Parasmani
Centre for Research and Social Outreach

SXUK conducts workshop at Santiniketan

St. Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK) organised a two-day vibrant workshop on 'Transformative Leadership Styles' for the Deans, Heads of all departments and other senior officers of the University on March 13 and 14, 2022 at Parasmani, Santiniketan. The first ever outdoor workshop was eventful with talks, activities, group-works and presentations.

Fr. Felix Raj, S.J., Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor, SXUK delivered the inaugural address on the first day. Father asked all the participants to 'give their total self into the workshop to be transformed as leaders to shoulder the responsibility of administering the University.' The resource person for the workshop was Prof. S. Peppin from XIM University, Bhubaneswar. The workshop emphasised on five broad segregations as five 'Ds' in the light of transformative leadership styles and approaches which include 'Define, Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny'.

Adaptation to change is necessary to groom, hone and sharpen transformative leadership style within oneself. As individuals vary from each other in their personalities and perceptions; change, therefore, needs to be responsive, receptive and reactive. The workshop helped the participants to discover key strengths and opportunities of the University and appreciate the same. They also exchanged their views of what they thought of their peers and colleagues in terms of their personalities, skills and abilities.

Participants also unveiled their dreams and expectations for the University, as Vision 2032.The workshop included active participation of every attendee in the form of pictorial presentation, discussion, decision making, logical reasoning, etc. They also discussed about future programmes to be held at Parasmani for the faculty members, officers and staff of the University. Short and long term goals for the development of the University were also discussed. Each session was followed by feedback and brainstorming sessions.

The participants found the workshop enriching, elevating and inspiring. Under the banner of 'transformative leadership', the key takeaways were knowledge and acquaintance on how the best leaders can be great teachers and how leaders can personalize instructions to help their employees soar high in profession.

Parasmani, a unit of SXUK, is the Centre for Research and Social Outreach and is located at Ratan Pally, Santiniketan, West Bengal.

- Somak Sen

Somak Sen

Father John Felix Raj, SJ, Hon'ble Vice-chancellor of St Xavier's University, Kolkata (SXUK) delivered the first Annual Christmas Lecture at Parasmani, Santiniketan on December 16, 2021. Parasmani, the Centre for Research and Social Outreach runs as a unit of SXUK in Ratanpally, Bolpur. Father spoke on 'Christ in the eyes of Tagore' before the august gathering. Teachers, noted civil society members and other dignitaries from both Santiniketan and Kolkata attended this lecture.

"Jesus and Tagore have many things in common. They were great spiritual leaders and teachers ... they had similar vision, ideas and teachings", he said. While referring to Gurudev Tagore and his activities for the social development, he also referred to the patron saint of the University, St. Francis Xavier, whose philosophies highly match with the works of Tagore.

Fr. Felix Raj, in his delightful lecture referred to the 10-month stint of Tagore as a student at the St Xavier's School, Calcutta. "He studied there until April 1876. He was uncomfortable with formal schooling and left..... The person who had the greatest impact on young Tagore was Father Alfonso de Penaranda, a Spanish Jesuit," he added.

Thirty-six years later, at the age of fifty, Tagore acknowledged Fr. Penaranda's influence in his autobiography. "His countenance had for me a strange attraction. Whenever I looked on him, his spirit seemed to be in prayer, a deep peace seemed to pervade him within and without," Fr. Felix Raj quoted.

Fr. Felix Raj also threw light on the beginnings of Visva Bharati and how on the request of Tagore, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay and Brahmachari Rewachand Animandanda shifted their 'Srasvata-Ayatana' school from Swami Vivekananda's birthplace in Simla Street in Kolkata to Santiniketan.

While focusing on Tagore's writings on Jesus, Fr. Raj referred to his two poems namely 'The Child' and 'The Death of the King'. 'The Child' is the only poem Tagore wrote in English in 1930. The poem is in ten sections and blends the cultural contexts of the East and the West with profound prophecies. Tagore later translated it into Bengali as 'Sisutirtho'. Tagore wrote 'The Death of the King' in 1939 at the age of 78.

While concluding, Fr. Vice-Chancellor said that the universal vision and the spiritual depth of Jesus Christ, the first century Teacher and Master are seen echoing in the verses of Tagore, the greatest poet of the twentieth century. 'Tagore's writings deeply reflect Jesus' teaching,' he added.

This annual lecture at Parasmani aimed to promote the research and social outreach programmes of SXUK at Santiniketan. Amid the lush greeneries, there are ample opportunities left for the development of downtrodden society.

Faculty members from both SXUK and Visva Bharati have been invited to work collaboratively for innovation and research in the related sectors. Active participation of students from both institutions to co-assist their teachers have also been sought. The core team led by Fr. Mourlin Fernando, SJ is planning for collaborative programmes between these two esteemed institutions of repute.