27 state nurses to kick-start professional careers in Japan
SHILLONG, June 3: A total of 27 nurses from Meghalaya are all set to kick-start their professional careers in Japan following their successful completion of training in Japanese language. The nurses had secured placements in various hospitals and care facilities across Japan after participating in an Overseas Nursing Job Fair in August 2023. Following the job fair in August 2023, which garnered substantial interest with over 1000 registrations from across the state, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked with firms on December 7, 2023, to facilitate language training and job placements in Japan, the UK, Singapore, and the UAE. The initiative, supported by the Meghalaya government through the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS), provided each candidate a financial aid of Rs 50,000. The goal was of initiative was to support a total of 300 nurses in the coming years. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had recently met the teachers and students involved in this initiative, expressing pride and encouragement for others to seize similar opportunities for personal and professional growth. The Skills Meghalaya, an initiative under which this training was conducted, aims to equip youth with essential skills. Organised by MSSDS and Health department, the programme collaborates with firms such as NAVIS to offer language training and job placements. NAVIS, among four identified firms, facilitated the training of 27 nurses in Bengaluru, with 25 passing N4 and N5 exams and receiving job offers. Currently, five nurses have received visas, with two already in Japan. Additionally, 14 nurses are slated to join institutes in Singapore within 3 months.
Roundtable conference explores Northeast’s role in Indo-Pacific
SHILLONG, June 3: The Asian Confluence, Shillong, a premier think tank of the Northeast, organised a round table conference in Guwahati on Monday, providing a platform for the policymakers, thought leaders, scholars, experts, civil society representatives and media professionals to confer about enhancing economic, trade, physical, digital and cultural connections between the Northeast and the Indo-Pacific region. According to a statement here, during the conference, ‘Connecting the Dots: Indo-Pacific and the Northeast’, Major General (Retired) Alok Deb emphasised the need to integrate connectivity with business to develop a secure northeastern region. On the other hand, Nagaland University Chancellor Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap argued that regional development should not come at the expense of ecology. Further, Dr. Pradeep Taneja, Deputy Associate Dean – International Relations, Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne, highlighted the importance of focusing on non-traditional security for the Northeast. Dr. Costas Laoutides, Associate Professor in International Relations at Deakin University, Australia, stressed the need for connectivity and social cohesion to maintain regional stability, advocating for continuous dialogue. Dr. Rouhin Deb, Chief Economist at the Assam Chief Minister’s Secretariat, on the other hand, revealed that the state is planning to develop its own AI policy to boost the economy. Executive Director of Asian Confluence Sabyasachi Dutta, during the conference, emphasised strengthening developmental partnerships between India and its eastern neighbours and highlighted the necessity of such cooperation for Northeast within the broader Indo-Pacific context. “The roundtable was part of the ‘scholar-in-residence’ programme organised by Asian Confluence, Shillong. The programme’s first phase was in Agartala, where scholars visited the Land Port at Akhura and engaged in discussions on the ‘Connectivity of the Bay of Bengal: Perspectives from the North East Region’. The second phase took place in Shillong, focusing on the ‘History and Ecology of the Bay of Bengal’. During their time in Shillong, the scholars visited various sites and interacted with the local community. The program will conclude in Delhi, where the scholars will interact with professionals, academics, and policymakers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the region,” the statement said.