2nd Edition of Chandigarh University's 'Scholars' Summit 2026' Kicks Off; 3600 CUCET Toppers Across India Felicitated

AI Revolution Has Only Just Begun; Moving Towards AI Dominance, Not Engaging with AI Is Not a Choice: Lt General (Retd) Raj Shukla

CHANDIGARH, India, July 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The second edition of Chandigarh University's 'CU Scholars' Summit 2026' kicked off with felicitation of top achievers of its admission-cum-scholarship entrance exam, Chandigarh University Common Entrance Test 2026 (CUCET 2026), as part of India's leading private university's endeavor to give due recognition to talent and merit.

Lieutenant General (Retd) Raj Shukla, Member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), inaugurated the Summit as the Chief Guest, in the presence of other dignitaries including Guest of Honour, Prof. Luke Dickens, University College London, UK; Prof. Jürg Bähler, University College London, UK; Prof. Santosh Kumar, RMIT University, Australia and Joyce Rodriguez, Airbus Group India; Actress Apoorva Arora; Prof. (Dr.) Raviraja N Seetharam, Vice-Chancellor, Chandigarh University; Dr. Satbir Singh Sehgal, Pro VC, CU and Prof. (Dr.) RS Bawa, Advisor to Hon'ble Chancellor, Chandigarh University.

This CU Scholars' Summit 2026 is being attended by CEOs, Vice Presidents, industry leaders, academicians and renowned artists to share their thoughts with students to help them prepare for the changing job roles in the rapidly evolving industry. About 3600 students from various streams selected from States and Union Territories across India are attending the Summit.

In his keynote address on 'Human and AI: Learning, Thinking and Leading in a Changing World,' Lt General (Retd) Raj Shukla said, "AI will create a new set of strategic haves and have-not's. AI will define 'Samriddh Viksit Bharat'. Militaries all over the world have been forced to migrate from hardware enterprises platform and weapon factories to software entities. If a conservative institution like the military, a domain like national security has been transformed by AI, imagine what is happening in architecture, medicine, and all those areas. So, that is why AI is such a foundational technology, and the AI revolution has only begun. AI is already upon us, and the game is moving steadily towards AI dominance. Not engaging with AI is not a choice."

"While job losses are a legitimate concern, this is also a reality that the tribe of AI professionals is only growing. Globally companies today are paying $3 trillion dollars to those working on AI, who are contributing more than $9 trillion to global economy. So AI is booming and will challenge human capacities infinitely but AI will never exceed humans. The convergence of organic and synthetic intelligence, human brains and AI, will make humans a better species and world a better abundant space. Hence, AI will be game changing, we have no option but to embrace it with confidence, self-belief, and intelligence," he added.

Earlier in his welcome address, Prof. (Dr.) RS Bawa, said, "Chandigarh University students are excelling in every field—be it academics, research, patenting, sports, or cultural activities. As a technology-driven, innovation-focused, and student-centric university, we are committed to providing opportunities that empower students to succeed and make meaningful contributions to the nation and the world."

One of the key highlights of the summit was the guided exploration of Chandigarh University's expansive campus, allowing students to discover cutting-edge laboratories, world-class facilities, and dynamic learning spaces.

The dignitaries who graced the Summit included Dr. Kamaljeet Singh, Director General, Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali; Lieutenant General Shamsher Singh Virk, General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps (X Corps); Prof. (Dr.) Naveen Sirohi, Director, Forum of Indian Regulators (FOIR) Centre & Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Prof. Sulaiman Wadi Harun, University Malaya, Malaysia; Ajay Kumar Singh, Business Leader, Tata Consultancy Services; Dr. Anurag Singh, Dean, NIT Delhi; Prof. Saiful Amri Mazlan, Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia; Prof. Vijayan P Munusamy, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Aniruddha, India Lead, Global CoE-Talent Acquisition, Bunge India Pvt Ltd; Balwinder Singh, Principal, C-DAC; Prof. Christa Grobler, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa; Prof. Shepherd Dhliwayo, University of Johannesburg, South Africa; Dr. Ian John Dixon, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Swapnil Sharad Mhaske, City CEO, Blink Commerce Pvt Ltd and Prof. Magdalena Matusiak Frącczak, University of Lodz, Poland.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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