The valedictory session of the five-day Academic Reading and Writing Workshop was held on September 26. The workshop was organized by the Department of Sociology, Nagaland University, in collaboration with the Indian Sociological Society. The session was chaired by Prof. Athungo Ovung, Department of Sociology, Nagaland University. In his opening remarks, he welcomed the resource person, faculty members, and participants, and shared his thoughts on the importance of academic engagements in strengthening research, writing, and reading skills.
A key highlight of the workshop was the presence of Prof. Satish Deshpande, Former Head and Professor, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics, who served as the resource person. He conducted insightful sessions on academic writing and reading practices. His lectures were widely appreciated for their clarity, depth, and practical relevance, particularly in guiding young scholars on approaching sociological texts and writing with academic rigor.
The valedictory session began with reflections on the workshop by participants. They shared personal experiences, learnings, and key takeaways. Many expressed that the sessions helped them gain confidence in structuring academic papers and in understanding the nuances of scholarly communication, and they promised to be “an agential reader” in the future. This was followed by an overview of the workshop presented by Dr. Suraj Beri, the Organizing Secretary. Dr. Beri noted the objectives of the workshop: learning by doing, agential reading within texts, conscious writing, and understanding the unsaid within the text. He also offered a detailed summary of the workshop’s activities, including lectures, interactive discussions, peer review exercises, and writing tasks.
A special address was delivered by Prof. Joginder Singh, Director, IQAC, Nagaland University. He appreciated the initiative and emphasized its importance in today’s academic environment. Prof. Singh commended the organizers and participants for their commitment and engagement and encouraged the continuation of such scholarly programs to further enhance academic quality and research skills. He also presented briefly on how to be a good academic writer.
The vote of thanks was given by Dr. Sandeep Gupta, acknowledging the resource person, funding agency Prof. Vivek, organizing secretary, HoD, faculty members, participants, and the team of volunteers. Prof. Athungo Ovung, in his concluding address, acknowledged the valuable contributions of all speakers, with special mention of Prof. Satish Deshpande, praised the participants for their academic enthusiasm, and reflected on the workshop’s success in fostering a reflective, rigorous, and inclusive learning space.
The valedictory session marked the successful conclusion of a vibrant five-day workshop. With expert guidance from distinguished resource persons and active participation from students and faculty, the workshop achieved its objective of building capacity in academic reading and writing. The Department of Sociology, Nagaland University, along with the Indian Sociological Society, reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing academic excellence and collaborative learning.
