From Knowledge to Impact: Why Manipur University Must Seize This Moment

Universities are remembered not merely for the degrees they award but for the ideas they embrace. Throughout history, institutions that transformed societies were those that recognised change before others did. They anticipated new realities, challenged old assumptions and redefined the purpose of higher education. Others simply continued doing what they had always done until they were overtaken by history.

On August 4, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Manipur Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipur University hosted what appeared to be another academic lecture. In reality, it offered something much more significant—a rare opportunity to rethink the future of higher education in Manipur in an age increasingly shaped by Artificial Intelligence, innovation, intellectual property and the knowledge economy.

The significance of the programme did not lie in the fact that one speaker came from Japan and the other from the United Kingdom. International speakers visit universities every year. Their lectures are appreciated, photographs are taken and the events soon fade into memory. What made this programme different was the convergence of two complementary ideas.

One speaker explained how knowledge is created in the age of Artificial Intelligence. The other explained how knowledge creates economic and social value.

Together, Prof. Virach Sornlertlamvanich of Musashino University, Japan, and Mairembam Shanjoy Singh, Director of IP2Impact Ltd., United Kingdom, presented not two separate lectures but a single vision of what a modern university should aspire to become.

The programme was attended by Vice Chancellor (In-Charge) of Manipur University, Prof. R.K. Hemakumar Singh, Prof. N. Basanta Singh, Dean, School of Engineering, Manipur University, and Prof Th Suresh Singh, Principal, MIT along with faculty members, researchers and students.

Artificial Intelligence has become one of the defining technologies of the twenty-first century. It is changing classrooms, laboratories, industries and governments. Students now use AI to draft assignments. Researchers employ it to analyse data and review literature. Businesses depend on it to improve efficiency. Governments increasingly rely on AI-driven systems for planning and public services.

Amid this rapid transformation, many fear that Artificial Intelligence will eventually replace human intelligence. Prof. Virach offered a more thoughtful perspective.

Artificial Intelligence, he argued, is an extraordinary assistant but a poor substitute for human judgement. It can generate ideas, summarise information and process enormous amounts of data in seconds. Yet it cannot independently verify truth, conduct meaningful experiments or understand the social and ethical consequences of scientific discovery. AI produces possibilities. Human beings determine which possibilities deserve to become reality.

His reference to Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman's theory of "System One" and "System Two" thinking deserves particular attention. AI resembles the fast and intuitive mode of thinking. It responds quickly because it draws upon patterns that already exist. Genuine research, however, belongs to the slower process of careful reasoning, critical evaluation and evidence-based judgement. That remains uniquely human. This distinction has profound implications for higher education.

Universities should not merely teach students how to use Artificial Intelligence. They must teach them how to question it, verify it and improve upon it. A generation capable only of writing prompts will never become a generation capable of producing original discoveries. The future belongs not to those who depend on AI but to those who know how to think beyond it.

Equally compelling was Prof. Virach's vision of AI education itself. His framework integrating AI creation, AI algorithm design and social innovation reminds universities that technology education should never end with programming alone. Artificial Intelligence must ultimately solve real problems in healthcare, agriculture, governance, disaster management, environmental protection and public services. Technology acquires meaning only when it improves human life.

If Prof. Virach spoke about the future of intelligence, Mairembam Shanjoy Singh spoke about the future of universities.

His lecture perhaps raised one of the most important but least discussed questions confronting Indian higher education. Why does so much university research end as journal publications instead of becoming technologies, patents, startups or public solutions?

Every year, universities produce thousands of research papers. Faculty members complete funded projects. Scholars submit doctoral theses. Yet only a tiny fraction of this intellectual wealth reaches industries, policymakers or communities. Research often begins with public investment but ends on library shelves.

This is not a failure of researchers. It is a failure of institutional design.

Drawing upon nearly two decades of experience in innovation management, intellectual property and technology transfer, Mairembam Shanjoy Singh explained how universities across the world have created systems that convert knowledge into impact. Technology Transfer Offices, intellectual property policies, licensing mechanisms, startup incubation, professional legal support and commercial partnerships are no longer optional additions to a university. They have become essential pillars of modern higher education.

Research should not end with publication. Publication is only the beginning of knowledge dissemination. The real journey begins when ideas become patents, patents become technologies, technologies become enterprises and enterprises improve lives. This is where Indian universities, particularly those in the Northeast, have enormous untapped potential.

Shanjoy said that Manipur University has researchers working in engineering, biotechnology, agriculture, environmental sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. It possesses intellectual capital capable of addressing local and regional challenges. Yet much of this knowledge remains disconnected from industry, government and society.

The question is not whether Manipur possesses talent. The question is whether its institutions possess the systems necessary to transform talent into innovation.

Mairembam Shanjoy Singh's suggestion that universities establish dedicated Technology Transfer Offices and create clear institutional policies for intellectual property deserves serious consideration. Equally important was his emphasis on faculty incentives. Innovation cannot become part of university culture unless researchers are recognised and rewarded not only for publications but also for patents, licensing, entrepreneurship and societal impact.

His proposal that universities expand professional short-term programmes beyond conventional degree education is equally relevant. Around the world, universities increasingly provide executive education, online certification, industry-specific training and lifelong learning opportunities. Such initiatives strengthen university-industry collaboration while creating additional revenue and improving public engagement.

Both speakers challenged another misconception that has quietly limited the ambitions of many institutions in the Northeast.

There is a tendency to believe that world-class innovation belongs only to Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Mumbai. Geography, however, has never been the defining factor of academic excellence. Vision has.

Neither speaker suggested that Manipur University should imitate Oxford, Cambridge or Tokyo. Instead, they emphasised that every university must develop structures suited to its own realities while adopting internationally proven principles. Excellence is not copied. It is adapted.

Their message also resonates strongly with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for multidisciplinary learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, research excellence and stronger university-industry collaboration. India is investing heavily in Artificial Intelligence, startup ecosystems and the knowledge economy. Universities that fail to evolve risk preparing graduates for yesterday rather than tomorrow.

The challenge now lies not with the speakers but with the institution. Universities frequently organise excellent lectures. Distinguished experts share valuable insights. Faculty members and students applaud the presentations before returning to routine. If that happens again, this opportunity will quietly disappear.

Instead, these lectures should become the beginning of a larger institutional conversation. Can Manipur University establish a Technology Transfer Office? Can it formulate a comprehensive Intellectual Property Policy? Can research grants lead to patents and startups? Can Artificial Intelligence become an interdisciplinary tool across departments rather than remaining confined to computer science laboratories? Can the university become an innovation ecosystem instead of merely an examination ecosystem?

These are no longer distant aspirations. They are becoming essential responsibilities.

The lecture organised by Manipur Institute of Technology was therefore never just another academic programme. It represented an invitation to imagine a different future for higher education in Manipur.

Prof. Virach challenged the university to rethink how knowledge is created in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Mairembam Shanjoy Singh challenged it to rethink what universities ultimately exist to achieve. Together, they offered not merely ideas but a blueprint.

Whether that blueprint becomes reality depends not on the distinguished speakers who returned to Japan and the United Kingdom after the lecture. It depends on whether Manipur University possesses the vision and institutional courage to embrace change.

The future of higher education in Manipur will not be determined by Artificial Intelligence alone. It will be determined by whether our universities understand that knowledge by itself is no longer enough. Knowledge must also create value.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of India Today NE or its affiliates)