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Dr. Deki C Gyamtso

Associate Professor, Paro College of Education

dcgyamtso.pce@rub.edu.bt

Professional Biography: Dr. Deki C. Gyamtso, PhD was a distinguished teacher educator who made significant contributions to the advancement of higher education in Bhutan. She began her academic career as a Lecturer in Geography at Samtse College of Education and went on to hold several key leadership positions, including Programme Leader for both B.Ed Secondary and Primary programmes, Coordinator of the Distance Teacher Education Programme (DTEP), Coordinator of the Centre for University Learning and Teaching (CULT), Assistant Principal (Academic Affairs), and Dean of Academic Affairs. Through these roles, she played a pivotal role in strengthening the academic and institutional development of the college.

In 2014, she expanded her professional experience through a two-year secondment at the Royal Academy, Paro. From 2016 to 2019, she served at the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), where she undertook multiple responsibilities as Managing Editor of the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development (BJRD), Higher Education Specialist, Researcher, Facilitator, and short-course designer.

In 2020, she returned to her passion for teaching at Paro College of Education. Throughout her career, Dr. Gyamtso demonstrated exemplary leadership and academic excellence. She designed and evaluated numerous courses, taught both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and facilitated professional development programmes for school teachers and university academics.

Following her retirement, she remained actively engaged in academia, contributing as a part-time researcher, external examiner, and consultant. As the keynote speaker at this conference, Dr. Gyamtso will address important issues of gender equality and social inclusion within the landscape of tertiary education.

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Bazeley Kharbiryumbai

Professor, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU)

brindabazeley@gmail.com

Professional Biography: Prof. Brinda Bazeley Kharbiryumbai, born on 1st July 1969, is a Professor in the Department of Education at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. She holds a Ph.D. in Education along with an M.Phil., M.A. (Education), B.Ed., and B.Sc. (Hons) in Zoology. She has further enriched her academic profile with a Diploma in Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Environment and Sustainable Development from IGNOU.

With over 25 years of teaching experience, she joined NEHU as an Assistant Professor in 2006, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012, and has been serving as Professor since 2015.

She has held several key administrative positions including Head of the Department of Education (2022–2025), Coordinator of the Career and Counselling Cell, and Warden at NEHU. Her areas of specialization include Higher Education and Research and Development.

She has made significant contributions to research supervision, with 23 Ph.D. scholars awarded, 2 awaiting results, and 6 currently ongoing, along with guiding over 62 M.Ed. dissertations. She has also completed two post-doctoral works under ICSSR, New Delhi.

Prof. Kharbiryumbai has an impressive academic output, with 25 books, 96 research papers in journals, and 102 papers presented at national and international seminars. She has organized 10 seminars, including 6 international and 4 national events. In addition to her academic responsibilities, she has been actively involved in research projects funded by NUEPA and UNICEF and has delivered more than 50 lectures as an Academic Counsellor for IGNOU.

She has served as a resource person in national-level MMTTC programmes and has organized several refresher courses and study tours. Her academic engagement extends to evaluation and collaboration with various universities including NEHU, IGNOU, Gauhati University, USTM, Down Town University, Dravidian University, Mizoram University, Nagaland University, Tezpur University, Dibrugarh University, and Manipur University.

She has also contributed significantly to institutional development and governance as a former Head of Department, Coordinator of the Career and Counselling Cell, Warden of Persara Hostel, and member of the SSA evaluation programme under the Government of Meghalaya. She has served as a School Board member for institutions such as Nagaland University, Mizoram University, and IGNOU.

Her excellence in academia has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Shiksha Ratan Award (2012), National Award for Accomplished Teacher Education (2022), National Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership (2024), Rising Women of India Award (2023), National Eminent Teacher Education Award (2025), and the International Achievers Award (2025).

Prof. Kharbiryumbai is actively associated with numerous professional bodies. She serves as Vice President of the Council of Educational Administration and Management and is a member of organizations such as the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), NCTE, and the ITEP Review Committee. She is a life member of the Indian Association of Teacher Education (IATE), a member of the All India Association of Educational Research and the Association of Indian Universities, a life fellow of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences, and a life member of the Indian Association of Gerontology.

Keynote Address: Culture tradition and gender equality in the 21 st century