An International Seminar themed "Current Practices and Emerging Issues of Sustainable Development in TVET” was jointly organized by the Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education (CPSC) and the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTR), Chandigarh on May 31, 2013 at NITTTR Chandigarh. A total of 81 international participants attended coming from countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

Paper presenters include: Dr. Naim Yaakub, CPSC Director General (Initiatives & Perspectives in Transforming TVET for a Greener Economy in the Asia-Pacific Region through Regional Cooperation and Linkages); Mr. Chandra Mohan, former Vice Chairman of Punjab Tractors Ltd. (Sustainable Development and Needed Policy Decision and Structural Changes: Perspectives and Way Forward); Dr. Ashok Kumar, CEO, CleanTech International Funding, New Delhi (Industry Solutions for Clean and Green Technologies and the Needed Dynamics for Skill Development); and Dr. JS Saini Professor and Head, Department of Rural Development, NITTTR Chandigarh (Integrating SD into TVET: Practices Issues and Challenges).

The international delegates presented and expounded on their countries’ latest initiatives on sustainable development through TVET. The seminar successfully came up with 12 major recommendations highlighting following key points such as: furthering the cause of sustainable development (SD) in terms of social, economic and environment through international and regional cooperation; integration of SD concepts and practices in TVET curriculum operations and processes within TVET systems; SD implementation awareness through training of teachers and policy makers; strengthening TVET-industry linkages on sustainable development; SD advocacy through skill development policies; green campus promotion; skilled manpower training on SD concepts, practices with social entrepreneurship development initiatives; technology innovation for SD integrated with awareness on ecological balance, environment, social equity and safety standards; research and development on SD; SD advocacy for lifelong learning; and stronger integration of SD aspects into TVET teachers’ education through innovative approaches.

Dr. MP Poonia, NITTTR Chandigarh Director and Dr. Naim jointly provided the closing remarks and officially closed the one-day international seminar. Both of them also jointly provided the overall supervision of the seminar while Dr. Hazrat Hussain, CPSC Faculty Consultant and Dr. SK Dhameja, former CPSC Faculty Consultant and currently, Professor and Head, Information Management and Coordination (IMCO), NITTTR coordinated the seminar.


Dr. Naim Yaakub, CPSC Director General (2nd photo) and Dr. MP Poonia, NITTTR Chandigarh Director (3rd photo) addressing the participants during the seminar.