Posted : November 19, 2025
Startup Premier League
A one-day startup event titled “Startup Premier League” was organized by the Institutional Innovation Council (IIC) in collaboration with the Centre for Incubation, Consultancy & Entrepreneurship (CICE) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, in association with Techaarohan Bharat Foundation (Startup Ki Pathshala). The event aimed to provide a dynamic platform for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to explore innovative ideas, strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset, and foster collaboration across institutions.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation forming teams from various education institutions in and around Newtown and Salt Lake, including St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata.
About the Programme: A one-day startup event titled “Startup Premier League” commenced with the Lighting of the Lamp, followed by a welcome address by Professor Soma Sur, Hony. Director, LCERI & President, IIC. The inaugural address was delivered by Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, highlighting the significance of entrepreneurship and innovation in nation-building. This was followed by the Felicitation of Guests by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. The Keynote Address was delivered by Dr. Debasish Ghosh, Head, Technology Business Development & Incubation, Indian Statistical Institute, focusing on fostering a startup ecosystem and supporting early-stage innovators. Dr. Arnab Basu, Co-Founder & CEO, Yancha Positive Parenting LLP, discussed the importance of mentorship and perseverance in entrepreneurship and provided an overview of the programme.The Discovery Round Pitching Sessions allowed participating teams to present their startup ideas before a panel of successful entrepreneurs. The jury provided constructive feedback on market feasibility, innovation, and business model scalability.
The event concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Prabhat Das of Techaarohan Bharat Foundation (Startup Ki Pathshala), who highlighted the upcoming phases aimed at nurturing innovative ideas and transforming them into viable ventures. The jury members appreciated the best three ideas, followed by a Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr. Somnath Banerjee, IIC Convenor and Associate Professor, Department of Commerce and Management, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, formally marking the close of the event.
Feedback: The “Startup Premier League” successfully ignited the young minds of nine teams from our university, fostering collaboration and strengthening the academic startup ecosystem, thereby showcasing the university’s commitment to innovation, entrepreneurship, and skill development.
Professor Soma Sur
President, IIC & Hony. Director, LCERI
Dr. Monalika Dey
Professor-in-Charge, CICE & Startup Activity Coordinator, IIC
Posted : November 1, 2025
Father Felix Raj delivers lecture on Mother Teresa
Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) delivered an inspiring extension lecture on “Mother Teresa: Instrument for Peace” on October 31, 2025 at the university campus.
The programme was organised by Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) and the Mother Teresa Chair for Peace of SXUK. All faculty members and officers of SXUK along with dignitaries attended the lecture.
In his lecture, Father Felix Raj highlighted the life and mission of Mother Teresa as a beacon of peace, compassion, and humanity, emphasising her contributions to social harmony and service to the marginalized sections of the society. He also shared his interactions with Mother.
The lecture was followed by an interactive session, where the audience shared their insights and reflections on the theme. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof Gautam Dutta, Chair-Professor, Mother Teresa Chair for Peace, SXUK.
Dr. Soma Sur
Hony. Director, LCERI
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Posted : November 1, 2025
Father Felix Raj delivers lecture on Mother Teresa
Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) delivered an inspiring extension lecture on “Mother Teresa: Instrument for Peace” on October 31, 2025 at the university campus.
The programme was organised by Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) and the Mother Teresa Chair for Peace of SXUK. All faculty members and officers of SXUK along with dignitaries attended the lecture.
In his lecture, Father Felix Raj highlighted the life and mission of Mother Teresa as a beacon of peace, compassion, and humanity, emphasising her contributions to social harmony and service to the marginalized sections of the society. He also shared his interactions with Mother.
The lecture was followed by an interactive session, where the audience shared their insights and reflections on the theme. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof Gautam Dutta, Chair-Professor, Mother Teresa Chair for Peace, SXUK.
Dr. Soma Sur
Hony. Director, LCERI
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Posted : July 26, 2025
LCERI organises national conference
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) in association with Indian Accounting Association, Kolkata Branch (AOP) organised a one-day national conference on July 26, 2025 at the university campus.
The theme was “Emerging Issues in Accounting, Finance and Management.” The conference received wide support from the St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata Alumni Association.
This conference aimed to provide an interdisciplinary platform for academicians, researchers, industry professionals, and students to deliberate on the recent developments, challenges, and innovative solutions in the fields of accounting, finance, and management.
Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of SXUK delivered the welcome address. Dr. Soma Sur, Professor, Xavier Business School & Hony. Director, LCERI and Dr. Ashish Kumar Sana, Professor, Department of Commerce, University of Calcutta and Secretary, IAA, Kolkata Branch (AOP) addressed the audience on the theme.
Dr. Girdhar Soral, former President, IAA and former Professor, Department of Accounting and Business Statistics at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Rajasthan was the Chief Guest.
Dr. Ananda Mohan Pal, former President, IAA Kolkata Branch (AOP), and former Professor in the Department of Business Management, University of Calcutta; Prof. Satyajit Dhar, Chairman, IAA Kolkata Branch (AOP) and CA Sanjit Sen, former AVP Tata Capital and Partner Upgrade were the esteemed speakers in the plenary session. Dr. Mahasewata Bhattacharyya, Treasurer, IAA Kolkata Branch, delivered the vote of thanks.
More than hundred participants had registered for the conference and about eighty papers were presented in the nine tracks on different topics related to the theme. Each of them received certificates of presentation.
The valedictory session was chaired by CA Sunil Kumar Gandhi, former Professor, University of Kalyani; Dr. (CA) Sanjib Kumar Basu, Dean (Commerce), St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata; Prof. Ashish Kumar Sana, Secretary, IAA Kolkata Branch (AOP) and Prof. Soma Sur, Convener, LCERI. Prof. Amalendu Bhunia, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Kalyani delivered the valedictory address.
Prof. Soma Sur
Hony. Director, LCERI
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Posted : March 23, 2025
LCERI hosts international conference
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) in collaboration with the St. Xavier’s University Kolkata Alumni Association (SXUKAA) organised a two-day international conference on sustainable development on March 21 and 22, 2025 at the university campus.
The theme of the conference was “Sustainable Development: Creating a Unified Foundation with Research and Practice.” The conference aimed to foster discussions on sustainable development by bringing together academicians, researchers, and professionals.
Students, scholars, faculty members from SXUK and other national and international institutions participated and presented research papers in this conference. Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Vice-Chancellor of SXUK delivered the inaugural address amid the presence of dignitaries.
The distinguished speakers included Prof. Rajib Shaw, Keio University, Japan and UN Science Technology Advisory Group (STAG); Prof. Sutapa Pati, Academic Dean, School of Sustainability, XIM Bhubaneswar; Prof. Siddhartha Mitra, Department of Economics, Jadavpur University; Prof. Sekh Md. Altafur Rahaman, Associate Dean, School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand; Prof. Sagi Mathew, School of Management & Marketing, Faculty of Business and Law, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Australia; Prof. Sadhan Kumar Ghosh, Director General, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Research Centre, ISWMAW.
The conference was structured into multiple plenary and technical sessions, with four different themes, economic, environment, social and interdisciplinary. More than 50 research papers were selected for presentation in the conference.
All the sessions facilitated engaging discussions, allowing scholars and industry professionals to exchange their ideas and research findings. The tracks were chaired by senior renowned academicians from across the country.
A special training session on “Efficacy of Publishing in Social Science Research” was conducted by Prof. Kanika Chatterjee, Department of Commerce, University of Calcutta, aiming to equip young researchers with the necessary skills for impactful academic publishing.
The event concluded with a valedictory session, presided over by Father Felix Raj, S.J., who summarized key takeaways and acknowledged the contributions of participants. Certificates were distributed to the researchers on the final day. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Monalika Dey.
Dr. Soma Sur
Honorary Director, LCERI
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Posted : September 14, 2024
Workshop on “Research Techniques using SPSS”
Fr. Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) organised a two-day workshop on “Research Techniques using SPSS” on 7th and 14th September 2024 at the University’s Computer Lab (Room No. 102). Dr. Saugat Ghosh, Assistant Professor at Xavier Business School, served as the resource person for the workshop.
Research Scholars and Faculty Members of SXUK attended the sessions. The workshop introduced the fundamentals of statistical techniques for analysing collected data from various sources using ‘SPSS 24.0’. The workshop significantly benefited the participants by equipping them with practical experience in using the software.
Dr. Soma Sur
Hony. Director, LCERI
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Posted : July 13, 2024
Dr. Soma Sur
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Posted : July 10, 2024
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) organised the fifth Doctoral Colloquium on June 26 and 27, 2024 at the university campus.
This two-day event provided a platform for research scholars of SXUK to present the progress of their research work across various discipline-specific sessions.
A total of thirty-nine (39) Ph.D. scholars of SXUK from various disciplines presented their research papers, showcasing the progress and findings of their ongoing work. The discipline-specific sessions facilitated in-depth discussions and constructive feedback from the expert panel, contributing significantly to the academic development of the scholars.
The colloquium began with a welcome address delivered by Dr. Soma Sur, Hony. Director and Ph.D. Programme Coordinator. Dr. Anupam Mitra, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Management addressed the gathering with an introductory briefing and highlighted the importance of participating in colloquiums for academic growth and knowledge sharing.
The discipline specific sessions were chaired by distinguished panel of external experts named Dr. Ananda Mohan Pal, Professor, University of Calcutta; Dr. Arup Kumar Baksi, Professor, Department of Business Administration, Aliah University; Dr. Manik Chakraborty, Former Professor and Head, Department of Law, The University of Burdwan; Dr. Asok Kumar Sarkar, Professor, Department of Social Work, Visva Bharati; Dr. Nilanjana Bagchi, Associate Professor & Head, Department of Psychology, Bethune College; Dr. Rajesh Das, Associate Professor, The University of Burdwan; Dr. Sourav Banerjee, Associate Professor, Mahitosh Nandy Mahavidyalaya and Dr. Subrata Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata.
The colloquium fostered a collaborative environment where ideas and insights could be exchanged, enhancing the overall quality of research within the academic community.
Dr. Soma Sur
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Posted : February 24, 2024
LCERI organises FDP
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St, Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) conducted a two-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on February 23-24, 2024 in the university campus.
The topic of the FDP was ‘Advanced Trends in Research Techniques: Series-II on Structured Equation Modelling- Mediation and Moderation’. The FDP was open to faculty members and Ph.D. scholars of SXUK.
The resource persons for the workshop were Dr. Soma Sur, Professor, Xavier Business School, SXUK, Dr. Asim Mitra, Assistant Professor, North Bengal St. Xavier’s College and Dr. Banhi Guha, Assistant Professor, Xavier Business School, SXUK.
The FDP was conducted to deliver conceptual knowledge and hands on experience of the advanced software used for SEM analysis. Participants also learned about Structural Equation Modelling, which is a multivariate statistical technique, used to analyse structural relationships. Participants found the FDP highly enriching.
Dr. Soma Sur
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Posted : September 22, 2023
LCERI organises Faculty Development Programme
In its continuous practice of upgrading the research skills of faculty members, Fr. Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) conducted a two-day Faculty Development Programme on September 22 and 23, 2023 at the university campus.
The topic was ‘Advanced Trends in Research Techniques-Series-I: Qualitative Analysis using NVivo’. Dr. Arup Kumar Baksi, Professor, Aliah University was the resource person. He discussed various techniques of qualitative research and mixed methods. Participants learnt how to use NVivo and Orange software, which are now in demand in different subjects of social sciences for statistical analysis.
Research scholars pursuing their doctoral studies in SXUK also attended the programme.
Dr. Soma Sur
Posted : March 11, 2023
Prof. Felix Wilfred lectures on social exclusion at SXUK
St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) organised an extension lecture on ‘Principles and ways to overcome social exclusion in Asia’ on March 11, 2023 at the university campus. The speaker was Prof. Father Felix Wilfred, an eminent academician and theologian from Chennai.
Formerly associated with the University of Madras as the Chairperson of the School of Philosophy and Religious Thought, Prof. Wilfred is the Founder-Director of Asian Culture for Cross-Cultural Studies (ACCS), Chennai.
Father John Felix Raj, S.J, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of SXUK felicitated Father Wilfred on behalf of the Lafont Centre of Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI), the research wing of SXUK. In his welcome address, Father Raj reminisced his memories of student life at Vidyajoti College of Theology, New Delhi where he had first met Father Wilfred.
While referring to the practices of social exclusion across the world, Prof. Wilfred narrated his experience of visiting cities in Asia where he witnessed the culture of ‘ghettoization’ that isolates one from others. He said, “Social exclusion is a multi-layered phenomenon. It happens through social, political, cultural and economic aspects”.
He referred to untouchability as the most widely practised process that indulges in social exclusion. “This is a social evil which has been in practice since the mediaeval period throughout the world”, he added.
Referring to Nelson Mandela’s movement to rise against apartheid in South Africa, Father Wilfred said that depriving one from getting opportunity is a perpetrated attack on one’s self-respect and dignity. He said that more equity is needed than seeking equality in society to overcome exclusion. He mentioned Mahatma Gandhi who once said, “Natural resources are for the use of entire human family”.
Father Wilfred strongly criticised the present education system that ingrains the concept of competition among children. He said that it results into rat-race that empowers one student to disparage others and brings disaster to their future. He also added that parents are equally responsible for this as they pamper their children to practise social exclusion in this way. Citing the inequality in getting opportunity to pursue higher education, he said, “It still remains locked in the coterie of rich and powerful class of society”, he added.
In his concluding words, Prof. Wilfred recognised Father Raj’s ‘monumental’ and ‘significant’ contributions to the development of higher education in the state. Besides praising SXUK’s efforts to make holistic development through inclusive education policies, he urged all stakeholders of the University to come forward and join this noble mission to make a better tomorrow.
All faculty members, staff and postgraduate students of the university attended the programme.
Somak Sen
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Posted : February 17, 2023
LCERI conducts workshop on advanced research techniques
In a bid to keep the research scholars updated on recent developments, Fr. Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) conducted a two-day workshop cum training session on February 17 and 18, 2023.
The topic was ‘Advanced Research Techniques: Structured Equation Modelling (SEM).’ The workshop was for the enrolled Ph.D. scholars and faculty members of SXUK. The resource person was Dr. Gautam Bandyopadhyay, an eminent Professor, NIT, Durgapur.
Scholars were introduced to the fundamentals of statistical techniques in this workshop. They were taught to measure and analyse relationship between observed and latent variables. All the participants found the workshop highly enriching.
Dr. Soma Sur
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) is named in fond remembrance of Father Eugene Lafont (1837-1908), a Jesuit priest from Belgium who worked in India for many years. Fr. Lafont occupies a unique place in the history of modern science in India. He had a passion for scientific research, and he took every measure to instil the same in the minds of his students at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, ever since he joined the college in December 1865. He was the co-founder of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science which was established in 1876, the first of its kind in India. He is acknowledged with the honour of teaching Jagadis Chandra Bose, regarded as the first scientist in modern India. Father Lafont is rightly considered as one of the architects of modern Indian science.
To honour Fr. Lafont’s legacy, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata has envisioned a centre for excellence in research and innovation in the campus with a view to promote a culture of scientific research and to render its service to the humanity at large.
In continuation with the tradition of Jesuits’ commitment to research, the Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) envisions to initiate and sustain an Inter-Disciplinary culture of Research programmes at St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata and endeavours to promote research and intellectual dialogue with social concerns for development of the marginalized and vulnerable of the society in India.
Dr. Soma Sur
Professor, Professor, Xavier Business School
Honorary Director
Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI)
St. Xavier's University, Kolkata
Action Area IIIB, New Town, Kolkata – 700160, India
Tel.: 033 6624 9875
Email: lceri@sxuk.edu.in
St. Xavier's University, Kolkata 30 Mother Teresa Sarani (Park street),
