams come true.

We have enjoyed to the fullest DVK Campus which is eco-friendly, peaceful and homely. We cherish lovingly all the activities of our faculty. Let me mention a few. Orientation Program that introduced us to Philosophy, Morning Prayer that binds us together, Sramadhan that inculcated dignity of work and enabled us to share our time and work, celebration of different states and international festivals that helped us to love and respect diversity in unity, seminars which broadened our knowledge, etc.

We are indebted to our Provincial Superiors who sent us for this course. We thank most sincerely our superiors in our respective communities who are incessant sources of encouragement for us. We thank you for all your nameless acts of love you do to make our stay and study comfortable and memorable.

Lastly, though we feel sad to bid farewell to our Faculty of Philosophy, at the same time we are consoled that we will meet again in DVK Campus as we desire to continue our studies here. We will cherish the sweet memories of our Faculty. Thank you, everyone, for contributing your share in our growth and happiness.

Dona Mary CHF (Certificate in Philosophy 2015-2016)

DHARMARAM VIDYA KSHETRAM: An Icon of Holistic Education for Integral Development (by Shijja Kevin Kuhumba, Tanzania)

DHARMARAM VIDYA KSHETRAM

An Icon of Holistic Education for Integral Development

Shijja Kevin Kuhumba, Tanzania (DVK, 2014-2016)

Candidly, this topic under discussion brings me into a volley of questions remarkably, how is DVK an icon of education for holistic development? Is it because of the highly enlightened gurus available for teaching and research guidance? Or else, is it because of multicultural and multi religious ambiance offered by an institute? Is it because of the beautiful scenery of the campus? Basing on these reasons and others I can vouch to the fact that DVK is an icon of ecclesiastical education and training. The academic activities and extra-curricular activities equip students with skills to become good ambassadors of Jesus Christ and to be active participants in the process of integral human development.

The Link between Education and Development

The term education is derived from the Latin term ‘educare’, meaning, in general, a process of growing up, rearing and bringing up. Thus, it is a continuous process designed to acquaint learners with knowledge, skills and develop their talents. On the other hand, the term development is derived from French verb ‘veloper’, which means to wrap up. In nutshell, to develop is to cause positive change, to grow gradually, into a fuller, larger, stronger and better state of existence. Proper education should be in a position to facilitate positive growth and integral development of the learners. Hence, learners equipped with holistic education ought to be active participants in the process of integral development and should advocate social justice in their respective societies and in the global society.

Reasons Why We Rank DVK as an Icon of Holistic Education for Integral Development

The validity of this claim is based on three dimensions which are highly emphasized at DVK. The first dimension is the ‘head’. It entails development of the cognition and intellectual powers. The academic schedule and programmes at DVK realize mental liberation allowing students to acquire knowledge, skills and critical thinking. Assuredly, the qualified professors and a well facilitated library contribute significantly into it. The conducive learning environment, which includes well-furnished lecture halls, garden library, etc., are the indicators of good pedagogical variables. International conferences and special lectures such as endowment lectures, new philosophical trends and student’s participation in preparing monthly newsletters are remarkable initiatives to facilitate intellectual growth of students.

More so, committed and updated instructors, who are not only good teachers who narrate, better teaches who teach, but more importantly teachers who are source of motivation to the students. Also, the extra-curricular programmes such as cultural programmes, sports day, Christmas Carol competitions and spacious playgrounds (basketball, volley, cricket and football) give an impetus to the development of cognitive faculties and intellectual formation. Therefore, the ‘head’ dimension is well trained to correspond to the recent development paradigms which involve a lot of intellectual activities with critical thinking to solve problems.

The second dimension which makes DVK an icon of education is the formation of the ‘heart’. It is manifested by spiritual activities; for example, each academic year is opened by special mass and is closed with a special benediction as thanksgiving to the Almighty God. Thanks to the Faculty of Philosophy for facilitating monthly special mass where students of philosophy gather together at the table of the Lord with their professors. Ultimately, this dimension realizes spiritual growth as a necessary variable in the development process. For instance, this form of training produces people who are spiritual and imbibed with moral values which are indispensable factors in human capital building for integral development.  

The third dimension is formation of the ‘hands’. It is portrayed by several activities at DVK such as Sramadan day. It is a special day for each faculty to engage in manual activities like cleaning the campus compound and engaging in social activities in hospitals so as to prepare students to face real life situation. Moreover, some professors offer opportunities to develop student’s creativity by using their hand. For example, as part of the course on cosmology and philosophy of science a science exhibition was organized where students showcased their scientific items created by their hand. Such initiatives offer a humble opening for promoting creativity by using our hands in connection with our heads. This connection is necessary for an integrated personal development for the promotion of human and social causes.  

To conclude, the training offered at DVK in these three dimensions prepares learners to be active in the process of integral development. Today’s world needs people who are well-versed in intellectual virtues, critical thinking (head), moral virtues and ethical values (heart) plus people who are good with their hands (hand). I make a submission that DVK is an icon of education which focuses on holistic growth for the integral human development by focusing on these three dimensions.