Third International Conference (ICSXC-2026) Begins at St. Xavier's College
24 September 2026, Maitighar, Kathmandu
The Third International Conference (ICSXC-2026), organized by St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu, began on Thursday. The conference, based on the theme "Reimagining the Global Future with Youth at the Crossroads of Change," will be held on September 24 and 25 in a hybrid format.
Keynote speaker and environmentalist Prof. Fr. Xavier Savarimuthu SJ, PhD, said that Nepal has taught the world lessons in resilience despite disasters such as the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and the 2026 Himalayan tsunami. He praised Nepal for being happier than India on the "Global Happiness Index."
He also warned about the potential risks associated with Super El Niño, describing Nepal as a country of "excessive beauty and risk" and stressing that Nepal should demand climate justice. He further called on young people to conduct research in areas such as seismic and mountain engineering, food society, and silent toxicology.
Another keynote speaker, Rev. Fr. Dr. Thomas V. Thennadiyil, S.J., said university education should not be limited to knowledge and skills but should also focus on developing the character of learners.
Similarly, the conference's "Chief of Pattern," Fr. Dr. Augustine Thomas, S.J., said that academic institutions need to understand and work with the younger generation to bridge the widening technological and ideological gaps in a changing world.
More than 300 researchers, students, academics, and policymakers from countries including Nepal, the Philippines, Japan, India, Spain, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom are participating in the conference.
The event is co-hosted by Ritsumeikan University in Japan, Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain, Web Consortium Asia Pacific, and Women's Christian College in India.
The conference opened with five dance performances representing five countries, and 75 scientific papers are scheduled to be presented.
Conference Sub-Themes
The conference has been divided into nine interdisciplinary sub-themes for dialogue and collaboration:
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Youth Leadership and Participatory Governance
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Social Innovation and Community Change
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Education, Employability, and Entrepreneurial Futures
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Youth, Health Science, and Global Well-Being
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Research, Discovery, and the Physics of Tomorrow
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Peace and Reconciliation in a Fractured World
Expected Outcomes and Background
The conference aims to contribute to youth empowerment, interdisciplinary dialogue, and policymaking.
Its major expected outcomes include the publication of academic articles in the SXC Journal, the establishment of an international youth research network, the signing of at least two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and the creation of an open-access digital repository containing conference papers.
St. Xavier's College previously held international conferences in 2022 under the theme "Enriching Experiences: Transforming Lives" and in 2024 under the theme "Advancing Ethical Knowledge and Wisdom: Interdisciplinary Practices and Research."
Conference