SUMMIT REPORT, Gangtok 24 Mar:
The 6th Annual Research Workshop of SRM University Sikkim – KHOJ – was held between the 18 and 22 Mar, 2025. A forum for the exchange of ideas, research, and innovation, the event ensured an intellectual symposium bringing together faculty members from across domains, which also served as a platform for the students to express their work.
Touching upon issues of the ethnocultural communities of the Eastern Himalayas; the emergence of AI in diverse fields; nanoparticles; eco-tourism; the role of NGOs in tribal development; and geo-microbiology; amongst others – presentations were ensued by the students and faculty members from the Schools of Basic Sciences, Information Technology, Management and Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism, Public Health, Social Sciences, Languages, as well as Journalism and Mass Communication.
The recipients of the Best Paper awards across disciplines were Prashanti Tamang, Prajwala Rai, Kinkar Mandal, Jashi Maya Gurung, Pradipta Kumar Sethy, Monolina Chowdhury, Hemamalini S, Mandar Sengupta. Notably, Samriddhi Gupta, an undergraduate student of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was awarded the best paper despite competing against postgraduate students in the overall faculty of social sciences.
The faculty members and scholars who had published research papers in Scopus and Web of Science Indexed journals, book chapters, and books, as well as those who were granted research projects, and presented at conferences; amongst others, were all felicitated by the University.
In his special address, the Hon. Vice Chancellor of SRM University Sikkim, Ch Prof Satish Kumar described, “Research is an integral part of academic excellence, and KHOJ is thus an event that the entire University looks forward to every year, ensuring to foster a culture of research at SRM University Sikkim”. All in all, with 71 research presentations, 50 idea-pitching sessions, and a grand felicitation ceremony, the event was a major success, nonetheless.
