Since 2009, the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) has worked intensively with 23 Indian universities across the India Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. To date, 81 women and 77 men have directly benefitted from 21 HUC institutional grants or trainings where 9 Indian universities have collaborated with 27 universities from 11 countries within and beyond the HKH. These learnings are subsequently cascaded through respective academic institutions, and of immense value as they help connect the HKH science-policy-practice aspects across varied working areas spanning disaster risk reduction and heritage, to cryosphere and people.

The India Country Chapter meeting on September 27, 2023 at the Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee in collaboration with ICIMOD presented opportunity for rich discussions between Directors of IIT Roorkee, WII, NIH,  vice chancellor of TERISAS and Martin Luther Christian University along with Deans and Heads from Graphic Era University, Shoolini Institute of Biotechnology and Management Science, JNU, University of Kashmir, HNB Garhwal University, and G N Pant NIHE. Twelve out of 23 members and one incoming member of the India Country Chapter participated in intensive discussions on biodiversity exploration, monitoring of glaciers, AI and landside data science studies, species conversation, higher education and transformation, regulated tourism, as well as current scenarios at respective institutions. Members of the Chapter unanimously agreed to mobilize resources from existing research projects and education programs in each member institution. Members have agreed on a concrete plan of action for the 2024. Nominations for vacant Steering Committee Members representing India are to be submitted for review and endorsed by the end of 2023.

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