Various educational institutions have recently organised seminars and events focussing on key aspects of personal development, social issues, and professional growth.

Students during the one-day seminar on EI at Patkai Christian College (Autonomous).
DIMAPUR — Various educational institutions have recently organised seminars and events focussing on key aspects of personal development, social issues, and professional growth.
St. Joseph University: The department of Psychology and Counselling at St. Joseph University, in collaboration with the India School Psychology Association, inaugurated an InSPA centre, a first for the NE region, at St. Joseph University on Thursday.
An update stated that InSPA is a voluntary, non-profit educational service society that supports and advocates for school psychologists, providing professional training to have a positive impact on school systems and improve academic skills, social-emotional functioning, and the mental health and well-being of all school children.
Prof. Zavise Rume, professor at SCERT, Nagaland, and president of the All Nagaland Counsellors' Association, stated in his keynote address that InSPA, as a professional organisation, can promote psychology, counselling, and mental health. He emphasised the need to integrate psychology into school education so that counselling is not treated as a problematic activity but as an integral part of the school curriculum where all children receive counselling.
Prof. Dr. Panch Ramalingam, national president of InSPA, during his address, stated that the first five years after the launch of InSPA in 2009 were spent creating awareness and enrolling members into the organisation, as well as promoting and providing online counselling during COVID. He expressed hopes for the launch of 1,500 centres across the country.
Nagaland University: A guest seminar and interaction were conducted by the department of Agricultural Engineering and Technology on Thursday at the School of Engineering and Technology, Kohima Campus, Nagaland University, with Prof. Brajesh Kumar Dubey from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as the speaker for the seminar.
According to an update, in his presentation on "Mitigating plastic pollution: challenges, sustainable solutions, and policy imperatives," Prof. Dubey emphasised the various aspects of plastic pollution and their associated problems.
Meanwhile, the department of Sociology is organising a two-day national seminar on 'Social lives of infrastructure in northeast India: navigating diversity, connectivity, and resilience' on February 27 and 28.
The seminar is jointly sponsored by ICCSR, New Delhi, Nagaland University, and S Supongmeren Jamir, Member of Parliament. The inaugural ceremony at Lumami Campus featured the chief patron, Prof. Jagadish K Patnaik, vice-chancellor of Nagaland University.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Amarjeet Singh from the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Prof. Singh spoke on contemporary issues in the region, offering a comprehensive perspective on the socio-political and cultural dynamics of NE India.
Patkai Christian College (Autonomous): The department of Education at Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) organised a one-day seminar on "Significance of emotional intelligence in personal and academic success" at the conference hall, with James Inaho Swu, associate professor at Trinity Theological College, Dimapur, as the resource person.
In his address, Swu stressed the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in both personal and academic spheres. He explained that when emotions run high, they can often overpower the brain’s function, highlighting the need to understand and manage one's emotions effectively.
A major focus of Inaho Swu’s session was the practice of active listening and self-reflection as effective strategies for developing EI.