nanika 
The Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritages (RIWATCH) and Kohima Science College (Autonomous), Nagaland, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a comprehensive framework for academic cooperation, interdisciplinary research, and the safeguarding of Northeast India’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage. The agreement was formally executed on October 10, 2026, at the RIWATCH campus located in Khinjili, Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, by RIWATCH Executive Director Vijay Swami and Kohima Science College Principal Dr. Temjenwabang. The strategic institutional alliance aims to strengthen inter-state academic ties between Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland through joint scientific research initiatives, comprehensive local language documentation, traditional culture preservation, faculty and student exchanges, and targeted community-oriented outreach programmes. Addressing attendees at the signing ceremony, Vijay Swami described the collaboration as a vital, transformative step toward connecting Northeast India through unified research endeavours, emphasizing that cross-institutional cooperation remains essential for documenting and preserving the ancestral histories, oral traditions, and endangered languages of indigenous local communities. He further highlighted RIWATCH’s long-term organizational vision of expanding its scope to evolve into a dedicated university, provisionally envisioned as the University of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritages (UWATCH). In response, Kohima Science College Principal Dr. Temjenwabang commended RIWATCH for its pioneering field contributions to regional language documentation and heritage conservation. He remarked that the signed MoU serves as far more than a routine formal agreement, asserting that it lays a strong, lasting foundation for a collaborative partnership rooted in shared knowledge, mutual academic respect, and a collective commitment to protecting and enriching traditional knowledge bases across the entire northeastern region. The high-level signing ceremony was attended by prominent administrative and academic delegations from both partner institutions. The visiting Kohima Science College delegation featured Vice Principal Kevilhuninuo Nagi alongside faculty members Dr. Moarenla Longkumer, Dr. Mhathung Yanthan, and Dr. Lilongchem Thyug. Representing the host institution, the RIWATCH delegation included Executive Director Vijay Swami, Dr. M. S. Awan, Dr. Nandini Dholepat, and Dr. Karabi Baruah, together with associated research scholars and faculty members.
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