Technical disciplines like science and engineering are known for their fast-paced, competitive environments, not often associated with peacebuilding, emotional intelligence and empathy. But the CVR College of Engineering near Hyderabad, India, is now bridging that divide. Recently, the college introduced a transformative program designed to help engineering students and faculty reconnect with their inner well-being and cultivate personal growth.
This step marks a turning point for the school and the broader engineering field by recognizing that growth and innovation thrive when paired with a reflective space to go inward.
The CVR College of Engineering recently hosted the Peace Education Program, developed by The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF). The 10-part series, conducted under a new initiative titled “Building Bridges: Peace Education for Future Engineers,” was attended by a total of 70 first-year students and faculty members, during which they explored 10 themes universal to all of humanity, including hope, choice and dignity.
“As a student where everyone is racing to be first and using learning as a way for memorization and trying to be number one, I think this Peace Education Program is really helpful to know your worth outside of studies.” – Gufran, CVR College student
The Peace Education Program has been offered in over 80 countries and is available in 46 languages. Its expansion into higher education in India was supported by a partnership between TPRF and SWAYAM Plus, an online learning platform launched by the Indian Government’s Ministry of Education to provide high-quality educational courses to university and college learners. This collaboration increases the Peace Education Program’s accessibility and visibility, ensuring more students across the country have the opportunity to discover and engage in the program.
In July 2024, TPRF signed an agreement with the Ministry to integrate the Peace Education Program into the SWAYAM Plus platform. Several online batches were conducted through this collaboration. Later, in February 2025, Peace Education Program volunteers and students from CVR College who had taken the program virtually through SWAYAM Plus helped organize an outdoor booth during the college’s 2nd International Conference on Renewable Energy, Green Computing, and Sustainable Development. This event successfully exposed students to the program, with the Department Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering recommending an in-person program for her students. These efforts laid the groundwork for the first in-person workshops at CVR College, co-organized with SWAYAM Plus.
For many of the students, the Peace Education Program created space for introspection and grounding.
“In the world where everyone is rushing, this program is like an anchor,” commented Gufran, a student participating in the in-person sessions at CVR College. “As a student where everyone is racing to be first and using learning as a way for memorization and trying to be number one, I think this program is really helpful to know your worth outside of studies.”
Another student at CVR College, Shradha, said, “This program has been a journey of self-discovery. It has not only helped us in knowing ourselves better, but it gave us the space to pause, reflect and reconnect with ourselves and one another.”
Dr. G. Sree Lakshmi, Professor & Department Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, described the program as an experience of introspection for students and professors alike, saying, “The program helped me reconnect with my sense of purpose and enhanced my perspective as both an educator and a human being. I observed firsthand how positively the students responded—more reflective, composed, and engaged.”
In a ceremony constituting a certificate distribution and tree-planting, the university administration, including the CVR College principal, vice-principal and department head, shared their appreciation for the program’s impact. The event honored the program as “a significant milestone in the university’s history.” Additionally, the principal expressed strong interest in continued collaboration with The Prem Rawat Foundation to cement the Peace Education Program as a recurring initiative in the college.
The Peace Education Program helped foster immense clarity and inner strength for the students. One student participant, Harshith, reflected on one of the core themes, dignity, in a writing exercise: “Dignity is the gentle weight of self-respect carried with quiet pride. It’s the calm in your eyes when the world tries to shake you, the way you walk through chaos without losing your softness.”
The Peace Education Program by TPRF complements fields like science and engineering, where speed, precision and technology are key, by grounding future innovators in reflection and resilience. With this foundation, students are better positioned to lead in their technical fields and to act with inner clarity and purpose.
