Higher education institutions have a huge responsi-bility to grow socially committed, responsible citizens. Exposing students to such environments requires many collaborations. SRM University’s recent collaboration with the International Startup Foundation (ISF) to become the regional hub for the Rural Ankura Startup Yatra is a great example of this approach. This ISF initiative is an endeavor to inspire entrepreneurship in tier 2 and 3 cities by identifying and nurturing entrepreneurial talent.

Well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In truth, SRM University has always been at the forefront of societal and cultural intervention. That’s also one of the reasons that the 12th World Tamil Research Conference will be held at SRM University in May 2025. If the last edition of the conference revolved around the challenges facing the Tamil language in the Internet age, this edition will focus on the impact and influence of Tamil among world languages, with scholars from many countries participating and sharing their views.

Commenting about the conference, Karu Nagarajan, president of Tamil Perayam, SRM University, said that he expects many scholars, writers, poets, and media and social media activists to take part in the conference. The discussions will also revolve around reviews and deliberations about Tamil books published in 2023 and 2024. According to him, there will be a host of events, from exhibitions of traditional and modern paintings to screenings of the history of Tamil cinema. However, it is interesting to see such interventions from SRM University, which has produced a prestigious alumni ecosystem. We dedicate this issue to them. Do let us know your thoughts.