New Delhi: Scholars from universities from different parts of the world deliberated on the theme – ‘Realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Under the Current Scenario’ to explore pathways to address current and emerging sustainability challenges at an International Conference on ‘Emerging Trends and Contemporary Practices’ (ICETCP 2022), held for two days in hybrid mode from May 19, 2022.
The theme of the conference contributes to the agenda of the United Nations, which is, ‘Transforming Our World by 2030 – Agenda for Sustainable Development.’
The conference was organised by Atmiya University, Rajkot in association with Miyazaki University Japan, Lincoln University College Malaysia, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Keck Graduate University, USA, and Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP), Germany during 19-20 May 2022.
The four tracks of the conference focused on sustainable wellness, sustainable business, indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable technology. 15 experts from 10 countries, including Japan, Sweden, Germany, UK, Qatar, Malaysia, UAE and Nepal participated and a total of 117 papers were selected for presentation.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor (Dr) Walter Leal, chair of Climate change Management, Hamburg University Germany, elaborated on how any university can adopt sustainable practices in their day-to-day life. He stressed that being an organization, every university or institution has a responsibility of adopting the sustainability practices on the campus.
Pro-Chancellor of Atmiya University Prof (Dr) Sheela Ramachandran said a change of mindset was essential for realizing the SDGs and called upon young researchers to contribute toward SDGs with the help of the higher education system.
“Trans-disciplinary approach and collaborative action can help in realising Sustainable Development Goals,” said Prof (Dr) Hiroshi Sameshima, President of the Miyazaki University of Japan. Adding further to the need for collaborative research and knowledge exchange on SDG related issues, Prof. Hiroshi stressed focused interventions for sustainability.
Anna LekVall, Consul General of Sweden in Mumbai highlighted the international experiences in sustainability. She elaborated on how Swedish higher educational institutions as well as the Government, are making efforts towards sustainability.
The eminent experts and scholars from different countries participated as Keynote-Speaker or Session-Chair at the conference. They included Prof. (Dr) Abhijeet Ghosh, Lincoln University College, Malaysia; Prof. (Dr) Shailendra Singh, IIM, Lucknow; Prof. (Dr) Wolfgang C. Amann, HEC Paris, Doha, Qatar; Prof. (Dr) Pramila Thapa Purbanchal University, Nepal; Prof. (Dr) Ved Vyas Dwivedi, Indus University, India; Prof. (Dr) Sandeep Poddar, Dr Premila Thapa, Nepal University, Nepal; Dr Ritika Sinha, Bengaluru Central University, India; and Dr Chirag Barasara, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, India; and Prof. Harish Madhyastha, Miyazaki University, Japan.
Prof. (Dr.) Bhola Thapa, Vice-Chancellor, Kathmandu University, Nepal in his valedictory address elaborated on the need for cooperation and partnerships in promoting the SDG knowledge exchange globally. He mentioned the different initiatives of Kathmandu University toward knowledge creation and dissemination in the area of sustainability.
– global bihari bureau
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