Assam down town University hosted the second edition of EduElevate – Northeast Educator's Conclave, uniting education leaders, academicians, industry experts and policymakers to discuss the future of student development and higher education. 

The keynote session was delivered by Dr.Dimpy Mahanta, Head of the Department and Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Cotton University, who spoke on the growing importance of student well-being in academic institutions. She emphasized that educational advancement must go hand in hand with emotional resilience, psychological safety and empathetic learning environments. Stressing that student welfare is a shared responsibility among institutions, educators and communities, Dr. Mahanta highlighted that true academic success is not defined solely by grades, but by nurturing confident, mentally strong and value-driven individuals prepared for the challenges of an evolving world.

The second panel at EduElevate, moderated by Dr. Prof. Sunandan Baruah Baruah, Director of Innovation, Startup & Acceleration at Assam down town University, explored Future-Proofing India’s Workforce: Aligning HEIs with AI-Driven Job Markets and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Featuring industry leaders Rohit Gupta (Co-Founder, College Vidya), Ankit Shyamsukha (CEO, ICA EduSkills), Rajiv Agarwal (CEO, EduVerse), Manish Kumar (AVP – Customer Success, Meritto), and Prasenjit Chanda (Deputy General Manager & Project Head, L&T), the discussion emphasized the need for AI-driven curricula, technology-enabled learning models, and deeper industry-academia collaboration.

The panel reinforced a shared mission: empowering HEIs to build a skilled, employable, future-ready workforce that aligns with the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Panel Discussion Highlight – EduElevate 2024 

Our first panel discussion, expertly moderated by Dr. Manjusha Saikia Deka, Associate Professor, Programme of Psychology, Assam down town University, brought powerful insights on institutional practices that strengthen student mental health.

The panel featured an esteemed lineup of experts:
• Prof. Saswati Choudhury – Professor & Acting Director, OKD Institute of Social Change and Development
• Dr. Mythili Hazarika – Clinical Psychologist & Associate Professor, GMCH
• Arrup Kumarr Baaishya – Social Entrepreneur & Acumen Fellow (India Spring 2025 Cohort)
• Sandeep Gulia – Zonal Academic Excellence Director, North & East, LEAD Group

Together, they explored awareness-driven policies, clinician-led mental health support, compassionate learning environments, and community-based collaboration.

The discussion underscored one powerful message:
Institutions must nurture the holistic well-being of every students mind, body, and community.