Shillong, September 2026: Prof. Sunil Kumar De, Department of Geography, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), and outgoing President of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG), undertook an important academic and scientific visit to Romania and Spain during September 2026.
As part of his academic engagements in Romania, Prof. De delivered an invited lecture on “Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in the Himalayan Region: The Recent Nepal Tragedy” at the Institute of Geography, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, on 1 September 2026. The lecture was attended by around 40 participants, including scientists, members of relief and emergency-response forces, and representatives of the media.
In recognition of his contributions to geomorphological research and international scientific cooperation, the Romanian Academy conferred upon Prof. De a Diploma of Honorary Membership following the lecture.
The academic programme was followed by a two-day field excursion across Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains, covering the Institute of Geography Research Station, mud-volcano sites and other geomorphologically significant locations. The field visit facilitated scientific interaction and direct examination of diverse geomorphological processes and landscapes of the Carpathian region.
Prof. De subsequently travelled to Cluj-Napoca, where the Romanian Geomorphology Symposium was held. On 4 September 2026, he delivered the opening keynote address on permafrost altitudinal recession, focusing on contemporary geomorphological challenges associated with changing high-altitude environments. The symposium was followed by a field excursion to the C??limani Mountains, including the C??limani Open Pit Sulphur Mine, an abandoned open-surface sulphur-mining site of geological and geomorphological significance.
Prof. De then travelled to Zaragoza, Spain, arriving on 8 September 2026. On 9 September, the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, organized a field excursion to the Bardenas Reales, a remarkable badland landscape and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The region is known for its extensive erosional landforms developed in clay, chalk and sandstone, including the iconic Castildetierra formation.
On 10 September 2026, Prof. De delivered an invited lecture for Master's and Ph.D. students at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza. The lecture was attended by postgraduate students, geomorphologists and faculty members of the University, providing an opportunity for academic exchange on contemporary issues in geomorphology.
The academic engagements in Romania and Spain brought together invited lectures, keynote presentations, field-based scientific observations, interaction with students and researchers, and institutional recognition. The visit contributed to strengthening scientific cooperation and academic exchange between Indian and European institutions in the field of geomorphology.
2026, North-Eastern Hill University
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