Chennai, Aug 24:
For a few hours, the years seemed to melt away at Madras Christian College, Tambaram, as more than 300 alumni of its Political Science Department walked back into a campus that had shaped their youth, careers and lives — not merely as former students, but as old friends returning home.
The corridors, classrooms and familiar campus spaces stirred memories of college days as alumni travelled from different parts of the world for the Global Alumni Reunion of the Political Science Department. Families joined the gathering, adding to the warmth and celebration of the department’s academic legacy.
The reunion was marked by nostalgia, laughter and emotional recollections, with many alumni describing the experience as a chance to reconnect with the campus, teachers and friendships that had endured long after graduation.
Retired professors and faculty members currently serving the department were honoured during the event, bringing back memories of generations of teachers who had left a lasting imprint on their students.
Department Head Sridhar welcomed the gathering, setting the tone for an evening that blended memories of the past with conversations about the future of education.
‘Education has changed after the pandemic’
MCC Principal P. Wilson said the institution was undergoing major changes as student aspirations and the nature of education continued to evolve.
“The entire dispensation of education has changed after the pandemic,” Wilson said, noting that today’s students were more informed consumers of education and increasingly evaluated the return on their educational investment.
He said students no longer consumed knowledge in a linear manner and that changing learning patterns required institutions to rethink traditional classroom methods.
MCC has also strengthened its placement efforts, with around 700 placements facilitated through the placement cell. The focus now, Wilson said, was to ensure strong core placements for students across every department, with alumni expected to play a crucial role.
Political Science embraces new-age learning
Wilson said conventional arts and science courses were facing declining interest globally, prompting MCC to rethink its curriculum.
The college is moving towards computational social sciences, including data-driven approaches to Political Science, while retaining the discipline’s strong academic foundation.
Political Science continues to attract students, with cut-offs often crossing 90 marks, he said.
The college has also created 24 clubs covering social immersion, career development, higher education and entrepreneurship, with around 2,600 students participating annually.
From knowledge to value creation
Wilson called for greater alumni involvement in strengthening the institution.
He said MCC needed sustainable models beyond tuition fees, including stronger CSR and alumni contributions, while the institution was also seeking to move from knowledge creation to value creation through patents.
The college currently has 23 patents under its portfolio, he said.
Wilson invited alumni with at least 15 years of industry experience to contribute to the institution as professors of practice, irrespective of whether they possess a PhD or UGC-NET qualification.
Remembering the ‘MCC spirit’
Former Principal and former Head of the Political Science Department Dr Alexander Mantramurti took the gathering further down memory lane as he recalled his years at MCC.
He described the enduring “MCC spirit” as one of freedom, intellectual independence and freedom of expression.
For him, the lessons of MCC went beyond textbooks. Students and principals, he recalled, had taught him patience, humility, discipline and integrity.
He also offered a poignant reflection on what it meant to give back to an institution.
The true tribute to MCC, he said, was not necessarily financial contribution, but the quality of life alumni built after leaving the college.
And perhaps that was the essence of the reunion itself.
For one evening, former students were no longer professionals, academics, administrators or achievers scattered across the world. They were simply MCC students again — walking familiar paths, meeting old teachers, rediscovering friendships and returning, even if briefly, to the campus they once called home.