Kohima: Nagaland University hosted a two-day international seminar on environmental humanities this week. The event, titled Where Trees Become Texts in Environmental Humanities: Art, Music, Literature & Pedagogy, ran November 12 and 13. Twenty scholars from India, Europe, North America, and Asia met at the Commerce Department Conference Hall in Meriema. The English and Teacher Education departments organized the hybrid sessions.
Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Prof Jagadish Kumar Patnaik spoke virtually during the inauguration. He argued that universities must tackle environmental issues through research beyond just science. He said environmental challenges needed to be examined beyond scientific and technological perspectives, as they also raised ethical, cultural and educational questions. The Vice-Chancellor noted that the biodiversity of Northeast India offers a prime setting for these talks.
Dean Prof Lungsang Zeliang discussed linking cultural memory to ecological awareness. Seminar convener Dr Subhashis Banerjee introduced topics like plant agency and phytohumanities. He noted how local forests and rivers tie directly into community identities. Dr Banerjee and co-convener Dr Prasenjit Pal also released the seminar abstract volume during a felicitation ceremony.
The speaker list included experts from institutions like the University of Calcutta, NOVA University of Lisbon, and the University of California, San Diego. Prof Syamal Chakrabarti gave the principal plenary lecture. Other contributors hailed from universities in Poland, Finland, Vietnam, and Japan. Collaborators included Amity University, Budge Budge College, Government College Seppa, Kohima Science College, and the PURE Foundation.
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