‘Traditional Knowledge: Cultural Heritage for the Future’

Training on curricular development on traditional Knowledge at Kohima Science College

Kohima, September 24 (MExN): Seven-day training on curricular development on traditional Knowledge was held at Kohima Science College, Jotsoma from September 14 to 22 last.

It was attended by 16 participants comprising of faculties and research scholars of the college.

This training course titled ‘Traditional Knowledge: Cultural Heritage for the Future’ was organized by the Indo-German Bilateral Co-operation project ‘Protection and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in the North-eastern Himalayan Region of India’ (NERAQ) in collaboration with Centre for Bio-cultural Diversity, University of Kent, United Kingdom.

The capacity building training was held to facilitate curriculum development on traditional knowledge proposed to be introduced as a new course and offered by the college in line with the National Education Policy (2020).

The new course will be introduced as a multi-disciplinary subject to be offered by the department of Anthropology, Botany and Zoology of the college.

Speaking at the training, Dr. Rajindra Puri, a senior Lecturer in Environmental Anthropology and Director of the Centre for Bio-cultural Diversity at the University of Kent, UK, emphasized on the importance of preserving, conserving, documenting and transmitting the deep and rich traditional knowledge of the people.

Clearing some misconception about traditional knowledge, Dr. Puri said that traditional knowledge does not mean “old” or “dead” knowledge but is a “living” knowledge embedded in the rich cultural practices of the people for generations.

Preliminary syllabus framework framed
The week long training course covered a range of topics encompassing traditional knowledge such as methods, ethics, variation, classification, transmission, ethno-ecology, biological knowledge and justice.

The participants reported the training to be informative and useful where one of the participants commented she “wished she had such course in school.”

The training course concluded with the framing of a preliminary syllabus framework.

The college plans to introduce this paper as a Value Added Course (VAC) in the 2024 academic session and will be spread over two semesters.

The training is a part of the Indo-German Bilateral Cooperation Project “Protection and Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in the North Eastern Himalayan Region of India (NERAQ).

The Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is implementing the project with funding support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The overall project objective is to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of the unique aquatic ecosystems in the region, which are the basis of life for millions of people.