IIM Sambalpur Hosts International Seminar on Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Management

SAMBALPUR:
Rangavati Centre for Excellence in Culture and Sustainable Management at IIM Sambalpur in association with the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi conducted a one-day international seminar on ‘Unknown Aspects of Freedom Struggle; Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Management in Indian Knowledge System”.

The seminar aimed at exploring and highlighting lesser-known aspects of the freedom struggle in western Odisha, including the heroic resistance of Veer Surendra Sai and the Kudopali Massacre, as well as discussing the rich cultural heritage of the region and its role in sustainablemanagement. The event also served as a platform for discussion through academic papers, keynote speeches, and paper presentations to document indigenous knowledge systems, bridge historical narratives with contemporary sustainability practices, and foster interdisciplinary research on India’s cultural and historical legacy.

The event was graced by the presence of distinguished experts from around the world, including Prof. Dr Phoebe Koundouri, Chair of the UNSDSN Global Climate Hub, Greece; Prof. Otaviano Canuto, The Brookings Institution and former VP, the World Bank, USA; Dr. Tamar Bagratia, Tbilisi State University, Georgia; Prof. Dil Rahut, Vice Chairman, Asian Development Bank Institute, Japan, and Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur. The distinguished international speaker applauded the activities of Rangavati Centre of excellence on culture sustainable Management at IIM Sambalpur in undertaking the activities in the unexplored area of culture and sustainable management.

During the inaugural address, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur said, “By establishing the Rangavati Centre for Excellence in Culture and Sustainable Management, IIM Sambalpur has taken steps to support top-notch research on culture and sustainable management. Research and knowledge creation on, the inclusiveness of the weaving business, undiscovered facets of armed and non-violent freedom struggles, various trends cultural and sustainable management in western Odisha have all been undertaken by this Center of Excellence. The multidisciplinary method used by the Rangavati Centre, which is committed to developing internationally recognized Sambalpuri art, has become the most recent academic study and research. This element has also been emphasized by the National Education Policy (NEP2020), coupled with the development and broader distribution of new knowledge produced by a multi-disciplinary approach.”

He further added, “The Centre or Excellence has been engaged in high-quality research; organizing national and international seminars and conferences, creation, dissemination and publication of new knowledge. The Rangavati Centre has been set up with the support and cooperation of Ministry of Education, Government of India.”

The event witnessed two insightful sessions, namely “Freedom Struggles and Culture”, which was conducted by experts like Dr. Alok Bhoi, Shri Birendra Jhankar, and Dr. Bibhudutta Mishra, highlighted unknown regional resistance and struggle of many unknown historical freedom fighters in western Odisha. The other session namely, Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Management, with presentations by Shri Dukhi Sebak Sahu, Shri Rajesh Jhankar, Dr. Sraban Kumar Bag and Shri Bhavani Sankar Bhoi, on indigenous heritage and its relevance to contemporary discourse in sustainability.
Moreover, a research report and compendium were also released on the occasion. It is important to note that the seminar witnessed the participation of more than 100 scholars, researchers, and students, which resulted in thought-provoking discussions on lesser-known aspects of India’s freedom struggle and the importance of cultural heritage in sustainable management. The seminar was coordinated by Dr. Sujit Kumar Pruseth, IIM Sambalpur, while the vote of thanks was given by Dr Hemachandra Padhan, IIM Sambalpur.