Distinguished Lecture and Inauguration of 21st Century Studio

The Distinguished Lecture on “Bridging Cultures: Romania’s Contribution to the World and the Indo-Romanian Friendship” and the inauguration of the 21st Century Studio was held on 8 July 2025 at the Bay Range Campus. The Chief Guest for the Event was Her Excellency Ms. Sena Latif, Ambassador of Romania to India. The Guest of Honour and the Special Guest were Dr. Vijay Mehta, the Honorary Consul General of Romania for Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Dr. Sanjaanaa Jon, Strategic Global Advisor, Film Maker, and Social Activist respectively. The other dignitaries to grace the occasion were Dr. Ashok George Verghese, Pro Chancellor; Dr. S. Ganesan, Vice Chancellor (Interim), Dr. Muthukumar Subramanian, Registrar; Dr. N. Manoharan, Director – Projects and International Affairs.  

The Ambassador in her lecture presented the unique features of Romania. She briefed the physical features, cultural background, and the political set-up of the country. Ms. Latif also enumerated on the contributions made by her country. She pointed out that from pioneering inventors like Henri Coandă to Nobel laureates like George Emil Palade and artistic icons like Brâncuși, Romania’s influence spans many fields. The lecture also focused on the growing partnership between Romania and India that was first established in the year 1948. Some of the areas on focus are information technology, energy, education, culture, defence, labour, and tourism. The Ambassador also said that the focus is expanding in the areas of agriculture, oil & gas, chemicals, engineering sectors, education, film production and logistics. She concluded her speech saying that through cultural exchanges and festivals, the Indo-Romanian cooperation can be strengthened.

Dr. Ashok George Verghese commenced his presidential address by presenting the similarities in the culture and heritage between India and Romania by saying that both the nations possess a vast heritage filled with the vibrancy of a modern nation. He also commended Her Excellency’s initiative to bring Romanian university presidents, eight rectors, and fifty-two experts representing twenty Romanian universities to India to foster collaboration and networking. He then informed that as part of the 40th year celebration HITS has established the 21st Century Studio – a space envisioned as a creative launchpad for storytellers, digital artists, filmmakers, and content creators. The Pro Chancellor then highlighted a unique partnership between HITS and the European Union – the IURC Project – International Urban & Regional Cooperation Project. This project aims to lead and develop decentralized international urban and regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable urban development and innovation, in key partner countries and regions such as Romania (Bacău County) and China (Chongqing Liangjiang). It focuses on Sustainable Agriculture & Agro-Food Systems, Technologies 4.0 and Industry 5.0, Tourism & Cultural Diversification, Digital Transition & Smart Cities, and Climate Change & Energy Transition. The main objective of these collaborative initiatives is to achieve a Net Zero Campus and HITS is among the first in India to achieve this feat. Dr. Ashok George Verghese concluded his speech by welcoming the Ambassador to HITS.

Dr. Vijay Mehta in his special address expedited the importance of being successful. He then enumerated the component of being success: knowledge, positive attitude, perseverance, and the art of knowing people. Through anecdotes, personal case studies and expertise, Dr. Mehta’s speech mesmerized the audience. Dr. Sanjaanaa Jon in her address pointed out that HITS is the best place to study because of the decorum, respect, and love for each other. She then continued saying that happiness is in making others happy and this makes an individual successful. Dr. Sanjaanaa urged the students to be the impact and bring in an ethical difference which involves care and share. She also said that attaining something valuable is important and brining an impact which will make the world a better place.

Earlier, the event commenced with the National Anthems of both India and Romania followed by the welcome address by Dr. N. Manoharan, Director – Projects and International Affairs. Dr. S. Ganesan, Vice Chancellor (Interim) presented an elaborate view of the accreditations, achievements, rankings, awards, and facilities of HITS. The audience all witnessed a video presentation on Hindustan Group of Institutions. The event concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Dr. S. Marcelin Pushpa, Head – School of Liberal and Creative Arts. 
Later, the guests proceeded to the 21st Century Studio located in the fifth floor of Jubilee Block. The Studio was inaugurated by Her Excellency Ms. Sena Latif, Ambassador of Romania to India in the presence of Dr. Ashok George Verghese, Pro Chancellor; Dr. Vijay Mehta, the Honorary Consul General of Romania for Tamil Nadu and Kerala and Dr. Sanjaanaa Jon, Strategic Global Advisor, Film Maker, and Social Activist; University Officials, faculty, staff, and students from the department of Visual Communication. The guests appreciated the efforts that have contributed to the making of the innovative Studio. This impressive studio is built up in an area comprising 2,500 sq. ft and is professionally sound proofed. 

Key Features & Infrastructure

Multi-Camera Ecosystem:

• Canon XA75 (1" 4K CMOS) – for wide and medium framing
• Canon R6 Mark II with 24–105mm lens – for cinematic compositions
• Canon RF 15–30mm wide zoom lens – immersive field of view
• Panasonic Camcorder – complementary broadcast versatility

Switcher & Recorder:

• Blackmagic ATEM Television Studio HD8 – seamless multicam live switching
• Hyperdeck Studio HD Plus – high-fidelity, professional-grade recording

AI-Driven Enhancements:

• Smart tracking and automated switching for production agility

Lighting & Audio Ecosystem

Lighting:

• 3-point lighting (key, fill, back) using Leksa 100W LED Soft Panels
• DMX-controlled grid lighting with modifiers for chroma-key setups

Audio Capture & Control:

• Sennheiser XSW-2-ME2 wireless lavaliers and shotgun microphones
• Yamaha MG-10XU & Behringer Xenyx 1202 mixers for broadcast-grade clarity

Communication Network:

• Datavideo ITC-100 8-way intercom with tally integration for crew coordination
  Sound & Acoustics

Complete wall and ceiling acoustic treatment

Controlled environment with minimal ambient noise for optimal vocal and instrumental capture

Virtual & Next-Gen Production Capabilities

• Green screen integration for chroma-key visuals and XR environments
• AR/VR compatibility via spatial mapping and integrated pipelines

Post-Production Suite

1. Professional workstations equipped with

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• DaVinci Resolve

2. Dedicated editing bays optimized for collaborative workflows

Stabilization & Monitoring

• DJI Ronin RS4 gimbal – for dynamic, fluid cinematography
• Libec LX-7M tripods with DL-3RB Dollies for flexible, mobile setups
• Dual-monitor setup: Ruige 21.5” (PGM) & Logic 32” (multiview)

Academic Integration & Adaptive Design

• Modular shooting floor – configurable for diverse formats: interviews, talk shows, narratives, VR/AR explorations
• Embedded within HITS' academic Vision

1. Media Production
2. Broadcast Journalism
3. Digital Storytelling
4. Immersive Media Labs