To tackle the rising issue of burnout and moral fatigue among educators and research scholars, MICA Ahmedabad has launched the Service Ashram, a reflective initiative inspired by traditional Indian ashrams.
Unlike typical academic workshops or conferences, the Service Ashram provides a non-commercial, voluntary, and inclusive space for scholars to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their purpose, ethics, and inner well-being. Sessions go beyond formal instruction, focusing on themes such as compassion, service, happiness, hope, and self-reflection.Officials at MICA said the concept stems from the “silent void” in academic life—where output-driven systems often ignore emotional and spiritual well-being. “It is not a program but a movement to humanize academia,” they emphasized.Expert-led sessions at the 2025 edition featured Prof. Jay Kandampully (Ohio State University), Prof. Vishal Gupta (IIM Ahmedabad), and Dr. Payank Patel (Concordia University), who encouraged honest dialogue on the human side of academic life.Prof. Suresh Malodia, Associate Dean (Knowledge) at MICA, explained, “In a world where academia is increasingly driven by performance metrics, the Service Ashram dares to ask: Who are we becoming as we pursue knowledge? It is about inner grounding and returning to the moral and spiritual essence that gives our work meaning.”
Designed for faculty, doctoral scholars, and senior students, the gathering is anchored in philosophies ranging from Buddhist thought to Emersonian wisdom, aiming to cultivate compassion, humility, and authenticity in academic spaces.Participants said the initiative left a lasting impact.
Urjaswi Dutta, a first-year FPM scholar at MICA, shared, “The sessions helped me gain a new perspective, especially ‘Knowledge Not for Personal Gain’ by Prof. Kandampully and ‘Self Reflection to Transformation’ by Dr. Patel.”