The ECU Awards Ceremony
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
It was a solemn occasion but also time to celebrate. On Day One of the 3-day event organised to celebrate the Crystal Anniversary on reaching the 15 year milestone of the Instrumentation Experts Club (IEC) in early October, the evening witnessed a special ceremony where stalwarts of the Automation and Instrumentation fraternity were honoured with Doctorate, Masters and other degrees by the European Continental University, USA.
The European Continental University (ECU) was incorporated in the State of Delaware, USA, in the year 2005 on the foundation of visionary and forward thinking Knowledge Academician, Professor Emeritus Ralph Thomas’ Doctoral thesis. His mission is to give prominence to hands-on work learning knowledge, equal recognition and acceptance as academic qualifications. The ECU is envisaged as a work oriented, professional knowledge university that encourages all achievers and professionals in all fields by recognising them for their extraordinary knowledge and creativity on a worldwide basis. The ECU is affiliated to, and is in partnership with, two UK-based professional bodies – The Corporation of Executives and Administrators (CEA) and the UK Commission for Consistent Learning (UK-CCL). These two affiliations confirm the Quality Professional Knowledge Assessment Procedure that, every applicant should follow on a compulsory to earn ECU’s appropriate Knowledge Awards.
The ceremony in Mumbai held in early October was the 6th International Entrepreneurial Convocation – 2017, specially organised in association with IEC – a body of instrumentation professionals, which collaborated with the ECU for awarding Doctorate, Masters and International Golden Excellence Awards to honour various achievers who have added value as entrepreneurs in their respective areas in the field of Instrumentation and Automation. This is a unique association which has been created for the first time in India to highlight the achievements of many of the professional experts in the country who have contributed in very unique ways towards the Instrumentation and Automation in industry which has created a positive mark in the society.
Mr A Udhayaraja, Managing Director, CTV Communication, Chennai, welcomed all the dignitaries and guests at the beginning of the ceremony, in his capacity as Chairman – Pan Asia, Professional Knowledge Entrepreneurial Doctorate Selection Committee, European Continental University, USA. Mr Udhayaraja coordinates the stringent selection criteria for the degrees awarded by the ECU in the Asian region.
“In today’s global working environment, we have many individuals who have an immeasurable amount of hands-on work experience, but do not hold any academic or professional qualifications to certify their expertise. This is where the European Continental University comes in to recognise highly experienced individuals and help them gain a reputable Professional Knowledge Qualification,” said Prof Dr Ralph Thomas, Executive Governor General, European Continental University, USA, while speaking at the Convocation ceremony.
“This convocation has been organised exclusively for the Instrumentation Experts Club by the ECU, synchronising with the 15th or Crystal Anniversary Celebrations of IEC,” said Dr Bharat Ratilal Mehta, Sr Vice President – Reliance Industries Limited and Chairman, Instrumentation Experts Club (IEC), in his address to the gathering. “Unlike regular, academic universities, the ECU is a non conventional, non orthodox university, and recognises the immense value of work experience of professionals and offers them a variety of work related professional degrees, including Doctorate, Masters, International Golden Excellence and Diamond of Asia. The IEC has entered into a strategic alliance with the ECU. As the Chairman of IEC, I am happy to inform you that 21 of our members are today being recognised and honoured by the ECU. There cannot be a greater joy of moment for the IEC other than getting recognised by such a grand professional university,” he added.
After the awards were presented to the 21 professionals, Prof Dr Ralph Thomas, Executive Governor General, European Continental University, also presented a special award, a Doctorate in Professional Entrepreneurship, to Dr V Nagendran, Founder President and Chairman, Nagman Instruments and Chairman, Honours & Awards Committee, IEC, as a recognition for his 52 years as an entrepreneur in the field of Instrumentation & Controls.
Speaking after the Convocation ceremony, Dr Geoffrey Clarke, Vice Chancellor, European Continental University, said, “This is the most glamorous and successful convocation I have seen in my 5 years of association with this university. The ECU is all about magnifying life's achievements and enriching the professional status by way of recognising the knowledge gained by conferring an award of professional entrepreneurship at the Master or Doctorate Level. ECU's knowledge qualifications are known and accepted internationally as worthy, valuable and recognisable profound degree award for any individual who has gained acceptance as an entrepreneur in a chosen field o profession.”
The winners
Doctorate in Professional Entrepreneurship Degree
Mr A Ramanathan – Senior VP at Reliance, a Fortune 500 Company
An Instrumentation Engineer by qualification, with over 47 years of experience, over 25 years of leadership. Mr Ramanathan is a Life Fellow of ISA and has served in past as its District Vice President.
Mr Bijal Sanghavi – Director, Axis Engineering & Axis Solutions
With over 25 years of professional experience, heading own enterprise for 18 years. Mr Sanghavi’s enterprise is recognised by large refineries and petrochemical plants for Plant Analyser Systems.
Mr Kiranbir Singh Kohli – Managing Director, Astec Valves & Fittings
Popularly known as Bobby Kohli, has over 33 years of experience in the field of Engineering & Business Management, and has developed several innovative solutions to process industries.
Mr Hitesh Doshi – Chairman & Managing Director, WAAREE Group
Over 31years of experience in Business Development and Project Management including 17 years in leadership positions, Mr Doshi is one of the main founding members of the IEC and serves as its Secretary.
Mr K Nandakumar – Chairman & Managing Director, Chemtrols Industries Ltd
A hard-core entrepreneur, with over 47 years of quality experience, Mr Nandakumar started small, but within a short span expanded his enterprise to establish 8 distinct, independent and highly successful business units.
Mr Keyur Vora – Asst Vice President at Reliance Industries
With over 33 years of quality experience, Mr Keyur Vora is Head of Maintenance & Design Engineering at Reliance Industries, and plays a lead role as Control & Instrumentation Engineering Discipline Head.
Mr Kirti Shah – Head of Engineering – MMO BA at Aker Powergas Pvt Ltd
Mr Kirti Shah has over 28 years of quality experience which includes 15 years in leadership positions. For close to a decade now, he has been heading the overall engineering department at Aker Powergas.
Mr M Arokiaswamy – Managing Director, IED Communications
With over 57 years of experience in the field, Mr Arokiaswamy is the Founder, Editor and Publisher of Industrial Automation, and organiser of the hugely successful Automation Expo series of exhibitions.
Mr Madhusudan Bichu – Managing Director & CEO, Pyro Electric Group
A hard core entrepreneur with over 50 years of experience, Mr Bichu's extraordinary enterprise and genius were to the fore through his innovative products and solutions for the industry.
Mr Ravinder Goyal – Chairman & Managing Director, EIP Enviro Level Controls
Mr Ravinder Goyal has over 37 years of experience in Business and Project Management, including 32 years of leadership. Mr Goyal is an active member of ISA and is also on the Executive Committee of IEC.
Mr Ravi Venkataramana – Director Projects, Invensys India Pvt Ltd
With over 30 years of professional experience, including 15 years in leadership positions, Mr Venkataramana has been serving for over a decade now as Project Director in Reliance Jamnagar Projects.
Mr Shankar Mathur – Vice President, Rockwin Flow Meters
Mr Mathur, with over 43 years of experience, is presently serving as Vice President of Rockwin Flow Meters – a pioneer in flow meter business in India, is known for the first Flow Calibration Laboratory in India.
Mr Thampy Mathew – Managing Director (Process Automation Division), Pepperl+Fuchs (Middle East & India)
Mr Mathew has over 34 years of Quality Experience in the Field of Business Development, including close to 2 decades in leadership position as MD of Pepperl & Fuchs and also the Director of its Manufacturing Arm.
Mr V P Raman – Vice President, Operations at Tecton Engg & Construction, UAE
With over 36 years of experience in the field, Mr Raman is presently playing a lead role as Vice President – Operations at Tecton Engg & Construction in UAE. He has served as Vice President of ISA District 14.
Masters in Professional Entrepreneurship Degree
Mr Bakulesh Vadgama, Senior Instrumentation Professional, Reliance Industries Limited
Mr Vadgama has over 23 years of professional experience, and or 7 years now, is serving as Chief Design Instrumentation Engineer, handling several mega units at Reliance Industries Limited.
Mr Sandip Y Dave – General Manager (Instrumentation & Control) at Reliance
With over 28 years of professional experience in the field of Engineering Management in Control Systems & Instrumentation, Mr Dave is presently serving as Senior GM for LDPE Project at Reliance.
Mr Santosh Yadav – Chief Engineer – Gasification Project, Reliance Industries Limited
With over 26 years of professional experience in Control Systems & Instrumentation, for 7 years now, Mr Yadav serving as Chief Engineer – Gasification Project at Reliance Industries Limited, Jamnagar.
Mr Sunil Ladha – Director, Workspace Design Studio Pvt Ltd
Mr Sunil Ladha has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of Architectural Management & Control Room Design. For close to a decade now he has been handling mega control room design projects at many sites.
Mr Upendra Joshi – Vice President at Reliance Industries Limited
With over 25 years of professional experience in Control Systems & Instrumentation, for 7 years now Mr Joshi is VP (CS&I), handling engineering for Mega Projects in Reliance, Jamnagar.
Golden Excellence Degree
Mr Parimal Joshi – Regional Manager, India & Middle East, United Electric Company
Mr Parimal Joshi has over 25 years of professional experience in Project Management. For over a decade now, he is Regional Manager for India & Middle East for UE (United Electric Company), USA.
Diamond of Asia Degree
Mr Jai P Sharma – Chief Design Engineer at Reliance Industries Limited
Mr Jai Sharma has over 28 years of professional experience, in Engineering Project Management. For 15 years now he had been managing multiple projects at Reliance, Jamnagar and PETRONAS, Malaysia.