By Jose Kavi

New Delhi, Nov. 1, 2019: Father Romuald D’Souza, a renowned Jesuit educationist and thinker, died on November 1 in Goa, western India. He was 94.

Father D’Souza “will always be remembered for his contribution to the field of education. He will always be an inspiration to all of us, especially those in education. May God grant him eternal rest,” says a message from the Goa Jesuit provincial house.

The funeral for the educationist will be held on November 3 at Porvorim, some 10 km north of Panaji, the state capital.

Father D’Souza, who was a recipient of the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, was credited with bringing about changes in education and management studies in Goa and in India, the provincial’s message noted.

He founded the Goa Institute of Management, one of the top management institutes in western India.

He also founded the Xavier Centre of Historical Research, at Porvorim, in 1978. He served as the director of Xavier Labour Research Institute in Jamshedpur (now in Jharkhand) during 1982–1989.

In 1987, he founded the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar, capital of Odisha state, and directed it until 1993, the year he founded the Goa Institute of Management at Panaji and served as its director until 2004.

Born on December 20, 1925 at Aldona, 18 km north of Panaji, he was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1958 in Belgium. He did his Masters in counseling from Fordham University, New York City. After that he studied further at Columbia University, in the same place.

On his return to India in 1962 he took over as the principal of St Vincent’s High School Pune in 1967.

He served as member of various academic organizations, such as the Association of Management Development Institutes of South Asia, the All India Board of Management Studies, Government of India, the Executive Council of the Goa University, the Academic Council of Utkal University.

He was a professional member of the Academy of Management USA, International Council of Psychologists and the American Psychological Society. He taught Business Ethics, Management of stress, Psychometrics and Organizational behavior. He also founded the now defunct Marian Institute of Healthcare Management, Goa.

On January 26, 2010, the government of India chose him for the Padma Shri award for his contribution to Education and Literature.