Bhaskar Pant’s global journey

How a University of Rochester experience shaped a career in media, cultural awareness, and mentorship

When Bhaskar Pant ’72 arrived at the University of Rochester in January 1968, the world he entered felt exciting and bewildering. Coming from Zambia via the UK, Pant faced the dual challenge of navigating a new country and educational system. Decades later, he reflects on how those formative years at Rochester shaped his global career and how he remains connected to the University by mentoring students through the Meliora Collective and advocating for cultural awareness.

Finding footing in a new world

Pant’s journey to Rochester began with a culture shock. “I remember feeling a bit lost at first,” Pant recalls. “But I soon found a community through the International Students’ Union, which became a crucial part of my university experience.”

Pant overcame feelings of being overwhelmed and learned to find his footing. This made him aware of others who might feel confused by cultural differences or unfamiliar environments. His firsthand experience encouraged him to approach others with empathy and understanding—a characteristic central to Pant today.

Discovering a passion for media

While Pant enrolled as an engineering student, his interests soon expanded beyond the classroom. His involvement with WRUR, the university’s radio station, proved to be a turning point. Pant progressed from a volunteer to a newscaster and the station’s general manager, overseeing programming and operations.

WRUR opened a new world for Pant. Media production, communication, and journalism suddenly provided a creative outlet to his technical studies.

Pant’s passion for media extended to the university’s media center, where he directed videotaping of campus events, including the Eastman School of Music’s 50th anniversary celebrations. This hands-on experience with broadcasting and production planted the seeds for a future career in media.

How an open curriculum fostered a global mission

Although Pant initially pursued engineering, his academic journey evolved to include communication and cultural studies. He took French classes and explored courses in acoustics, blending his technical background with his newfound passion for audio and broadcasting.

After graduating from Rochester, Pant earned a master’s in broadcast journalism from Indiana University. His career took him ultimately to Turner Broadcasting and CNN in India, serving as its first President for South Asia, where he gained firsthand experience in global media.

However, during his time at CNN, Pant noticed a gap—Indian IT professionals traveling to the U.S. often struggled with cultural adaptation. Remembering the culture shock he experienced as a student, Pant saw the opportunity for education and empathy. He recognized this need and transitioned into cultural awareness education, founding programs to help professionals navigate cross-cultural differences.

Today, Pant manages professional education and teaches cultural awareness at MIT. He won the coveted MIT Excellence Award in 2024 for embracing diversity and inclusion in his longstanding work at MIT.

“The flexibility of the U.S. education system allowed me to shift my focus from engineering to media and communication,” he says. “That’s something I always encourage students to embrace—keeping an open mind about their future paths.”

Giving back to the University community

Pant’s connection to Rochester remains strong. In the fall of 2024, he returned to campus to lead a cultural awareness workshop for faculty and staff, sharing his insights on navigating cross-cultural environments.

Reflecting on his journey, Pant emphasizes the importance of adaptability and openness—values he attributes to his time at the University of Rochester.

“My experiences at Rochester taught me that career paths aren’t always linear,” he says. “Sometimes, the things you explore outside the classroom can shape your future in unexpected ways.”

For Bhaskar Pant, the journey from Zambia to Rochester and beyond is a testament to the transformative power of education, community, and cultural understanding. His story continues to inspire a new generation of Rochester students to think globally and act with empathy.