Kohima Science College (Autonomous), Jotsoma, and Pfutsero Government College, Pfutsero, have entered into a five-year partnership covering academic cooperation, research, innovation, skill development and community outreach.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at Kohima Science College on Monday, provides for mutual access to laboratories, libraries, nurseries, gardens, ICT facilities, apiary units and other academic and field resources, subject to feasibility and availability.
The collaboration covers apiculture, floriculture, computer applications, English and communication studies and Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS), among other areas.
A major area identified under the partnership is the documentation, preservation and digitisation of indigenous knowledge. The two colleges propose to document traditional agricultural practices, medicinal plant knowledge, indigenous ecological knowledge, floral traditions, folklore and oral history, besides developing digital archives and local knowledge databases.
The institutions also plan to undertake community-based participatory research and explore ways of bringing traditional knowledge into scientific research.
Potential areas include the scientific validation of traditional agricultural and ecological practices, sustainable floriculture, pollinator-friendly farming, apiculture and biodiversity conservation.
For students, the partnership opens scope for joint research projects, publications, internships, field visits and certificate courses, along with access to academic and technical resources of both institutions.
The collaboration also has a livelihood dimension, with the colleges identifying skill development, entrepreneurship and local livelihood generation as possible outcomes of work in areas such as apiculture, floriculture, biodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices.
The partnership is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places emphasis on multidisciplinary education, research, innovation and community engagement, and encourages collaboration among higher educational institutions.
The MoU was signed by Dr Temjenwabang, Principal of Kohima Science College (Autonomous), and Dr Anungla Pongener, Principal of Pfutsero Government College, in the presence of the IQAC coordinators of both institutions and faculty members.