Media Release
Mangaluru, Jan 16: The St Aloysius College Teachers’ Cooperative Credit (SACTCC) Society, in collaboration with the School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy, St Aloysius University, successfully organized an international conference on ‘Power of Cooperatives in Sustainable Development’ on January 16, at the University campus. The conference was held as a part of golden jubilee celebrations of the SACTCC Society.
The conference sought to explore the pivotal role of cooperatives in addressing global challenges and fostering sustainable development. Academicians, industry experts, and researchers actively participated through keynote addresses and paper presentations.
The inaugural session was held at Eric Mathias Hall. Dr Manuel Tauro, dean of the School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy and secretary of the SACTCC Society, welcomed the gathering and outlined the origin and growth of the SACTCC Society, which evolved from a small chit fund into a well-established cooperative institution.
Prof Yashavantha Dongre, the chief guest, emphasized cooperatives as both a way of life and a sustainable business model. He highlighted the importance of responsible resource utilization through the 3R principle—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, a mantra for sustainability. He also underlined the strength of cooperatives during economic crises and encouraged scholarly research and publications in the cooperative sector.
Dr Chandrashekhar Shetty introduced the golden jubilee souvenir of the SACTCC Society, which was formally released on the occasion. Dr Praveen Martis SJ, vice chancellor of St Aloysius University and president of the SACTCC Society, reflected on the society’s values, legacy, and contributions over the past five decades. Past and present presidents and secretaries of the society were felicitated in recognition of their invaluable services.
Dr Melwin D’Cunha SJ, pro vice chancellor, representing the management MJES, highlighted the society’s commitment to unity, service, and social responsibility.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr Sudha K, research professor, Srinivas University, Mangaluru. She spoke on the central role of cooperatives in sustainable development, their contribution to empowering marginalized communities, and their alignment with Gandhian principles. She also discussed global and Indian cooperative movements and the three pillars of sustainable development—People, Prosperity, and Place.
The conference was conducted in hybrid mode and featured 136 paper presentations across 12 thematic tracks, with a total of 714 participants, including 350 online participants.
The valedictory session featured Dr Mukunda Prabhu, head, Department of Hindi, St Aloysius University, as the chief guest. Drawing from his over 30 years of association with the SACTCC Society, he shared how its welfare schemes benefited members. Fr Vishwas Joy Misquith SJ, presiding over the session, commended the society’s 50 years of service and its golden jubilee celebrations through the international conference.
The conference was efficiently organized by the team led by Naveen Mascarenhas, convener, with Dr Bharathi and Helma as co-conveners.