Alder College celebrates silver jubilee
Morung Express News
Kohima | November 21
“I must admit that we (Nagas) have fallen short of nurturing an intellectual culture in our colleges. I see no competitive spirit among either the students or the faculty in research and scholarship,” said Rev. Tuisem A. Shishak, Ph.D, Founder Principal Emeritus, Patkai Christian College, Nagaland, Chief Administrator, Patkai Christian Academy, Manipur during the silver jubilee celebration of Alder College, Kohima on November 21.
Under the motto ‘We learn to serve’ and established in 1992, the Alder College Kohima commemorated its 25 years of existence with Rev. Tuisem A. Shishak, as the chief guest during which the essence of liberal education was discoursed.
Apart from acquiring training to attain a job, the characteristics of a liberally educated person include civility, ethical maturity, literary abilities and rationality. “If we ever hope to provide leadership in the field of higher, our faculty and students have to be convinced that liberal education, considered in itself is simply the cultivation of the intellect as such and its object is nothing more or less than intellectual excellence,” said Dr. Shishak.
Two modern imperatives have emerged in recent years that is– need for the quick acquisition of marketable skills and vocational specialization at all of levels of schools and college career, which according to Dr. Shishak have created confusion concerning the primary focus of college education. “Cultivation of mind and intellect as part and parcel of liberal education is the primary business of higher education,” asserted Dr. Shishak.
Speaking on similar perspectives, Dr. PS Lorin, Principal Tetso College who spoke on behalf of former principals noted although education in Nagaland is recent, it is time to establish quality education in Nagaland. In the yesteryears, the older generation had to pursue quality education in other states due to the lack of it in Nagaland. “It’s time for us to get quality education right here in our State. We are capable of making education institutions accessible and attractive enough for outsiders to find education in our State,” said Dr Lorin.
“We want to be identified as an institution where people come and become more well-informed, more equipped and empowered to be better and ultimately to become more responsible citizens,” said Keviyachü Liegise, Chairman, Alder College who further added, “It is our goal, our vision to march towards a certain standard where we can proudly say that we have done something. We want to take this time as a threshold –a footstool on the one hand, a pinnacle on the other where we can stand and look back and look forward, learn from our mistakes, get strength from our strong points and learn to move ahead and be remembered as an institution that had done something for the society.”
In future, the college hopes to develop into a community college inculcating life skills.
