Delegates from Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, other nations to attend ELTAI education event

Delegates from Nepal, Bangladesh, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Thailand will attend the English Language Teachers' Association of India (ELTAI) 20th International and 56th Annual Conference, to be held from October 7 to 10.

The event is being organised by the School of Humanities and the School of Holistic Development at the MIT Art, Design & Technology University in Pune campus.

The event comes at a time when English language and literature education is positioned at a 21st-century crossroads, as the global higher education system deals with departmental restructuring, budget realignment, mounting expectations on educators, multilingual realities, and the disruptive emergence of generative AI. The conference aims to address these shifts by bringing together national and international participants for discussions on the future of English education.

Dr Mangesh Karad, Pro-Chancellor and Executive President, said the event reflected the university's academic approach. "At MIT ADT University, our vision centres on holistic, value-based education that prepares global professionals to lead through technological disruption. Hosting a milestone gathering of this scale reinforces our commitment to driving academic innovation and framing solutions for the future of humanities in an AI-driven era," he said.

Dr Rajesh S, Vice-Chancellor, said the conference would help connect broader academic thinking with classroom practice. "Bringing international scholars together on our campus bridges policy and pedagogical practice at a crucial juncture for Indian and global education," he said.

Dr Atul Patil, Director of the School of Holistic Development and Dean of the School of Humanities at MIT ADT University, pointed to the central question behind the event. "Across the educational spectrum, a fundamental question confronts us: what remains distinctively human about English education when AI can read, write, translate, and emulate instruction? By hosting this conference, our goal is to empower educators to adapt, innovate, and lead in a rapidly shifting global landscape," he said.

The conference is expected to bring together nearly 1,000 national delegates and more than 50 international delegates.

The event will also include ReadFest, a parallel non-commercial programme for school students aimed at nurturing a lifelong love for books and building a vibrant reading culture.