The Governing Council of Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage (RIWATCH), led by its Chairman Dr. Joram Begi called on the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Lt Gen KT Parnaik, PVSM, UYSM, YSM (Retd.) at Lok Bhavan, Itanagar on 24th July 2026. They discussed the vision of elevating RIWATCH into UWATCH, the University of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures and Heritage, envisaged as a globally recognized centre of excellence for the study, preservation, and promotion of indigenous knowledge systems, traditional cultures, heritage studies, and sustainable living practices.

The Governor appreciated RIWATCH’s remarkable 15-year journey and its pioneering contribution towards research, documentation, preservation, and promotion of the rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh. He said that through its ethnographic museum, documentation centre, centre for mother languages, research publications, audiovisual archives, and community-based initiatives, the institution has played a vital role in safeguarding the invaluable cultural legacy of the indigenous communities of the State.

The Governor said that RIWATCH has documented oral traditions, folk narratives, rituals, languages, and traditional ecological knowledge and also fostered academic collaborations with national and international universities and research institutions. He commended its efforts in promoting cultural empowerment, linguistic preservation, sustainable development, and community participation, thereby creating a model where heritage conservation contributes to social and economic progress.

Expressing confidence in the proposed transformation into UWATCH, the Governor said that the institution has the potential to become a global hub for comparative civilizational studies, indigenous research, and intercultural dialogue, attracting scholars, researchers, and students from across the world. He emphasized that such an institution would not only preserve humanity’s ancient wisdom but also inspire future generations to draw lessons from traditional knowledge in addressing contemporary challenges and building a more sustainable and harmonious world.

Shri Vijay Swami, Secretary & Executive Director, RIWATCH, Dr. AK Tripathy, Academic Advisor, RIWATCH and Er. Tayum Tok, member, RIWATCH were also present in the meeting.

Established in 2009 at Roing, RIWATCH has emerged as one of the leading cultural research institutions in Northeast India, serving as a bridge between traditional wisdom and contemporary knowledge systems.