Guided by the Department of Political Science, St. Joseph College, Ukhrul, students undertook a trekking expedition to Shirui Peak on 31st January, 2026 as part of the department’s experiential learning activities. The expedition was planned as a structured extension of classroom teaching, with the objective of enabling students to engage with learning through participation, reflection, and shared responsibility beyond formal academic settings.
Within this learning framework, the journey gradually evolved into a practical exercise in political understanding, where concepts discussed in the curriculum acquired meaning through experience. As the trek progressed, students were required to cooperate, adapt to physical challenges, and take collective decisions, thereby translating ideas of leadership, coordination, and accountability into everyday practice. In this manner, learning moved steadily beyond theoretical discussion and became grounded in real-life interaction.
At the same time, the natural setting encouraged reflection and dialogue, allowing students to relate endurance and discipline to broader ideas of civic responsibility and ethical conduct. Moving together through challenging terrain reinforced the importance of mutual support and collective effort, while also strengthening interpersonal bonds among participants. Consequently, the expedition contributed to the development of both individual responsibility and group consciousness; core values central to political life and public engagement.
Reflecting on the significance of the initiative, Dr. Aniruddha Babar, Senior Professor of Political Science at the college, who is also an explorer and a trained mountaineer with extensive expedition experience in the Himalayas, observed that for students of political science, experiential learning is essential to understanding how institutions, leadership, and collective action function in practice. He noted that through activities such as this trekking expedition, students engage directly with cooperation, decision-making, and shared responsibility, allowing abstract political concepts to be experienced in real situations. He further expressed satisfaction that a few students from other departments, including Economics and History, also joined the expedition, thereby enriching the learning process through interdisciplinary interaction and shared perspectives. Such initiatives, he added, strengthen civic awareness and reinforce the discipline’s emphasis on participatory and ethical public life. In learning to walk together, students begin to understand how societies move forward together.
Against this experiential backdrop, the following students participated in the expedition: Angelus Ramrak, Peimiwor Luiram, Mark Haorei, Steve Zimik, Mishangpam Ronra Shimray, Sethroryo Vasha, Mirinchui Kasomwoshi, Alex Sangkhro, Moses Kashung, Tacham Kazingmei, Yunron Hongray, Tazak Chiphang, Kanringchon Yangya, Wonlan, Wungnaochon Sareo, Kongyaothei Kasomwoshi, and Sailam. Their collective involvement and shared effort gave practical expression to the learning objectives of the activity.
The expedition was organised under the theme “Beyond the Horizons,” a phrase that reflected not only the physical journey undertaken but also the broader educational intent that guided the activity. Viewed in this context, the initiative aligns closely with the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP), which emphasises experiential, multidisciplinary, and holistic learning. In reinforcing these principles through practice, the expedition reaffirmed the department’s commitment to educational approaches that deepen student engagement, support all-round development, and meaningfully connect academic knowledge with lived experience.
The writer can be reached at freelancer_mn@proton.me
