SHILLONG, Dec 18: At a time when North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) faces significant challenges, Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla attended ‘THE Innovation & Impact Summit 2024’ in the national capital. Ironically, the summit focused on creating crisis-resistant universities.
During the summit, Prof. Shukla shared the stage with distinguished personalities, including Daniel Sui, Senior Vice-President of Research and Innovation at Virginia Tech, and Albert Lai, Chief Research Information Officer at Washington University School of Medicine.
He also presented NEHU’s initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable engagement with local communities in Northeast.
Highlighting NEHU’s efforts, Prof. Shukla emphasised bridging higher education with regional development through sustainable partnerships. He stated that his vision focuses on using education as a catalyst for fostering a connected and prosperous northeast, aligning global standards with regional priorities.
On the occasion, Prof. Shukla also met Secretary-General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Colin Riordan, during which he reiterated NEHU’s commitment to expanding global collaborations, adopting innovative educational practices and addressing global challenges with localised solutions.
Introducing Dr. Skill, a Gujarat-based startup equipping youth with specialised skills for global career opportunities, Prof. Shukla highlighted its role in creating industry-ready career pathways for European markets and its potential for addressing global challenges effectively.
A proposed Commonwealth Universities workshop on sustainability and skill development, to be hosted by IIS Meghalaya, was also discussed.
The summit also included discussions with Noboru Noguchi, Dean of the Research Faculty of Agriculture at Hokkaido University, and Dr. Tanvir Mahmoud Hussein, PMP, Associate Professor of Finance at Gulf University. Both expressed interest in collaborating with NEHU, promising benefits for the Northeast region.
During the event, the NEHU VC reaffirmed the university’s commitment to regional development, global engagement and shaping a sustainable and innovative future for the Northeast.
It may be mentioned that the summit, hosted from December 10 to 12, explored the critical role of higher education in global innovation and its impact.