KATHMANDU, Dec 21: Tribhuvan University claimed to have set a 'Guinness World Record' during its 49th convocation ceremony, boasting the largest attendance by graduate students. This declaration was posted on the university's website alongside a certificate supposedly issued by a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records, which is false.
At the 49th convocation ceremony held at Dasharath Stadium, a significant turnout of students and parents was observed. Notably, the official representative of the Official World Record (OWR) Association, an association registered with the European Union with its activities recognized worldwide, was unable to attend the event, confirmed Acting Vice Chancellor of TU Professor Dr Shivalal Bhusal.
The ceremony encountered a unique situation where university officials had to personally present certificates due to the inability of the Official World Record Association (OWR) representative to enter the venue.
“The university has succeeded in setting a world record as the first university to initiate the most students in the world,” the information posted on the website of the university states, adding, “Representatives of the Guinness World Records attended the 49th convocation ceremony and registered the record.” However, it has come to the surface that the information posted on the website was totally flawed.
Educationist Bidya Nath Koirala says that a reputed university such as TU disseminated misinformation by stating Guinness World Record instead of mentioning Official World Record.
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He said that such misinformation from a university could adversely affect students.
Furthermore, Koirala suggested that rather than pursuing a world record based on the sheer number of graduates, the university should prioritize cultivating competent, skilled, and employable graduates. This shift in focus, he believes, would better serve students and align with market demands.
"A true measure of success would have been guiding students towards livelihoods, enhancing their expertise, and marketing their knowledge, skills, and capabilities globally, rather than assembling a multitude of unemployed individuals and aiming for a world record," said Koirala, adding, “Displaying a record of unemployed students holds no meaningful significance in this context.”
During this occasion, a total of 73,749 students were eligible for graduation from the university. Among them, 12,415 students along with 13,700 parents attended the convocation ceremony making the number of attendees stand at 26,116, said Bhusal. The pursuit of a world record led to a complete chaos and disorder inside the Dashrath Stadium.
The convocation faced logistical challenges as jars of water were provided without drinking glasses or containers. Consequently, students became thirsty, leading some to resort to picking up the jars and drinking directly from them. Moreover, inadequate and unclear information about toilet facilities left both students and parents feeling uncomfortable.
The police struggled to manage the crowd, repeatedly failing to maintain control. Distressingly, there were reports of even gold medalists being denied entry into the hall by the police, adding to the chaos during the event.
Acting Vice-Chancellor and Head of Academics, Bhusal, said that the process for attaining a Guinness World Record typically requires three weeks. Due to time constraints, the representative from Guinness Book of World Record couldn't attend the event.
"Guinness had discussions with TU, but their representative couldn't make it due to the three-week timeline requirement. The Official World Record Association’s representative arrived outside the stadium, but the police barred them from entering the venue," Bhusal told Republica.
According to Bhusal, TU officials themselves presented the certificates on stage during the event.
He recalled the challenges of the 49th convocation ceremony saying, "Excessive security personnel often create chaos. Unfortunately, not only did the representative providing the record certificate face issues in entry, but even two of our gold medal winners were barred from entering by security personnel. The situation became uncomfortable as people were restricted from moving from one area to another."
Now, the university aims to prioritize maintaining educational standards and cultivating skilled professionals, he added.
