The Department of Psychology at Mizoram University and the Global Forum for Sustainable Rural Development, organized a two-day International Seminar on ‘Advancing Sustainable Development Goals: Promoting Health, Well-Being, and Gender Equality’ on 8th and 9th June 2023.
The inaugural program took place at the Conference Hall, School of Education, with Prof. Zoengpari, the Head of the Department of Psychology, Mizoram University, chairing the event. Prof. Zokaitluangi, Senior Professor, and Dean of the School of Medical and Paramedical Sciences, Mizoram University, delivered a short speech.
The chief guest for the inauguration was Prof. Debakar Chandra Deka, the Vice Chancellor of Mizoram University, and the Guest of Honor was Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh, IAS, former Secretary of the Department of Panchayati Raj and special secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Keynote speeches were given by Prof. MD Reazul from the Department of Development Studies, Dhaka University, Bangladesh, and Dr. Balan Rathakrishnan from the Faculty of Psychology and Education, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia.
Prof. HK Laldinpuii Fente from the Department of Psychology delivered the vote of thanks.
Following the inauguration, there was a plenary session in the afternoon featuring eight speakers from different countries discussing various topics related to gender equality, well-being, and health. Session-I included Dr. HC Veronica (Nikki) de Pina, Founder of Global Peace Let’s Talk, London, UK, who spoke on ‘A Voice for Humanities’.
Batol Gholami from the Afghanistan Youth Leaders Assembly delivered a speech on ‘Gender Equality, Attention, and Action of the World’. Samira Ahmed Al Mamari from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, College of Economics and Business Administration, Oman, discussed ‘Health and gender equity in Oman’.
Nche Sam Takoh FOMCAM Community and Mental Health Organization, Cameroon, addressed the topic of ‘Mental Health and Well-Being’.
Session-II of the plenary session included Dr. Parvathy Varma from the Graduate School of Human Sciences, Assumption University of Thailand, who spoke about ‘Enhancing Resilience in Youth’. Amb. Ihouma C. Ephraim, President of Favour Discovery Foundation, Nigeria, talked about ‘Gender Equality in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges’.
Tajmery Akhter, Programme Manager of Gender and Social Equity Helvetas, Bangladesh, delivered a speech on ‘Gender Equality in the Workplace’. Abena Agyarkowa Otchere-Darko discussed ‘Gender Equality and Development’.
The first day of the seminar concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Jayanta Choudhury, the Founder of the Global Forum for Sustainable Rural Development.
The second day of the seminar consisted of six offline scientific sessions and eight online scientific sessions.
Participants included academicians, researchers, students, and research scholars from all over India. The seminar had a blended mode, with 127 registered participants. Offline sessions took place on the Mizoram University Campus, with 32 presentations delivered across six sessions.
Additionally, 37 presentations were made in online mode via Google Meet, spread across eight sessions. At any given point, two offline and two online sessions were held simultaneously. The papers presented covered a wide range of topics such as ‘Happiness, Mental Health, and Well-Being’, ‘Gender Equity and Culture’, ‘Social Well-Being’, ‘Positive Psychology in the Academic/Workplace’, and ‘Personality Development and Well-Being’.
The seminar concluded with a valedictory program, where certificates were awarded to the 32 offline presenters.
