The State Council of Science, Technology and Environment (SCSTE) organised a one day youth forum programme and lecture series on biodiversity and mineral resources at Shillong College here yesterday.
The event was held in collaboration with the Department of Botany and Department of Zoology at Shillong College and supported by the Himalayan Knowledge Network Programme at GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Uttarakhand.
The programme was attended by teachers, students and research scholars from Shillong College, St Anthony’s College and NEHU.
Shillong College principal E Kharkongor encouraged the students to take up issues regarding the environment and bring about solutions to the problems.
DR Wahlang, the programme officer of SCSTE, gave a brief preview of the youth forum to the audience and, as part of the programme, lectures on the thematic areas were delivered by Prof D Walia from the Department of Geology at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), C Deori, scientist at the Botanical Survey of India, Shillong, and B Sinha, Scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, Shillong.
A special lecture was also given by Prof A Fryar from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky in the USA, who is also a Fullbright-Kalam Climate Fellow at NEHU.
The lecture series was followed by an interactive session and expert panel discussion where the students interacted with the experts as well as officials of SCSTE and Shillong College.