St Aloysius University to Host Two-Day International Conference on Peace and Inclusive Societies
Mangaluru, January 2026: The School of Arts and Humanities, St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, will organise a two-day International Conference on “Promoting Peaceful and Inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development” on January 28 and 29, 2026, at the university campus. Details of the conference were shared with the media during a press meet held at the university.
Addressing the media, Rev. Dr Melwyn D’Cunha, Pro Vice-Chancellor; Dr Rose Veera D’Souza, Chairperson and Dean, School of Arts and Humanities; Mr Alwin D’Souza, Conference Convenor; Dr Roshan Monteiro, Organising Secretary; and Ms Chandrakala, Public Relations Officer, shared insights into the objectives and scope of the international conference.
Aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16, the conference aims to promote dialogue on building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. It will bring together academicians, researchers, policymakers, professionals, and students from India and abroad to deliberate on peace-building, inclusive institutions, governance, human rights, and the role of technology and artificial intelligence in fostering social harmony.
The inaugural session will be held on January 28 at 10.00 a.m. at LF Rasquinha Hall. Mr Darshan H V, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, will inaugurate the conference, while Rev. Fr Dionysius Vaz SJ, Chancellor of St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), will preside.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Shanthie M D’Souza, Founder and President of the Mantraya Institute of Strategic Studies (MISS), Senior Research Fellow at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Visiting Faculty at the Naval War College, Goa, on the theme “Peaceful and Inclusive Societies.”
The conference will feature eminent national and international speakers, including Dr Krishna Raj from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru; Rev. Dr Joachim Andrade from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil; Dr Ute Ritz-Deutch of Binghamton University, USA; and Dr Alexandru Balas from SUNY Cortland, New York, USA.
A panel discussion will be held on the theme “Strengthening Institutions to Promote Peaceful Societies,” featuring Mr Raju K, KAS, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada. Other panelists include Fr Rosan Roy SJ, Assistant Director, LIPI, Kochi; Prof. Rajram Tolpady, former Professor of Political Science, Mangalore University; and Dr Ruksana Hassan, Child Psychologist.
The programme also includes technical sessions, paper presentations across parallel halls, a cultural programme, and a valedictory ceremony. The valedictory session will be held on January 29 at 3.00 p.m., with ACP Geetha D Kulkarni as the Chief Guest and Rev. Dr Praveen Martis SJ, Vice-Chancellor, presiding.
Selected papers presented during the conference will be published in ISBN/ISSN conference proceedings, with select papers considered for publication in peer-reviewed journals with DOI.
The conference is organised in collaboration with international academic partners, including Sophia University, Tokyo (Japan), SUNY Cortland (USA), and the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (Brazil), and is sponsored by Global Degrees.
