Driving Climate Innovation Through Applied Education: How Prof. Dr. Phungmayo Horam and Gisma Are Supporting One of India’s Largest Community-Led Forest Carbon Projects
At Gisma University of Applied Sciences, education is designed to create real-world impact. As a university of applied sciences, Gisma believes that innovation, entrepreneurship, and academic expertise should go beyond theory to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
A powerful example of this vision in action is the work of Prof. Dr. Phungmayo Horam, Professor for Research and Quantitative Methods, who founded Mirin Climate Centre (MCC) – Forest Carbon Credit Company in 2024 to help protect the forests of Northeast India while creating sustainable economic opportunities for Indigenous and tribal communities.
Today, with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and other international partners and institutions including Gisma, MCC is developing what has become India’s largest REDD+ project currently under development under the Plan Vivo pipeline.
Transforming Climate Challenges into Community Opportunities
Northeast India, particularly the states of Manipur and Nagaland, is one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots. Home to dense forests, unique ecosystems, and Indigenous communities, the region is also facing rapid deforestation and environmental degradation.
Recognising both the environmental urgency and the lack of locally trusted carbon project developers in the region, Prof. Dr. Phungmayo Horam envisioned a community-led solution that could connect Indigenous forest conservation efforts with the global carbon economy.
This led to the creation of MCC, a climate-focused initiative dedicated to developing forest carbon credit projects under the REDD+ framework (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). Through verified carbon certification, communities can receive financial benefits for protecting forests rather than clearing them, providing alternative livelihood and a sustainable model for conservation and economic empowerment.
Gisma’s Role in Supporting Innovation with Impact
The success of MCC strongly reflects Gisma’s commitment to applied education, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and industry integration.
At Gisma, professors are not only educators they are innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who actively contribute to solving real-world challenges. The university encourages faculty members to transform research, expertise, and ideas into scalable initiatives with social and environmental impact.
Through its international ecosystem, interdisciplinary environment, and strong focus on applied learning, Gisma has played an important role in supporting initiatives such as MCC by fostering innovation, collaboration, and global engagement.
This project highlights how Gisma contributes beyond traditional education by:
- Encouraging industry-led and socially impactful innovation
- Supporting sustainability and climate-focused initiatives
- Connecting academics with international networks and stakeholders
- Promoting entrepreneurial thinking and real-world problem solving
- Empowering faculty members to lead projects with measurable global impact
The collaboration demonstrates how higher education institutions can actively contribute to climate action, environmental preservation, and community empowerment on a global scale.
International Collaboration Driving Climate Innovation
The development of MCC has also been strengthened through continuous engagement with international stakeholders, including GIZ India and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
These partnerships provided strategic support, incubation opportunities, institutional networks, and international collaboration opportunities that helped accelerate the initiative’s development.
In just a short period, MCC has achieved several remarkable milestones:
- 82 villages onboarded across Northeast India
- Approximately 69,000 hectares under development
- India’s largest REDD+ project currently under development under the Plan Vivo pipeline
- Inclusion in the Plan Vivo Foundation project pipeline under the project title: “REDD Project for Indigenous Tribal Communities, Northeast India”
The initiative is being developed in collaboration with partners including Infinite Environmental Solutions Limited, Recognize Rise And Empower Association, Diaspora2030, GIZ India, IITI DRISHTI CPS FOUNDATION, and Gisma University of Applied Sciences.
Empowering Indigenous Communities Through Sustainable Development
At the heart of the project are the Indigenous and tribal communities who have protected these forests for generations.
MCC’s approach is deeply community centred, focusing on trust, local participation, and long-term sustainability. In regions where external organisations often face challenges building local engagement, the initiative has successfully worked alongside communities to create climate solutions rooted in local realities and Indigenous stewardship.
Beyond environmental protection, the project also creates opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, financial inclusion, biodiversity conservation, and long-term community resilience.
A Powerful Example of Applied Learning in Action
The work of Prof. Dr. Phungmayo Horam and MCC represents the very essence of Gisma’s mission: applying knowledge to create meaningful impact.
It is a story of how academic expertise, entrepreneurial leadership, international collaboration, and community-driven innovation can come together to address global environmental challenges while empowering local communities.
As Gisma continues to strengthen its commitment to sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility, initiatives such as MCC showcase how the university is helping shape leaders and projects that are making a real difference in the world.
To learn more about the project, visit Mirin Climate Centre (MCC).