Gurgaon techie from Galgotias: 'Won't mention university in resume or acknowledge it at work'

The techie, under the condition of anonymity, also questioned how the university could shift the blame to professor Neha Singh and take no responsibility. (Image credit: Galgotias University)

As the Galgotias University reels from the severe backlash after allegedly attempting to pass off a Chinese-made robodog as their own invention at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi, it's the students who have had to bear the brunt of it. But, the controversy may also affect the alumni.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, a techie who works with a major tech company in Gurgaon and graduated from Galgotias in 2019, said that he and his friends were strongly considering taking the name off their resumes. "I don't think I would mention Galgotias University in my resume when I'm looking for a job change," Rahul (named changed to protect identity) said. "And even now, if someone asks me which university I am from, I would first try to avoid answering it, or I will just not mention the name, or maybe lie. This is such an embarrassment!"

The techie, under the condition of anonymity, also questioned how the university could shift the blame to professor Neha Singh and take no responsibility. "We have been talking about it, ex-Galgotias, and we can't believe that when the university chose her as a representative at the AI Summit, how can they later say that she didn't know anything or was not authorised to speak?" he asked, adding that they were shocked by the university's statement.

"It's more like how we see political parties shirk off any responsibility when any member does something inappropriate," he said.

Recollecting his days at the university, the alumnus said he had no complaints regarding the quality of education. "The university was still in its early years, but we had no complaints about the quality of faculty and other facilities," he said.

‘People laugh at us, relatives say don’t bring a Chinese degree’: Students

Meanwhile, Galgotias University students have come forward to share that they are being brutally trolled by peers, relatives, and strangers online.

During an interaction with Newslaundry, one student said the running joke now is whether Galgotias graduates will end up with “Chinese degrees”, echoing the criticism that the university passed off imported technology as its own. “They are saying that whatever you do, don’t return with a Chinese degree. We want a proper Indian degree,” he said.

Another added that friends and family have been ridiculing them since the story broke. “They are all laughing at us. They ask us, ‘Oh! You're from that fake university?’” the student said.

Controversy triggers public sympathy for students

Despite the flood of memes, some online voices expressed empathy for the students. Many noted that final-year batches, who are preparing for job interviews, might face prejudice due to the controversy, even though they were not responsible for the incident.

One viral reaction said: “Feeling sad for the final year students… no one would be more embarrassed than those who are about to sit in interviews.”

Another user wrote that those responsible for the misrepresentation should apologise to students who are hard-working and ambitious, noting that academic reputations often dictate careers.