The Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) in collaboration with the Goa State Higher Education Council, successfully organised Converge 3.0 – Shiksha Udyog Sangam, a transformative Academia–Industry Summit across Goa from 29th January to 23rd February 2026, concluding with a grand finale at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium.
Guided by the visionary theme “Innovate, Integrate, Impact: Building Goa’s Future-Ready Changemakers,” Converge 3.0 has emerged as a powerful state-level movement bridging academia and industry, fostering entrepreneurship, and preparing students for the evolving demands of a dynamic global economy.
Bhushan Savoikar, Director, DHE welcomed the 3500 students gathered at the Stadium while Dr. Niyan Marchon, Program Director, DHE and Convenor of Converge gave the context to Converge 3.0 and its future plans.
The summit was graced by the Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, as Chief Guest. In his address, he emphasised the importance of quality education integrated with skilling, innovation in classrooms, and scaling up entrepreneurship among students while still in college. His continued support has been instrumental in shaping Converge into a flagship platform of the state.
A Statewide Movement of Innovation and Enterprise
Converge 3.0 witnessed unprecedented participation, engaging 15,000+ students from 50 colleges across general, professional, engineering, pharmacy, architecture, nursing, fine arts, and music institutions. Over the course of nearly a month, more than 300 entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and startup mentors conducted sessions, workshops, and panel discussions across campuses, creating meaningful academia–industry engagement at scale.
The summit on 24th February showcased:
· 33 Young Entrepreneurs from colleges across Goa
· Student-led Innovation Stalls and Prototype Exhibitions
· An exciting AI Hackathon
The Innovative Idea Challenge (IIC) with 122 teams (approximately 300 students) from 40 colleges, culminating in the top 11 teams pitching before an expert jury
The final winners of the Innovative Idea Challenge were:
1st Place: DMC College, Mapusa
2nd Place: PCCE, Verna
3rd Place: Dhempe College, Panjim
The event also celebrated the Young Innovators Challenge (Poster & Prototype) and honoured emerging student entrepreneurs who demonstrated exceptional creativity, research orientation, and solution-driven thinking based on the SDG goals.
Powerful Voices from Industry and Academia
The inaugural keynote by Santosh Mishra (IG Defence) inspired students to pursue innovation with purpose and national vision. A high-impact panel discussion, moderated by Mangirish Salelkar, the President of GTA brought together distinguished experts including Dr. Satya Ranjan Acharya (EDII), Swetha Susan Elias (Google Mumbai), Vatsal Sheth (Prismix Studios), and Ganesh Chari (Neshaju Envirotech Pvt. Ltd.). The panel explored innovation ecosystems, digital partnerships, creative entrepreneurship, sustainability, and strengthening industry–academia collaboration.
Cultural performances, including a traditional Shigmo presentation by students of Caculo College, a short film by Kala Academy, and a mime performance by Govt. Quepem College, Gymnastics by Govt Pernem college and acapella -‘Waving Flags’ by St Xaviers college added vibrancy to the celebration of student talent.
National Recognition and Future Vision
In a proud milestone, Converge received national recognition in January 2026 with the prestigious SKOCH Award for Academic Excellence and Professional Empowerment, further cementing its impact and credibility as a transformative educational initiative. More than an event, Converge 3.0 has demonstrated in action how academia and industry can collaborate to create internships, placements, startup ecosystems, and incubation pathways. It has strengthened curriculum alignment with industry needs, nurtured entrepreneurial mindsets, and encouraged students to evolve from job seekers into job creators.
Building on this extraordinary momentum, the Directorate of Higher Education proposes to expand CONVERGE 4.0 to 65 colleges and invite premier institutes from across India, transforming it into a nationwide platform for innovation-driven collaboration.
Converge 3.0 stands today not just as a summit, but as a movement — one that reflects Goa’s unwavering commitment to nurturing future-ready changemakers and driving sustainable economic growth through education, innovation, and enterprise.
Converge was organised by the DHE team, comprising: Dr. Niyan Marchon, Convenor and team members : Dr. Andrew D’ Souza, Ainsley Bernard , Vasant Narulkar, Prashant Bhomkar , Dev Manoj and Shahana Sheikh.
