SrinagarCentral University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir today said the University is ready to accept and support any proposal for any joint academic venture, that may come from any corner of the country or the world, for the growth and benefit of the students of the varsity.
He said this during his presidential address on the valedictory function of the two-day international conference on the Conservation of environment and role of religion, organized by the Department of Religious Studies, CUK at Nowgam-I academic block of the varsity. Vice-Chancellor expressed satisfaction over the successful completion of the conference and thanked the dignitaries from different parts of the country and from outside the country who participated in the conference. Prof Mehraj ud Din Mir insisted that the suggestions and conclusions arrived at during the conference should be acted upon in letter and spirit so that conservation of environment becomes a reality and we would be able to hand over a better legacy to the generations to follow.
The two-day conference was spread over 16 sessions, including the inaugural and the valedictory sessions, during which more than 60 research papers were read out by scholars belonging to various Universities of the State and outside the State as well.
Some of the prominent participants in the conference included Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought & Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Paul B. Mojzes from Croatia (former Yugoslavia) and now a Naturalized citizen of the United States of America. He is a professor emeritus of religious studies and co-editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies with Leonard Swidler. Mufti Mustafa Ceric, alumni of the University of Azhar, Cairo, and also Grand Mufti Emeritus of Bosnia, Puninder Singh, a doctoral student in linguistic anthropology at the University of Michigan, Professor Dr. Siddharth Singh, the Ex-Head, Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University (B.H.U.), Varanasi and about more than 50 other prominent scholars and researchers from the country and abroad.
Some important resolutions which were adopted at the conference with consensus, mention that the Universities and other organisations may be approached to initiate special programmes and research on different aspects of religion and environment with special reference to the state of J&K ,those researchers, who aspire to take up research in areas of religion and environment, may be considered for award of research fellowships and grants and concerned funding agencies may be approached in initiating such programmes, serious efforts need to be made to initiate inter-community and inter-faith dialogue for creating awareness on different aspects of religion and environment issues, the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS), Delhi offers to provide special space for publication of issues of religion and environment that may also entertain research proposals of relevant themes, community participation and active involvement of different voluntary and non-voluntary organisations may be encouraged by concerned quarters, religious institutions and personalities should be approached to join the campaign on improvement of environment around us, religious studies programmes should be started at school, college and University levels to impart environmental conservation and value education, special course on Ecology and Religion should be started from elementary level, colleges and Universities should come forward to encourage all organisations working for the promotion of environment and students should be encourage to work as volunteers for these organisations.
On the occasion, Prof Lenord Swedler, Dr Z M Khan, Prof Madhu Khanna, Prof Shashi Bala, Prof Manvinder Singh, Prof Hamidullah Marazi and Prof Abdul Gani from the CUK shared their thoughts and gave suggestions to implement the recommendations made by the experts during the conference and act upon the resolution adopted at the end of the conference.
The programme was conducted by Mr. Amir Assistant Prof department of Religious Studies while as Mr. Showkat, Assistant Prof department of Religious Studies, proposed the vote of thanks.
In the beginning of the valedictory function, a documentary film titled ‘Wanje Gaash’ produced by the students of the Department of Convergent Journalism was also screened. The film bagged an award of appreciation during World Film Festival held at Srinagar in Kashmir.
International experts meet Guv
Central University of Kashmir (CUK), Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir along with experts from abroad, including including Prof. Leonard Swindler, Prof. Paul Mojzes, Prof. Mustafa Ceric (Bosnia), Prof. Puninder Singh ( Machigan University USA), today called on the Governor, N N Vohra at Raj Bhawan here.
The international experts who had come to attend the two-day international conference on Conservation of Environment and role of religion organised by the Department of Religious Studies, CUK, discussed with Honorable Governor, several academic issues and the need of holding inter-religious dialogue.
Head department of Religious Studies, Prof. Hamidullah Marazi was also present during the meeting.