Jammu: A two-week online refresher course (RC) in Environmental Sciences (interdisciplinary), organized by UGC-Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC) in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, concluded here on Thursday.
According to a statement issued from Public Relations Office Jammu University here Prof. S.K. Pandita, Director MMTTC, University of Jammu was the chief guest on the occasion. In the beginning, Dr. Deepika Slathia, Course Coordinator of the refresher Course, welcomed the Chief Guest, other dignitaries, and the participants to the valedictory session and presented a comprehensive report on the activities conducted during the refresher course. She informed that 57 participants from various parts of the country, including Nagaland, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Jammu and Kasmir, participated in the refresher course.
In all, the refresher course covered a total of 72 contact hours spread over 12 days, with four sessions conducted daily. Three sessions each day were led by renowned resource persons, while the fourth session was reserved for the participant presentations, with 5-7 presentations per session. In total, 37 internationally acclaimed resource persons affiliated with some of the premier institutes like Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI, New Delhi), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing(IIRS), Dehradun, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited(NPCIL), Mumbai, National Institute of Hydrology(NIH), Roorkee, GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Almora, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), New Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, Central University of Punjab, Aligarh Muslim University, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Dr YSP University of Horticulture & Forestry Nauni Solan HP, Patna University, Amity University, SKAUST, Jammu, Central University of Jammu, University of Jammu and Ministry of New Zealand were invited.
In these sessions, resource persons delivered talks on diverse and interdisciplinary aspects of environmental science and addressed a wide range of global and national environmental issues, including climate change, global warming, biodiversity loss, and efforts at both national and international levels to mitigate these environmental challenges. They also provided practical and workable solutions to tackle these environmental problems. In addition, a live session conducted for the participants featured a virtual tour of the Botanical Garden of the University of Jammu, offering participants an engaging learning experience. Furthermore, participants were introduced to the concept of green auditing for educational institutes, enhancing their understanding of the green practices.
During the feedback session, several participants expressed their gratitude and shared their positive experiences, commending the smooth, well organised, and meticulously conducted refresher course.
Prof. S.K. Pandita, Director of UGC-Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC), University of Jammu and Chief Guest of the occasion in his address highlighted various activities of MMTTC and emphasised the importance of such courses in enhancing and sharing knowledge. Prof. Piyush Malaviya, Head, Department of Environmental Sciences, congratulated the participants for successfully completing the refresher course and advised them to integrate the learnings received from the refresher course into their course curriculum to make the students aware of the latest developments in the field of Environmental Sciences. Other present during the valedictory session included Dr. Meenakshi Khajuria, Dr. Ravinder and Dr. Ranjan Sharma.
