Jalandhar-22.11.25; In an ambitious move to architect the very future of the nation, Lovely Professional University (LPU) hosted 6th Neo-International Conference on Habitable Environments and International Professionals Meet (NICHE–IPM 2025). The Lovely School of Architecture and Design, organized the two-day grand intellectual confluence, a strategic national dialogue, positioning sustainable habitat design as the cornerstone for achieving a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

Dr. Col. Rashmi Mittal, Pro-Chancellor of LPU, and Dr. Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor of LPU, graced the inaugural ceremony. In her address, Dr. Mittal emphasised the responsibility of academic institutions in shaping responsible designers for the future, stating that “Sustainability is no longer an academic pursuit, it is a national obligation. As LPU is committed to cultivate architects who design not just for today, but for the nation.

International perspectives were brought to the fore by Prof. Rosa Cervera, Universidad de Alcalá, Spain, and Prof. Masoumeh Mirsafa from Lund University, Sweden. They shared compelling insights into biological innovations for climate-positive architecture and designing cities for more-than-human coexistence.

An eminent panel of national keynote speakers included Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah, Prof. Jit Kumar Gupta, Prof. Anurag Roy, Prof. Meenakshi Singhal, Maj. Gen. Balwinder Singh, Council of Architecture Vice President Ar. Gajanand Ram, and Er. Gautam Aswani. Their discussions tackled urgent issues such as climate governance, compact city planning, global warming potential of buildings, equitable street design, architectural education reforms, heritage conservation, and the rise of green building rating systems.

Furthermore, LPU’s commitment to experiential learning was evident in five specialized workshops that equipped participants with tomorrow's tools. From Ar. B. Venkateswara Raja’s session on AI and IoT for predictive built environments to a Hybrid Natural Building Workshop by Ar. Bharat Rolaniya and Ar. Saumya Saisree, and a critical session by the Fire and Security Association of India, the focus was on translating theory into tangible, industry-relevant skills. The event also featured research paper presentations, creative student exhibitions, and book displays authored by LPU’s emerging designers, culminating in a cultural evening and a grand valedictory ceremony.