SHILLONG, Sep 29: In a first for Asia, Prof Sunil Kumar De of the Department of Geography, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, was elected as the 9th president of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) on Friday, according to a statement issued here.
Among the 41 valid countries, Prof De bagged the support of 21 countries during the election which was held on September 15 at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, during the 10th International Conference on Geomorphology, the statement said.
De’s competition was Prof Susan Conway from the United Kingdom. Despite a close contest, De was elected president.
The NEHU professor succeeds Prof Mauro Soldati of the University of Modena, Italy, who is widely known for his scientific research on the Impact of climate change on landslide, as president.
Prof De is specialised in Environmental Geomorphology, Geomorphological Hazards and River Health.
He was the co-chairman of the International (IAG) Working Group on Geomorphological Hazards and has been sincerely promoting Indian Geomorphology on International Platform since 2001. He has also been promoting young Indian Geomorphologists, internationally.
In the discipline of Geography, Prof SP Chatterjee was elected as president of the International Geographical Union (IGU) in the year 1968, according to the statement. “It took 58 years for India to get this highest post in an allied organization. After that Prof. Md. Shafi of Aligarh Muslim University and Prof. R. B. Singh of Delhi University became the Vice Presidents of the IGU,” it added.
The IAG is a premier international organisation of professional geomorphologists of the world and is dedicated to improving and propagating the research in geomorphology. It was established in 1985 in Manchester, UK, with Prof Denys Brunsden as its first president.
At present, 61 countries are affiliated to the IAG through their National Scientific Members.
Prof. De is also the secretary of Foreign Matters of the Indian Institute of Geomorphologists (IGI), a research organisation founded and having its headquarters in the Department of Geography, University of Allahabad.
The Indian Institute of Geomorphologists (IG) was founded by Prof Savindra Singh with the help of many senior Geomorphologists of the country. Prof De also founded the Indian Institute of Geomorphologists Young Geomorphologists Forum (IGI-YGF) in 2018 which is treated as the most active group in the world outside Europe.
Many including Vice Chancellor of NEHU Prof PS Sukla have extended their wishes to Prof De to congratulate him on becoming India as well as Asia’s first president of the IAG.
