Historic Visit by St. Stephen's College, Delhi

Rayburn College had the honour of hosting a distinguished delegation from St. Stephen's
College, Delhi University for a two-day interactive visit from September 16-17, 2025. The
delegation undertook the strenuous journey of approximately 14 hours by road from Aizawl to
Churachandpur, demonstrating their extraordinary commitment to fostering inter-institutional
collaboration despite significant geographical challenges and travel difficulties.
The College was extremely privileged and honoured to welcome the following esteemed
visitors from St. Stephen's College, namely:

1. Professor John Varghese - Principal, St. Stephen's College
2. Fr. Dr. Renish Geevarghese Abraham – Dean, Alumni Relations and Associate
   Professor, Dept. of English
3. Dr. Chinkhanlun Guite – Bursar and Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics

Day 1 (September 16, 2025):
The first day of their visit was focussed around a ‘Welcome Event’, which was hosted by the
College and led by the students. It was held at the College Auditorium between 3:00-5:00 pm.
The program featured a welcome address by the Principal of Rayburn College, Rev. Dr. Khen
P. Tombing, followed by a short presentation on ‘Rayburn College at a Glance’ by the
Registrar, Dr. Samuel G. Ngaihte.

The program was filled with cultural performances, and song and dance presentations from the
multi-talented students to celebrate and showcase their artistic talents and diverse cultural
belongings. The delegations were also invited for short speeches, and the program was
concluded with a vote of thanks by the Vice-Principal, Dr. Kh. Thianminlian Vaiphei.

Day 2 (September 17, 2025):
The second day of their visit began with a strategic management meeting on the theme of
‘collaborative opportunities’ between heads of both institutions from 10:00 am till 11:45 am.
This was followed by specialized departmental interactions between 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, with
Dr. Chinkhanlun Guite interacting with the School of Science and Fr. Dr. Renish Abraham
interacting with the English Department.

The highlight of their visit was the Public Lecture delivered by Professor John Varghese,
Principal, St. Stephen’s College on the important topic ‘The Role of Higher Education
Institutions in Nation Building: A Christian Perspective’, held between 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm.
The lecture was attended by St. Stephen's College alumni from the region; heads and faculty
members of various Higher Education Institution in the district namely Churachandpur
College, Bethany College, Lamka College; heads and faculty members of Bible Colleges
namely Grace Bible College and Reformed School of Theology; members of the Governing
Body of Rayburn College; youth and church leaders; and research scholars and students from
various institutions.

The public lecture was followed by a time of interaction and fellowship and concluded with a
signing of ‘Expression of Interest for Educational Cooperation between St. Stephen’s College,
Delhi and Rayburn College (Autonomous), Manipur’ by both the Principal of each respective
institution.

Some of the highlights of the historic visit, which also served as a first-time exposure for our
students and faculty to distinguished institutional heads from the top college in the country
include the following:

Academic Excellence: The visit enhanced and raised the standard of discourse through
departmental interactions and exposure to pedagogical best practices from a premier higher
education institution.

Student Engagement: The students demonstrated exceptional enthusiasm, actively
participating in academic discussions, seeking guidance on higher studies, and expressing
genuine appreciation for the quality of interactions with such distinguished faculties.

Institutional Development: The strategic discussions between management team of both
institutes identified concrete collaborative opportunities, enhanced institutional reputation, and
created networking opportunities with regional educational leaders.

Community Impact: The public lecture by Professor John Varghese, Principal, St. Stephen’s
College drew significant attendance from the broader educational community, including
alumni and institutional heads, thereby extending the visit's impact and reach beyond Rayburn
College to the wider regional academic ecosystem.

Future collaborations: The management meeting on collaborative opportunities identified
several potential areas for future partnership, including:

• Cooperation in the development of the institutions, especially with regard to academic
  programmes.
• Broaden the experience of faculty, staff and students of the institutions and provide
  them with opportunities for increased professional development and cultural
  understanding.
• Promote aspects leading to scientific progress, educational advancement and the
  propagation of peace and leadership between both institutions.
  Rayburn College expresses its profound gratitude to Professor John Varghese, Fr. Dr. Renish
  Geevarghese Abraham, and Dr. Chinkhanlun Guite for their time, commitment and invaluable
  contribution towards helping shape the foundations for Rayburn’s aspiration towards
  excellence and service.

The two-day historic visit, which exceeded all expectations, has not only laid a strong
foundation for lasting partnership between Rayburn College, Manipur and St. Stephen's
College, Delhi, to advance higher education standards and excellence in the Northeast region,
but has also pushed marginalized colleges such as Rayburn College, to aspire and commit to
contribute towards nation building by embodying the ideals of ‘peace, harmony and
development’.

To God be the glory.