Srinagar: Delegates from 10 countries, including host India, will participate in a Youth20 event on climate change to be held at the University of Kashmir, Vice Chancellor Prof Neelofar Khan said today.
“We are expecting 17 delegates from nine foreign countries to participate in the event. Four delegates each are from Russia and Indonesia, while two each are coming from the US and Brazil. One participant each is coming from Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Nigeria, and Mexico,” Khan told reporters here ahead of the event scheduled on May 10 and 11.
She said the aim of the event was to generate good ideas that help preserve the climate and mitigate the damage done to it.
“We look forward to good interactions, we need very good recommendations so that we can preserve our climate and reduce all the man-made damages that we are inflicting on our climate,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor said the theme of the Y20 event is “Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life”.
“For the Y20 event, our university has chosen this theme to address the local issues of climate change and man-made disaster management. The university has many research articles published in national and international journals that show our expertise on the subject of climate change and glacier studies,” she said, adding all researchers, faculty scholars and students are involved in the organisation of the event.
Based on the inputs from these discussions, Khan said a communique will be prepared as an outcome document for the Youth20 Summit.
“The university has got a historic opportunity to host the meeting and all arrangements have been put in place to ensure its great success,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor said to make the event more inclusive and result-oriented, participants have been invited from universities across the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh.
The event will have four panel discussions on important aspects related to the theme of climate change. Khan said.
She said the meeting is an opportunity for the youth to come forward and share their ideas on how they could contribute to addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Prof Khan also said that the University of Kashmir was chosen from among 15 premier institutions of India to hold the Youth20 consultation under G20 presidency.
VC KU said since the event is of national importance, the varsity has placed all necessary logistical and other arrangements in place well in advance.
“This engagement and involvement of youth in conversation and dialogue on climate change is one big intervention that India’s G20 presidency has made. This theme was also opted in view of the enormous research work our university has been conducting in the area of climate change,” she said, adding” I am glad to inform all that KU has been awarded the Center of Excellence in Glacial Studies in the Western Himalayas by the Depart of Science and Technology.
“This mega event being held in Kashmir University under the country’s G20 presidency reflects our deep commitment to further tread the path of academic excellence with great determination and sustained focus,” she said, adding I am confident that this event will further encourage our faculty, research scholars and students to pursue their academic goals with greater vigor.
