What do the CEO of Microsoft, A Malaysian Astronaut, a Michelin starred super-chef, the CEO of Nokia, and India’s first professional woman surfer have in common? Apart from being leaders and trailblazers, they happen to be among the large number of extraordinary alumni from Manipal University where students have gone on to scale great professional heights across domains as diverse as technology and haute-cuisine, while remaining true to their core values. 

The Manipal Group, a global leader in the field of education services, operates 6 universities, 12 campuses across 5 countries -India, Antigua, UAE, Nepal and Malaysia. The Manipal Group of Institutes today hosts over 400,000 students with over 300 specialisations. The group is renowned not just for the quality of education it delivers, but also for the contribution of its alumni to the world economic and social ecosystem.

The appointment of Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella, (MIT Manipal; 1988) as CEO of Microsoft makes him the most powerful Indian-born tech executive in the world, says Reuters.  ‘Satya’s great achievement has done Manipal Institute of Technology and Manipal University proud,’ beamed the University Chancellor, Dr Ramdas M Pai.

Datuk Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, (KMC Manipal) is the first Malaysian astronaut to go into space. An Orthopaedic Surgeon, he is also a Fellow Researcher at Institute of Space Science, National University of Malaysia UKM. Dr Shukor is the recipient of various awards, including the Leonov Award 2010 by the Association of Space Explorers, Malaysian Icon Award 2010 by the Malaysia Book of Records and the Meritius Award 2011 from Open University Malaysia. An honorary Colonel with RELA, the Malaysian paramilitary civil volunteer corps, he was also an Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 2011.

Vikas Khanna, (WGHSA, Manipal; 1981) is not just a world renowned chef (He cooked for a fundraiser hosted for President Obama at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, May 2012) but also an author, filmmaker and humanitarian, involved with several social organisations.     

Rajeev Suri, (MIT Manipal; 1989), CEO of Nokia, a multinational communications and information technology company headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is a leader who is known to cherish transformational and turnaround assignments.

Ishita Malaviya  (School of Communication, Manipal; 2010) is India’s first professional woman surfer, and runs the Shaka Surf Club near her Alma Mater. This change-maker not only teaches the local community swimming, surfing, and water safety, but also educates them on ecological and environmental issues. 

All five of them epitomize the values and virtues we drill into our students every day, as we nurture, encourage and prepare them to follow their dreams.

Here’s what yet another Manipal alumnus, Rajeev Chandrasekhar – Rajya Sabha MP, (MIT Manipal; 1981) has to say: “Manipal toughened me. It taught me independ­ence and transformed me from a shy high school boy to a person who could live independently in the US. The city has now grown but its heart and soul remains what it was 20 years ago—full of young students with dreams in their heart.”

Inspired by Life, we promise to help each and every one of you turn those dreams into reality. 

** This article was published by the Malaysia Nanban newspaper on the 13th of June, 2015.