The Highland Institute Research Initiatives

The Highland Institute is a leading research center dedicated to interdisciplinary studies across anthropology, history, and environmental studies. Our mission is to advance scholarly inquiry while supporting indigenous and local communities in Highland Asia and beyond.

Key Research Projects

• MyCClimate Project
  This initiative studies how communities along the Northeast India-Myanmar border perceive and adapt to climate change, examining the links between climate change actions and conflict dynamics in Myanmar’s ethnic border regions.
• Ekologos
  A collaborative project engaging with critical climate changes in regions like the Arctic, South America, South Asia, and the Himalayas. It integrates Western scientific approaches with indigenous knowledge systems to create multidisciplinary methodologies.
• Intersubjective Ecology Laboratory
  This laboratory investigates ecological conditions through a phenomenological perspective, aiming to enhance more-than-human relationships that support ecosystemic well-being on local and planetary scales.
• Urbaltour
  Exploring the relationship between urbanization and tourism in mountainous regions of South and Southeast Asia, with a focus on Kohima, Nagaland. It analyzes how tourism and globalized urban models influence local governance, planning, and economic development.
• Global Impact Accelerator – Naga Women’s Health Channel
  Funded by the Scottish Funding Council under the Global Challenges Research Fund, this project, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, identified rural women youth leaders to co-create a prototype phone application. The goal was to establish an online peer-support network for health-related matters.
• Study on Nutrition Determinants and Strategies in North-East India
  Conducted through Oxford Policy Management and funded by the World Bank, this study focused on the primary determinants of health and nutrition status in Nagaland. Researchers worked with pregnant mothers and mothers of children under two years of age to develop effective nutrition strategies.
• Changing the Story
  An international, multi-disciplinary project funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). Coordinated by the University of Leeds, it supports inclusive civil societies by working with young people in post-conflict settings.
• Mixed Methods Study on Surgical Care in Rural Areas of North-Eastern India
  Led by the Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development at the University of Leeds, UK, and funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), UK, this project examined the state of surgical care in four states of North-Eastern India.
• Recirculating J. H. Hutton’s Cylinder Recordings in Nagaland (February 28, 2025)
  A collaborative effort with the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE), this project focuses on recirculating the historical cylinder recordings of John Henry Hutton (1885-1968) in Nagaland. Funded by the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives, it aims to reconnect communities with their cultural and musical heritage.

 

Through these and other initiatives, the Highland Institute remains committed to conducting rigorous research that bridges academic inquiry with community engagement, addressing pressing socio-cultural and environmental challenges.