DIMAPUR — A two-day international conference on ‘Biologically Inspired Techniques in Many-Criteria Decision-Making (BITMDM 2024),’ organised by the Nagaland University’s School of Engineering and Technology (SET), in collaboration with Tetso College, Dimapur, got underway on Friday in hybrid format.
An inaugural ceremony was held at Lorin Hall of Tetso College on the theme ‘Advances in multidisciplinary research and innovation.’
Delivering the welcome and introductory address, Prof. Sujata Dash, programme chair of BITMDM 2024, pointed out that the conference is a forum for experts, researchers and practitioners from various fields to explore advancements in biologically inspired techniques and data analytics for addressing the complexities of multilateral decision-making.
Prof. A Elayaperumal, director of NIT, Nagaland, stated that historically, all inventions originated from biological principles. Noting that economic and social progress is driven by advancements in education, he asserted that education is the catalyst for all development through high-quality research and development.
He challenged the educated Naga youth to come out of their comfort zones and compete with others from outside the state and beyond. He also highlighted the significant advancements in the healthcare sector, stating that the demands of new emerging diseases require the development of novel medicines through investment in bioscience and biotechnology.
"Medical technology has advanced, the number of medicines has increased, the number of doctors has risen, and the number of hospitals has grown, yet the number of diseases has also risen mainly due to lifestyle changes and the resulting rise in lifestyle-related diseases,” he said.
He concluded by saying that alongside economic, educational and social progress, we must also focus on physical, mental and emotional well-being as they are the three pillars of a fulfilling life.
The chief guest and vice chancellor of Nagaland University, Prof. JK Patnaik, through online speech, emphasised the conference theme's contemporary relevance, highlighting technology's role in governance and international relations.
The conference was officially declared open by Prof. VK Vidyarthi, Dean of SET, Nagaland University.