Srinagar October 07: The Department of Economics, University of Kashmir (KU), began the second edition of its annual academic and institutional festival, EconFest- 2026, at the Main Campus on Wednesday.
Envisioned as a vibrant platform for intellectual engagement, research development, professional guidance and community building, the week-long fest brings together students, faculty, researchers, alumni, eminent scholars and industry representatives to facilitate meaningful academic exchange, strengthen research capabilities and provide students with wider exposure to career and professional opportunities.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Vice-Chancellor KU, Prof. Nilofer Khan, as per a KU statement, highlighted the importance of creating academic spaces that encourage curiosity, critical thinking and meaningful engagement beyond the classroom. She appreciated the Department for creating a platform that connects students with scholars, alumni and professionals and provides them with opportunities to broaden their academic and professional horizons.
“Universities must create spaces where knowledge is shared and young minds are encouraged to think beyond the classroom,” she said.
In his remarks Dean Academic Affairs KU, Prof. Shariefuddin Pirzada, said that such academic festivals provide students with an opportunity to engage with contemporary economic debates and interact with experts from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
Registrar KU, Prof. Naseer Iqbal, and Dean, School of Business Studies KU, Prof. Mushtaq Darzi, also expressed their views on the occasion, appreciating the Department’s initiative to create an engaging academic platform that brings together teaching, research, professional development and alumni engagement.
Earlier, in her welcome address, Head, Department of Economics and Convener of the event, Prof. Effat Yasmin, said that the festival has been conceived as an extension of the department’s academic environment, offering students opportunities to learn from experts, interact with alumni and professionals, and develop their research and career-oriented skills.
The proceedings of the event were conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Mariam, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Javaid Iqbal Khan, Organising Secretary of the event.
The week-long festival features a diverse range of academic and student-centric programmes, including the Annual Economics Academic Series–2026: Eminent Scholar Lectures & Interaction, Fresher-cum-Farewell Party, “From Classroom to Career,” Capacity Building Research Workshop for Young Scholars, “Meet the Distinguished Alumni,” and Industry-Academia Interaction.
A major attraction of EconFest-2026 is the participation of eminent scholars and experts from leading academic and international institutions. The academic series features Prof. Indrani Roy Chowdhury, Professor of Economics, CSRD, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Prof. Suraj Jacob, Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
The festival will also feature a ‘Meet the Eminent’ interaction with Dr. Sajitha Bashir, former Advisor, Education Practice, World Bank.
