First Round Table on Education for Sustainability

A Landmark Initiative by NEFRS

The North East Forum for Rational Society (NEFRS) is proud to announce its First Round Table on Education for Sustainability, held on November 27, 2005. This event marks a significant step toward reorienting education to align with sustainability goals, inspired by the United Nations’ Agenda 21 and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). Both global initiatives emphasize the urgent need to integrate sustainability into education systems to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to tackle environmental and developmental challenges.

NEFRS and Its Vision

NEFRS, a public charitable trust, is dedicated to building an interdisciplinary and collaborative network that connects academia, industry, communities, and government. With a strong focus on sustainability, NEFRS works to address region-specific issues through inclusive, knowledge-driven, and long-term solutions. As part of this mission, education has emerged as a core priority.

Through this Round Table, NEFRS aims to catalyze awareness and action among key stakeholders on the importance of embedding sustainability into education at all levels. The goal is to foster an ecologically conscious and socially responsible generation equipped with integrated thinking and decision-making skills.

Objectives of the Round Table

The event was organized under two central themes:

  • Incorporating Sustainability in Education: The Roadmap Ahead
  • The Role of Academia, Industry, Community, and Government

This initiative also sought to align the region’s higher educational and scientific institutions with state-level sustainability goals. NEFRS sees this as a critical strategy to address youth unemployment and to harness the potential of the region’s educated workforce more effectively.

Participation and Institutional Engagement

The event saw participation from a diverse range of reputed institutions and thought leaders, including:

  • UNESCO, New Delhi
  • Assam Engineering College
  • Gauhati University
  • Tezpur University
  • Tripura University
  • Nagaland University
  • Indian Institute of Technology
  • Assam Institute of Management
  • Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development
  • Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati
  • Oil India Limited
  • Assam Science Society
  • TERI, NE Regional Centre
  • Major schools in Guwahati
  • Journalists, Senior Academicians, and Members of the Intelligentsia

Key Outcomes and Recommendations

The Round Table produced several impactful outcomes:

  • Enhanced awareness among participants on the importance and urgency of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
  • A strong consensus on the need for ongoing collaboration to make ESD a shared vision across institutions.
  • Commitments from all participants to associate with NEFRS in this long-term educational transformation.
  • Recommendations to organize similar events region-wide with multi-stakeholder participation.
  • Encouragement to explore sponsorship opportunities from UNESCO and other bodies to support future initiatives.
  • Strategic suggestions for building broad-based awareness and actionable frameworks to embed ESD in all forms of education.

Looking Ahead

NEFRS is committed to expanding this initiative. An international conference on Education for Sustainability is in the pipeline, and a panel of distinguished advisers from diverse sectors is being formed to shape this movement. An upcoming special event featuring Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited, is scheduled for the first week of August.

We invite you to stay connected and support NEFRS in this transformative journey toward sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready education.

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