The International University Nagaland (IUN), formerly known as The Global Open University, has come under increased public scrutiny due to a growing internal crisis that is disrupting academic activities and leaving students in uncertainty.
The Tenyimi Students’ Union Dimapur (TSUD) has called for urgent intervention to address the ongoing unrest within the university, which has led to staff strikes, class disruptions, and administrative instability.
During a press conference at the TSUD office on Saturday, TSUD president Sotilo Seb highlighted the worsening situation. The student body received a formal grievance letter from the International University Nagaland Students’ Forum (IUNSU) on April 21, outlining several issues, including sudden staff terminations, internal conflicts between employees and management, and resulting academic disruptions.
Seb informed that IUNSU complaint described how the sudden termination of staff had severely disrupted classes across multiple departments, leaving students, particularly those in their final semester, with an uncertain academic future. In response, TSUD met with IUN vice chancellor on April 24, who assured that the issues were resolved. However, TSUD insisted on meeting with the student body to verify the situation.
During this meeting, students confirmed that the ongoing unrest had prompted a pen-down strike from April 14 to April 21, with teachers only taking attendance and no academic classes taking place.
This strike caused significant disruption, with particular concern over faculty shortages in the Hotel Management and Fashion Technology departments, it said.
TSUD sought a follow-up meeting with university staff to address the core issues, but the vice chancellor abruptly ended the meeting after a few minutes, citing that management-related matters could not be discussed publicly.
On April 25, TSUD met with the Employees Association of IUN, which revealed that salaries were not being paid on time. In a concerning development, TSUD said the employees also disclosed that, on April 1, the pro chancellor, in the presence of the vice chancellor, informed them that they should find alternative employment within a month.
This announcement triggered the pen-down strike and led to a list of demands from the employees, who warned of further actions if their concerns were not addressed.
Seb emphasized that the ongoing internal conflict was directly impacting students’ education and expressed concerns over accountability.
“If this crisis continues, who will take responsibility for the academic loss suffered by the students?” he questioned. TSUD has urged both university authorities and employees to ensure that students do not suffer further due to these internal disputes.
Seb further stated that TSUD would submit a formal representation to the minister of Higher Education, via the principal director of Higher Education, requesting government intervention if immediate corrective measures were not taken by the university.