A two-day National Seminar on “Traditional Knowledge System & Cultural Resilience: Exploring Traditional Wisdom for Sustainable Development” was inaugurated at Manipur University on Thursday, bringing together academicians, researchers, library and information science professionals, and students to examine the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems in addressing contemporary challenges of sustainable development, environmental conservation and cultural preservation.

The seminar is organised by the Department of Library and Information Science, Manipur University, in collaboration with Manipur University Library, with sponsorship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). Prof. R.K. Hemakumar Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University, attended the inaugural function as Chief Guest, while Prof. Ch. Ibohal Singh, Head of the Department of Library and Information Science, presided over the programme. Prof. Premlata Maisnam, Dean, School of Education, Manipur University, attended as Guest of Honour, and Prof. Shashank Sawane, Head of the Department of Library and Information Science, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, participated as Special Invitee.

Inaugurating the seminar, Prof. R.K. Hemakumar Singh emphasised the contemporary relevance of traditional knowledge systems in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He observed that universities and colleges would increasingly be expected to demonstrate the benefits of implementing the policy, particularly in terms of its contributions to students and society. Describing the seminar theme as timely and academically significant, he expressed hope that discussions among experts, faculty members and students would produce meaningful outcomes for the University and the wider community. He formally declared the national seminar open and wished the deliberations success.

Delivering an extensive address, Prof. Shashank Sawane described traditional knowledge as the accumulated wisdom of generations, developed through observation, experimentation, adaptation and community experience. He observed that knowledge does not exist exclusively within laboratories, universities and books but also survives through forests, rivers, agricultural practices, traditional healing systems, handicrafts, languages, rituals and oral traditions. Referring particularly to Manipur and the wider Northeast, he described the region as a living repository of ecological diversity, cultural plurality and indigenous knowledge systems that deserve greater academic recognition and systematic documentation. He further observed that traditional knowledge represents the intellectual and cultural wealth of communities, accumulated over generations, which may be difficult to recover once lost.

Prof. Sawane drew attention to Loktak Lake as an important example of the relationship between traditional knowledge and modern scientific understanding. He observed that while hydrology, ecology, remote sensing and artificial intelligence could provide valuable scientific information about wetlands and their ecosystems, communities living around such landscapes possessed generations of accumulated knowledge about seasonal changes, natural resources, livelihood practices and ecological relationships. He stressed that modern science and traditional wisdom should not be treated as competing systems of knowledge but as complementary approaches capable of contributing to environmental protection and sustainable development. Cultural resilience, he explained, was not simply the ability to survive but the capacity of communities to adapt, recover and innovate without losing their fundamental identity.

Highlighting the growing importance of artificial intelligence in knowledge preservation, Prof. Sawane said emerging technologies could assist in transcribing oral histories, translating indigenous languages, digitising manuscripts, generating metadata, developing knowledge graphs and preserving endangered languages. However, he cautioned that the use of community knowledge in training artificial intelligence systems without permission, attribution or equitable benefit-sharing could create new forms of knowledge extraction. Calling for ethical, transparent and community-governed AI, he emphasised that technological advancement must respect the people, histories and cultural contexts from which traditional knowledge originates. He also underlined the need for multilingual information systems, indigenous language search facilities, ethical access protocols and community-centred information architecture, while drawing attention to the possibility of developing a Northeast Indian knowledge grid.

Speaking as Guest of Honour, Prof. Premlata Maisnam described traditional knowledge as the accumulated wisdom of generations, preserved and transmitted through community experiences, observations, practices, skills, values and beliefs. She said this knowledge continues to find expression in indigenous agriculture, traditional medicine, handicrafts, handloom, literature, folk traditions and performing arts. Highlighting the contemporary relevance of the seminar, she observed that traditional wisdom offers valuable insights into sustainable and harmonious living at a time when the world is confronting climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and social fragmentation. She appreciated the academic significance of bringing scholars and researchers together to reflect upon the richness of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.

Delivering the presidential address, Prof. Ch. Ibohal Singh observed that traditional knowledge should not be viewed merely as a relic of the past but recognised as a living knowledge system that has evolved through observation, experimentation, adaptation and community participation. He noted that communities had developed sophisticated understandings of agriculture, healthcare, water management, architecture, biodiversity conservation, environmental management and ecological relationships long before the emergence of modern scientific institutions. The challenge before contemporary academic institutions, he said, was not to choose between traditional wisdom and modern science but to explore how the two could complement and strengthen each other.

Prof. Ibohal further emphasised that cultural resilience involves the ability of communities to preserve their identity, values, knowledge and collective memory while adapting to changing social, economic, technological and environmental circumstances. Referring to the pressures created by globalisation, urbanisation, technological transformation and changing lifestyles, he expressed concern over the disappearance of languages, declining traditional occupations and the growing disconnect between indigenous knowledge and younger generations. He said the resilience demonstrated by communities in adapting their traditions to contemporary circumstances deserved serious academic attention.

Explaining the academic relevance of the seminar to Library and Information Science, Prof. Ibohal said the discipline brings together knowledge from diverse fields and has an important role in the preservation, organisation and dissemination of traditional knowledge. He also drew attention to sustainability within library systems, highlighting the interrelationship among library professionals, learning resources, user communities and emerging technologies. He emphasised the need for academic institutions and information professionals to recognise the continuing relevance of traditional wisdom and explore ways of integrating it with contemporary knowledge systems.

A total of 25 participants took part in the seminar. Dr. Keisham Sangeeta Devi delivered the welcome address, while Dr. Moirangthem Lokendro Singh proposed the vote of thanks at the inaugural function.

The seminar, scheduled for October 8 and 9, provides a platform for invited speakers, resource persons, researchers and paper contributors to deliberate on traditional knowledge, cultural resilience and sustainable development, with particular attention to the preservation of indigenous knowledge and its relevance to contemporary academic and technological developments.

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