USTM Concludes International Microorganisms Day 2026 and National Workshop on Academic Writing
The Department of Applied Biology, University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM), in association with the Microbiologists Society, India (MBSI), and the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), successfully concluded International Microorganisms Day 2026 and a National Workshop on “Academic Writing and Scholarly Publications” today.
The programme, held from September 17 to aimed to strengthen the academic writing, research communication and scholarly publishing skills of Master’s students, research scholars and early-career researchers.
The programme was inaugurated by Prof. G. D. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, USTM. Prof. Kumananda Tayung, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, Gauhati University, attended as Chief Guest-cum-Resource Person, while Dr Niraj Singh, State President, MBSI (Assam & Meghalaya), was the Guest of Honour.
The workshop featured expert sessions on scientific writing, manuscript preparation, publication ethics, scholarly communication and journal selection. The participants also took part in interactive sessions and practical training aimed at improving their research and publication skills.
Distinguished resource persons included Prof. Tapan Kumar Mohanta, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Dr. Vinay Kumar Pandey, Associate Professor, Graphic Era, Dehradun; Dr. P. Periasamy, Head, IQAC, Nehru Group of Institutions, Coimbatore; and Dr. Bishwambhar Mishra, Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Hyderabad. Mr. Jibanjyoti Panda served as Master Trainer for the practical sessions.
Participants from The Assam Royal Global University, Cotton University and USTM took part in the programme and benefited from the academic and practical sessions.
A Poster and Model Competition was also organised as part of the programme, providing participants an opportunity to showcase their scientific ideas, creativity and understanding of microbiological concepts. The programme concluded with the distribution of prizes to the winners.
The programme was organised under the chairpersonship of Dr. Sony Kumari, Head, Department of Applied Biology, USTM. Dr. Yugal Kishore Mohanta served as Convener, while Dr. Tamanna Bhuyan was the coordinator.
Established in 2011, the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) is the first state private university in science and Technology in North East India. The University was accredited with an ‘A Grade’ by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its first assessment cycle in 2021 and ranked among the top 200 universities by NIRF. USTM remains committed to excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement, while promoting inclusivity, sustainability, and regional development.
