Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) in collaboration with the St. Xavier’s University Kolkata Alumni Association (SXUKAA) organised a two-day international conference on sustainable development on March 21 and 22, 2025 at the university campus.

The theme of the conference was “Sustainable Development: Creating a Unified Foundation with Research and Practice.” The conference aimed to foster discussions on sustainable development by bringing together academicians, researchers, and professionals.

Students, scholars, faculty members from SXUK and other national and international institutions participated and presented research papers in this conference. Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of SXUK delivered the inaugural address amid the presence of dignitaries.

The distinguished speakers included Prof. Rajib Shaw, Keio University, Japan and UN Science Technology Advisory Group (STAG); Prof. Sutapa Pati, Academic Dean, School of Sustainability, XIM Bhubaneswar; Prof. Siddhartha Mitra, Department of Economics, Jadavpur University; Prof. Sekh Md. Altafur Rahaman, Associate Dean, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand; Prof. Sagi Mathew, School of Management & Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Australia; Prof. Sadhan Kumar Ghosh, Director General, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Research Centre, ISWMAW.

The conference was structured into multiple plenary and technical sessions, with four different themes, economic, environment, social and interdisciplinary. More than 50 research papers were selected for presentation in the conference.

All the sessions facilitated engaging discussions, allowing scholars and industry professionals to exchange their ideas and research findings. The tracks were chaired by senior renowned academicians from across the country.

A special training session on “Efficacy of Publishing in Social Science Research” was conducted by Prof. Kanika Chatterjee, Department of Commerce, University of Calcutta, aiming to equip young researchers with the necessary skills for impactful academic publishing.

The event concluded with a valedictory session, presided over by Father Felix Raj, S.J., who summarized key takeaways and acknowledged the contributions of participants. Certificates were distributed to the researchers on the final day. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Monalika Dey.

Dr. Soma Sur
Honorary Director, LCERI