Nagaland: The 19th All India Conference of Chinese Studies (AICCS) concluded its high-profile three-day national event at Nagaland University, Lumami today. Co-organized by the New Delhi-based Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) and the university's Department of Political Science, the summit marked the flagship forum's furthest geographic expansion into Northeast India to date.
Centering on the timely theme of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and ethics in the Global South, the multi-disciplinary conference brought together top strategic minds, academics, and diplomats to dissect the future of India–China relations.
During the intensive sessions, administrative and strategic leadership emphasized the necessity of persistent regional engagement. Chancellor Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap advocated strongly for embedding specialized China studies directly into the localized Northeast academic ecosystem, referencing the region's critical proximity to international boundaries.
Reinforcing this sentiment, Lt. Col. Amardeep Singh Multani from the Ministry of External Affairs observed that "diplomacy must continue even amid strategic competition."
The discourse also integrated digital governance and resource equity. Keynote speaker Prof. Nimmi Kurian highlighted that AI cannot be evaluated in isolation from its physical footprint.
She emphasized that technological advancement depends on raw resource extraction, land infrastructure, and labor, warning of the ecological and developmental impacts on fragile borderlands like the Naga Hills.
Concluding the forum, research scholar Samuel Sangtam called for a push toward "epistemic sovereignty." He argued that independent knowledge production must break free from foreign narratives, advocating for native Indian theoretical frameworks backed by robust domestic Mandarin training programs, dedicated doctoral fellowships, and enhanced academic publishing networks