Nalanda varsity to collaborate with South Korean Institute

The Nalanda University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea's Academy of Korean Studies for academic cooperation, an official said on Monday.

According to the university officials, Nalanda University Vice Chancellor Professor Sunaina Singh and Professor Shin Jong Won, Vice President Academy of Korean Studies (AKS), signed a Memorandum of Understanding for academic linkages/collaborations in Patna on Monday.

As per the MoU, the two universities have agreed to enhance the bilateral ties through joint research programme, exchange of faculty members, mutual sharing of data for academic research, joint teaching, undertake joint research projects and symposiums.

Both universities will make an effort to promote and develop cooperation in activities like exchange of faculty members, research fellows, students, academic material, publications, information, undertake joint research projects and symposiums, lecture series and cooperation in other areas.

The MoU will be in effect for five years.

Singh said this MoU is a "testament to Nalanda's commitment to building inter-Asian linkages".

"South Korea is one of the 17 countries that have signed the inter-governmental MoU for supporting Nalanda University and we are really pleased to enter into this academic collaboration with AKS, which is one of the leading universities of South Korea established by the Ministry of Education and Science Technology of South Korea," she said at the function where the MOU was signed.

The Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University said building upon centuries old relations between the two countries, progress of these strong ties became more visible and were concretized through the 'Act East Policy'.

"Bilateral promotional agreements between the two nations have increased exponentially with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modiji," she added.

India and South Korea signed seven bilateral agreements in May 2015 upgrading its ties to special strategic partnership.

"Nalanda will play a soft power bridge between India and South Korea through Índia's 'Act East Policy' and South Korea's new Asia initiatives. Nalanda hopefully will strengthen the bilateral ties through educational linkages," Singh said.

"This MOU will contribute to the development of Korean Studies and enhance friendships between the two institutions," Shin Jong Won said.

Nalanda University had also recently received a personal donation of $11,535 from South Korean Professor Pyong-Rae Lee for establishing a Scholarship Fund for students at the School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions at the varsity.

--IANS

ik/amit/rn