2-day conference on Kashmiri language inaugurated at IUST

Awantipora, Oct 9: In an endeavor to preserve and promote the Kashmiri language, the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) is holding a 2-day national conference, which was inaugurated today.

The conference, titled “Technological Intervention in Promoting Kashmiri Language,” is being organised by the Habba Khatoon Centre for Kashmiri Language and Literature at IUST and is sponsored by the Likhidma organisation.

The inaugural session was presided over by Prof  Shakil A. Romshoo, Vice Chancellor of IUST, who stated that the aim of the conference is to bring together linguists and technologists to discuss the scope of technology's intervention in the promotion of the Kashmiri language. He emphasized that in the era of AI/ML and IR 4.0, which envisions the fusion of different technologies and skill sets, the need to leverage technology for the promotion of Kashmiri cannot be overstated. He also noted that the importance of learning and teaching native languages has been highlighted in the NEP 2020, and research has established that learning outcomes improve when teaching occurs in the mother tongue.

Guest of honour and renowned Kashmiri poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef stated that parents should encourage their children to converse in Kashmiri. In his keynote address, noted author and poet Prof Shafi Shauq emphasised the need to develop glossaries for various subjects in Kashmiri, calling for a collaborative effort. He remarked that languages have evolved from the innate human desire to convey emotions, thoughts, and experiences, and are essential to human civilization. He stressed the importance of maximizing technology to help preserve the Kashmiri language through platforms like Google Translate, Alexa, and Duolingo.

Speaking on the occasion, the Dean of Academic Affairs at IUST noted that the Kashmiri language is the identity of the people of Kashmir, yet many struggle to communicate in their mother tongue. He highlighted the need to develop workable AI and Natural Language Processing models, emphasizing the importance of digitalization using OCR and ICR technologies to create metadata for functional language models. He added that Kashmiri courses are particularly popular among students at IUST, especially non-native speakers.

Registrar of IUST, Prof Abdul Wahid, stated that technology offers numerous means to help preserve the Kashmiri language.

Dr. Munejah Khan, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at IUST, also spoke about the need for the promotion of the Kashmiri language. Earlier, welcoming the guests, Dr. Afshana, Coordinator of the Habba Khatoon Centre at IUST, provided an overview of the center and its focus areas related to research aimed at promoting the language and fostering collaboration. She mentioned that research papers covering various aspects of the conference theme are being presented during the conference.