From Tradition to Transformation: Science Finds a New Home at Nagaon University

From Tradition to Transformation: Science Finds a New Home at Nagaon University

The 70th Annual Technical Session of the Assam Science Society brings scientists, teachers, researchers and students together to ask an important question: how can Assam’s rich knowledge traditions help build a more sustainable future?

MOHAN KHOUND

Science does not always begin in a laboratory. Sometimes it begins with knowledge passed from one generation to another, with an observation made by a farmer, a healing practice preserved by a community, or an understanding of nature developed over centuries. The challenge before modern science is not to dismiss such knowledge, but to examine it, test it and find ways in which it can contribute to the future.

That idea was at the heart of the 70th Annual Technical Session of the Assam Science Society and the National Conference on “Tradition to Transformation: Pathways to a Sustainable and Viksit Bharat @2047”, being held at Nagaon University on September 25 and 26, 2026. The two-day programme brings together more than 250 participants, including students, researchers, teachers, academics and invited experts. The event is jointly organised by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell of Nagaon University and the Assam Science Society.

The choice of Nagaon University as the venue carries its own significance. The university is young, but its academic roots are much older. It was established under the Nagaon University Act, 2023, by upgrading the historic Nowgong College, which was founded in 1944. The university describes its research and academic mission around inquiry, innovation and real-world impact.

The Assam Science Society, meanwhile, has been part of Assam’s scientific journey for more than seven decades. It began in 1953 as the Gauhati Science Society and was renamed the Assam Science Society in 1956. Its stated purpose has long been to develop scientific temper, encourage research and bring scientific knowledge closer to society. The Society now has branches across Assam and publishes books, journals, magazines and other scientific material in Assamese and English.

That history makes the 70th technical session more than another academic gathering. It represents a conversation between two generations of institutions. The Assam Science Society carries the memory of Assam’s organised popular science movement, while Nagaon University represents a new generation of higher education and research in the state.

The inaugural session was presided over by Dr Hitesh Deka, Vice Chancellor of Nagaon University, with Dr Bhuban Chandra Chutia, Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell and Organising Secretary of the conference, welcoming the participants. Dr Arup Kumar Misra, Chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board, President of the Assam Science Society and former Director of ASTEC, delivered the inaugural address. Dr Jaideep Barua, Director of ASTEC and Department of Science and Technology, Government of Assam, and former Secretary of the Assam Science Society, delivered the keynote address.

The gathering also brought together experts from beyond Assam. Among those associated with the inaugural programme were Dr Bhaarat C. Basitha, Member of the Institute for Transforming Sikkim, Planning and Development Department, Government of Sikkim and former Principal Director of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Sikkim; Dr Bhagawat P. Duraah, Professor of the Department of Geological Science and Working President of the Assam Science Society; and Mr Mrinal Kr. Hazarika, General Secretary of the Society.

The central theme is particularly relevant to Assam. The state has a deep reservoir of traditional knowledge connected with agriculture, forests, water, biodiversity, food, health and the management of natural resources. Much of this knowledge developed through close observation of local landscapes and changing seasons. At the same time, modern Assam faces increasingly complex challenges involving climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, disaster risk, food security and sustainable development.

The real question, therefore, is not whether tradition should replace modern science. It cannot. Nor should traditional knowledge be romanticised without evidence. The more useful question is how knowledge systems can meet, and where appropriate, learn from one another. Scientific methods can test traditional practices, while local knowledge can provide insights that may not always emerge from laboratories or distant models.

This is particularly important in a state shaped by rivers, wetlands, forests and the Eastern Himalayas. Understanding floods, erosion, rainfall, soil, biodiversity and agricultural systems requires both scientific observation and an understanding of how communities have lived with these landscapes. The future will demand better data and better technology, but it will also demand a deeper understanding of place.

The technical sessions at Nagaon University are expected to extend this conversation through presentations and discussions involving scientists and invited experts. The programme includes contributions from figures such as Dr Bhaarat C. Basitha, Ms Jyoti Khataniar, Creative Writer and Editor of Bigyan Jouti, the magazine of the Assam Science Society, and Dr Neeraj Adhikari, Member of the Institute for Transforming Sikkim.

The emphasis on transforming knowledge into innovation is especially important. Knowledge has limited value if it remains locked inside classrooms, conference halls or research papers. The larger challenge is to turn good research into technologies, policies and practices that can improve everyday life. That means stronger links between universities, researchers, schools, government institutions, industry and communities.

The Assam Science Society has historically worked to connect scientific knowledge with society. Its own account of its work highlights areas ranging from scientific education and research to healthcare, agricultural productivity, economic development and environmental sustainability. The 70th technical session carries that tradition into a new period, when Assam must think simultaneously about development, resilience and sustainability.

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For Nagaon University, the conference is also an opportunity to demonstrate the role a young university can play in building a culture of research and public engagement. Its transformation from Nowgong College into a state university has given the institution a broader academic mandate, while retaining the legacy of an institution that has served the region since 1944.

The phrase “Tradition to Transformation” therefore works best not as a slogan, but as a question. What knowledge should be preserved? What should be tested? What should be changed? And how can scientific research help Assam move towards a future that is both economically stronger and ecologically safer?

Those questions are larger than a two-day conference. They belong in universities, laboratories, classrooms, government offices and communities across the state. If the discussions at Nagaon University help build stronger connections between traditional wisdom and modern scientific inquiry, the 70th Annual Technical Session of the Assam Science Society will have achieved something more lasting than another successful academic programme. It will have helped renew an old idea: that science becomes most meaningful when it serves society.

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