Shillong: The Office of International Affairs (OIA) of NEHU on Thursday organized a meeting of faculty, researchers and students in connection with India’s assumption of G20.
The University Grants’ Commission selected NEHU as one of the 75 Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to take part in a curtain raiser programme entitled, “University Connect: Engaging Young Minds” organized by the Research and Information Systems for developing Countries (RIS) under the aegis of the MEA. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs’ Minister of India gave a comprehensive address explaining India’s agenda for G20 in various key sectors of foreign policy such as higher education, entrepreneurship, peace and climate justice.
The speech was delivered in virtual mode before some 1200 researchers and students drawn from across the country. The programme was held in VC Conference Hall of NEHU.
Large number of faculty, students and researchers gathered to witness this historic moment of India’s ascendance to Presidentship of the group of world’s most powerful nations named as G20.
As per UGC’s guidance, the meeting was simultaneously held in 75 Universities and IITs in physical mode that got connected online with national function held at the ministry of external affairs.
Addressing the gathering, Vice-Chancellor of NEHU Prof. P.S. Shukla emphasized upon the need for adopting vision of G20 nations in terms of developing university to university track, financial inclusion and climate action by way of closer co-operation, dialogue and mutual understanding.
Prof. Shukla highlighted some of G20’s innovative agenda of internationalization of higher education and related initiatives of entrepreneurship, circular economy and international food security and supply chain and NEHU’s role in carrying forward these agenda by way of establishing greater University to University cooperation with advanced nations of G20 that included USA, Germany, UK and other top ranking countries.
Prof. Shukla exhorted the NEHU community to rise up and build a greater role and responsibility using India’s period of Presidency.
Echoing similar ideas, Prinicipal secretary to Prime Minsiter Modi, Dr. P. K. Mishra suggested that G20 secretariat could be a place of training younger students in foreign languages and diplomatic interpretations and also a place for connecting Indian universities to the global scenario.
UGC Chairman Prof. Jagdish Kumar also highlighted Prime Minsietr’s role in asking UGC to invite institutions of repute to India so that Indian Universities can evolve dual degree and twining degree programmes with top universities of the world.
Following these pointers, Prof. P. S. Shukla, Vice-Chancellor of NEHU expressed the hope that NEHU’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) shall be in a position to catapult NEHU to a greater height by augmenting advanced research and teaching in its programmes of study.
The whole programme was organized under the aegis of Office of International Affairs of NEHU.
