The Department of English, Nagaland University organised a two-day international conference in hybrid mode on the theme “Language Diversity, Social and Technological Development in Educational and Economic Transformation: In Alignment with NEP 2020,” drawing scholars from India and abroad to debate how language, technology and policy can reshape classrooms and workplaces. The event ran from November 25 to 26 at the Department of English, Meriema while simultaneously streaming on Google Meet, allowing wide participation.
The inaugural session opened on November 25 Dr Lemtila Alinger in the chair. The welcome note by Prof Suresh Kurapati was followed by a concept note from conference convenor Dr R Vasanthan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof N Venuh delivered the inaugural address, setting the tone for two days of discussion on multilingual education, digital equity and economic growth.
First day’s keynote address was delivered by Dr Rosanna Maria Barros Sá of the University of Algarve, Portugal, a member of ASEM LLL Hub, who examined social inclusion through language policy in Europe and what India can adapt from that experience.
A mid-day plenary by Prof C Govindaraj of Periyar University probed literary studies in a data-driven era, while an afternoon address by Dr A Wati Walling of NIT Dimapur explored sociological perspectives on technology and regional development.
Scholars then dispersed into seven parallel halls—four on-site and three online—for a marathon of technical papers that spanned post-human digital celebrities, corpus analysis, folklore preservation, AI-assisted pedagogy and more. Chairs from Nagaland University, Periyar University and other institutions steered debate while the hybrid model kept offline and online presenters in sync.
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Second day began with a keynote address by Dr Filipa Contente, a medical consultant from Portugal, underscoring how multilingual health communication can improve patient outcomes. Subsequent sessions included a workshop on journal formatting led by Granthaalayah Publications and fresh rounds of technical papers tackling GPT-5’s interpretive skills, classroom gamification and metaverse-infused curricula.
The valedictory gathering saw Dr I Talisenla Imsong presiding and Prof Ajit Kumar Mishra of the Commerce Department as chief guest. Convenor Dr Vasanthan presented the conference report before certificates were handed to the organising team and Dr Alinger offered the vote of thanks. A fitting cultural finale followed: “The Myth of Meralikie,” a Naga play staged by English-department students, reminding attendees that academic discourse and indigenous art share the same stage in the North-East.
The programme demonstrated how NEP 2020’s call for multilingual, tech-enabled education can move from policy paper to real classrooms. By pairing rigorous scholarship with local performance art, Nagaland University positioned itself as a hub where language diversity and digital innovation are not opposing forces but partners in the region’s economic and educational future.
