Association formed for Educational Collaboration with South East Asian Countries

Participants at brainstorming session on “South East Asia-Indian North East Collaborative Higher Education Perspective” organised by USTM on 6th December 2019

9th Mile, Khanapara, Ri Bhoi, 6th December 2019: University Vice chancellors and heads of higher educational institutions from the North East met today over a brainstorming session on “South East Asia-Indian North East: Collaborative Higher Education Perspective” and formed an association suggested as “South East Asia as Intellectual Leader for a Better World” which would lead for collaborative work with institutions of the neighboring South East Asian countries. The programme was initiated and organized by the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) in association with National Law University and Judicial Academy Assam (NLUJAA), Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Assam Science and Technology University (ASTU), Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS), Tezpur University (TU) and Cotton University (CU). This new platform of higher education institutions has also decided that the first international convention in this direction would be held in the month of April 2020.

The meeting has formed an association with Dr Mridul Hazarika, Principal Advisor USTM & former VC, Gauhati University as the President, Prof NC Talukdar, Director, IASST as the Vice President, Dr J S Patil, VC, National Law University as the Working President, Dr Dhiraj Bora, VC, Assam Science and Technology University as the Organizing Secretary, Prof Vinod Kumar Jain, VC Tezpur University as the Patron while Dr PK Goswami, VC, USTM, Prof Dipika Deka,VC, SSUHS, Prof Bhabesh Chandra Goswami, VC Cotton University apart from others as founding Members. It was decided that two universities from each SE Asian countries would be invited to be part of the organizing committee for the proposed international convention in April.

Chairing the brainstorming session, Dr Mridul Hazarika said that people to people contact is more important than government to government action in respect of collaborative relationship between South East Asian countries in the field of education. Therefore there is the need of a platform to think and work together towards building collaborative connections between the SE Asian countries in order to lead the world in the intellectual arena.

Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of USTM and the key initiator in formation of this association of higher educational institutions of the North East India and South East Asia said, “It is time that all educational institutions come forward and join hands to work together for educational, sports and cultural activities and make out Northeast a global destination”. USTM is always ready to extend support for activities in order to create a global community, he added. He also rued that education is not getting priority in the government’s Act East Policy.

Dr J S Patil stated that “there is a need to develop a kind of philosophy which binds us together as an organization and only then we’ll become torch bearers in bringing real educational vision”. The only way to equate ourselves with the western world is to dominate intellectually, he added. Dr Dhiraj Bora, Prof NC Talukdar, Prof Dipika Deka, Dr PK Goswami also spoke on the occasion and forwarded their views.