ICFAI University Nagaland (IUN) conducted its 7th annual NJY memorial lecture on October 15.
A press release from IUN, stated that prof. Liegise, in her lecture, titled “Recent trend in higher education with emphasis on Nagaland: An Analysis”, discussed importance of higher education in Nagaland. Focusing on recent trends, she pointed out how colleges in Nagaland were providing post graduate courses; rapid growth of infrastructures of institutions with grants from UGC, and rise of digital enterprise in education. Liegise further pointed out lack of institutions offering technical and professional courses in the state, and stressed on the need for research development for students as well as for teachers.
EAC Bhandari, Dr. Riku Khutso, emphasised on education mainly focusing on early educational evangelism in Naga society in his lecture titled “The making of ‘Converts’ and ‘Literates’ in the Naga Society: The Sociology of English Language”. He spoke about assimilation of culture and how Naga Christianity reflected some aspect of culture of pre-Christian Nagas.
The principle vision of educational evangelism of Christian missionaries, as Dr. Riku observed were “to evangelise”, “to educate” and “to baptize”. He also spoke about how conversion and transition from tradition to modern sensibility was part of a “structural organisation” of the Nagas and concluded with the notion that what people of Nagaland have become today was long imagined by the missionaries in past.
The programme was chaired by Abdon Mech, while vice chancellor, C P Alexander, delivered welcome address and also delivered brief biography of NJ Yasaswy, founder of ICFAI Group of Institutions.