Arunachal CM Pema Khandu urges Northeast universities to become problem-solving institutions

Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called on universities in the Northeast to move beyond conventional degree-oriented education and evolve into “problem-solving institutions” capable of addressing the region’s developmental, social, environmental and strategic challenges.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Roundtable of Vice-Chancellors of North-East Universities at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) campus, Khandu said the first such Vice-Chancellors’ Roundtable in Northeast India should lead to concrete institutional partnerships, actionable ideas and measurable outcomes rather than remain confined to deliberations.

The Roundtable, themed “Transforming Higher Education: Innovations, Collaborations and Strategies for a Future-Ready India,” brings together Vice-Chancellors, academicians, experts and representatives of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and RRU.


Khandu said higher education has an important role to play in a young, aspirational and geographically diverse state like Arunachal Pradesh.

“Our universities must prepare our young people not only for employment, but also for entrepreneurship, innovation, research and public service, while nurturing them as responsible citizens,” he said.

He said higher education in Arunachal Pradesh must respond to the state’s distinctive realities, including frontier and border-area development, tribal communities, biodiversity, climate change, cultural preservation, rural livelihoods, tourism, connectivity and national security.

Calling for a shift in the role of universities, Khandu said research must increasingly address real-life challenges faced by people.

“Universities should become laboratories where local challenges are converted into research questions and research outcomes are converted into practical solutions,” he said.

He encouraged universities to establish partnerships with state government departments, industries, defence and security establishments, local communities and civil society.

He identified sustainable agriculture, bamboo and cane, handloom and handicrafts, border-area development, disaster management, eco-tourism, renewable energy, indigenous knowledge and public health as potential areas for collaboration.

Khandu also proposed district-level research and innovation partnerships that would allow students and faculty to work directly on community-level problems.

He said universities must become early adopters of artificial intelligence and digital technologies rather than remain passive observers of the changing technological landscape.

Khandu proposed AI-enabled academic ecosystems for personalised learning, student assessment, research assistance, language technologies and administrative efficiency.

For Arunachal Pradesh, he said AI could have applications in remote education, multilingual learning, mapping educational resources, disaster prediction, biodiversity monitoring and healthcare delivery.

The Chief Minister also called for joint digital repositories of indigenous knowledge, languages, oral traditions, traditional medicine, crafts and ecological practices while ensuring community ownership and appropriate safeguards.

He said universities should share digital infrastructure, datasets, laboratories and expertise instead of each institution attempting to build everything independently.

Khandu said the internationalisation of higher education should not be limited to sending students abroad. It should also involve bringing global knowledge, research partnerships, faculty collaborations and international exposure to universities in the Northeast.

He identified opportunities for international academic partnerships in climate science, biodiversity, Himalayan studies, tribal studies, disaster management, border studies and sustainable development.

Khandu encouraged universities in the region to develop joint programmes and research partnerships with institutions in South and Southeast Asia, leveraging the Northeast’s strategic position under India’s Act East vision.

He also called for collective efforts to attract international scholars to the region and showcase the Northeast as a living laboratory for Himalayan ecology, indigenous knowledge and sustainable development.

The Chief Minister urged Vice-Chancellors to prepare time-bound institutional transformation roadmaps with measurable indicators covering teaching quality, research, innovation, employability, international collaboration and community engagement.

He said governance reforms must also recognise the requirements of universities operating in remote, mountainous and border areas.

Khandu encouraged the establishment of Centres of Excellence for Indigenous Knowledge and Tribal Studies, involving interdisciplinary research across anthropology, science, technology, environment and economics.

“Indigenous knowledge should not be treated merely as heritage. Wherever scientifically appropriate, it should be explored for contemporary applications and livelihood generation,” he said.

Calling for a stronger university-based startup ecosystem, Khandu said higher education institutions should become incubators of ideas and entrepreneurship rather than merely consumers of government employment.

He called on every university to develop an ecosystem connecting innovation, incubation, mentorship, seed funding, intellectual property and market access.

Arunachal Pradesh, he said, has untapped entrepreneurial potential in tourism, agri-business, food processing, bamboo, handicrafts, textiles, clean energy, digital services and indigenous products.

Khandu encouraged universities to establish incubation partnerships with state innovation institutions and industry so that student innovations could move from laboratories to the market, with special attention to women entrepreneurs and startups from rural and tribal communities.

Referring to the presence of Rashtriya Raksha University at Pasighat, Khandu described it as a strategic opportunity for Arunachal Pradesh and the wider Northeast.

He said the RRU campus could develop into a regional centre for national security education, research and capacity building, with scope for collaboration with the State Police, Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), disaster management authorities, border-area institutions and private security organisations.

Potential areas of collaboration include border management, cyber security, drone technology, disaster response, forensic science, counter-terrorism studies, community policing and strategic studies, he said.

Khandu also proposed considering a Northeast Higher Education Consortium involving universities across the region for joint research, faculty exchanges, student mobility, shared laboratories and common digital resources.

He said such a consortium could identify a limited number of Northeast-specific priority research areas and enable institutions to collectively mobilise academic resources. It could also provide a common platform to showcase the Northeast’s academic capabilities nationally and internationally.

Khandu proposed a mechanism for periodic review of recommendations emerging from the Roundtable and urged each participating Vice-Chancellor to identify at least two institutions with which their university could immediately establish a collaboration.

The Chief Minister also proposed making the Vice-Chancellors’ Roundtable an annual institutional process to ensure continuity in dialogue and follow-up on decisions.

He reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with RRU, AIU and universities across the Northeast in education, research, capacity building and community development.

Separately, Khandu inaugurated the NCC Academy Complex at Pasighat and said it would support character-building, leadership development and nation-building among Arunachal Pradesh’s youth.

Addressing the inaugural function, Khandu said the Academy would provide young cadets with an institutional platform to develop discipline, leadership, physical fitness, patriotism and a spirit of service. It would also encourage them to pursue careers in the Armed Forces.

“The youth are the greatest strength of Arunachal Pradesh. Our responsibility is not merely to provide them education and employment opportunities, but also to build their character and instill in them the values of discipline, responsibility and service,” the Chief Minister said.

Khandu also stressed the need for young people to remain conscious of the influence of social media.

While social media has opened opportunities for learning, communication and self-expression, he said its excessive or irresponsible use could adversely affect young minds.

He urged NCC cadets to use social media positively, avoid misinformation and cyber-related risks, and develop the ability to distinguish between reliable information and misleading content.