A two-day Workshop-cum-Training Programme on “Digital Archiving, Linguistic Tools and AI Applications in Linguistic and Cultural Research” concluded at RIWATCH.
The programme was jointly organised by RIWATCH, the Council for Diversity and Innovation (CoDIN), Delhi, and the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) Division of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. It brought together research scholars representing 16 different tribes from three universities of Arunachal Pradesh—Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh; Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), Pasighat; and Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai.
The workshop was chaired by Dr. M. S. Awan, Head, RIWATCH Centre for Mother Languages (RCML), who highlighted the growing importance of integrating technology and innovation into contemporary research practices, particularly in the documentation and preservation of linguistic and cultural knowledge. He emphasised the need to enhance research efficiency through appropriate digital tools and innovative methodologies.
RIWATCH Director Shri Vijay Swami highlighted the importance of institutional and infrastructural preparedness in facilitating specialised academic and research programmes of this nature.
Day One: Foundations of Digital Documentation and Data Management
The first day of the programme focused on “Foundations of Digital Documentation and Data Management”, combining theoretical sessions with practical activities.
The session “Documenting Language and Culture Visually: Audiovisual Tools in Documentation” was conducted by Dr. Kombong Darang, Assistant Professor, Arunachal Pradesh University. The session introduced participants to key principles and practices for the visual documentation of linguistic and cultural materials.
The second session, “Collecting Language Data in the Field,” was led by Dr. R. Karthick Narayanan, Executive Director, CoDIN. The session explored methodological approaches to linguistic fieldwork, with particular emphasis on moving from structural observation towards systematic language-data elicitation. The theoretical discussion was complemented by practical group activities, enabling participants to engage with fieldwork-oriented research situations.
Day Two: AI-Assisted Language Documentation
The second day focused on “AI-Assisted Language Documentation”, with intensive hands-on sessions exploring the application of digital and artificial intelligence tools in linguistic and cultural research.
The practical sessions were jointly conducted by Dr. Ritesh Kumar, CEO, UnReal TecE, and Dr. R. Karthick Narayanan. Participants were introduced to emerging technological approaches that can support language documentation, data organisation, digital archiving and research workflows.
Strengthening Technology-Assisted Research
The two-day programme provided an academic and practical platform for researchers to engage with emerging technologies in language documentation, digital archiving, data management and cultural research.
The combination of expert-led discussions, fieldwork perspectives and hands-on training enabled participants to explore contemporary approaches to documenting, organising and preserving linguistic and cultural knowledge.
Beyond its immediate training objectives, the programme also contributed to strengthening the institutional environment for technology-assisted research at RIWATCH. Such initiatives can support ongoing academic and documentation activities at the institute and contribute to its broader vision of establishing the University of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage (UWATCH).
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The Arunachal Times : https://arunachaltimes.in/article/workshop-on-digital-archiving-linguistic-tools-concludes
