His Excellency Ambassador of Republic of Korea in India visits NEHU

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Date: May 23, 2022

In the spirit of mutual co-operation and understanding, The Office of International Affairs, NEHU hosted visiting Ambassador Chang Jae-bok of Republic of Korea to explore possibilities of tie-ups and collaboration in wide ranging fields. The Republic of Korea represented by the Ambassador and other officials took part in a public interface with NEHU faculty, students and scholars. His excellency Chang Jae-bok in his speech comprehensively dealt with history of Indo-Korea relationship and exhorted NEHU students in taking it forward in a variety of field of mutual interest. He mentioned that around 700 Korean Companies are working in India and these companies have established deeper economic tie ups with India in every way. He alluded to spread of K Pop and Kimchi in Northeast India and joined the chorus of students in naming many popular characters of various OTT Korean drams that have gone viral in India. As the Korean vistors found the atmosphere of NEHU very alluring and enticing, the Ambassador spoke at length on various issues like academic collaboration and economic tie ups through various companies. Joining the accolades from NEHU, the ambassador Chang Jae-bok happily stated that it is his very first visit to Meghalaya and NEHU and he is very much touched by the warm reception that he received.

In his welcome to Korean visitors, Prof. P. S. Shukla, the Vice-Chancellor mentioned the need for opening up wide ranging collaborations between Korean Universities and NEHU. He cited NEHU’s contributions in cutting edge areas of Bio-Sciences, Bio-Informatics, Physical Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences and drew attention of Republic of Korea to unique local and indigenous knowledge systems, cultural and bio resources diversities as well as instant chemistry between North-eastern culture and Korean culture. The Vice-Chancellor implored for the need to build up strong University to University connections. He suggested that NEHU in its present attempt to internationalize higher educations is looking up to support and facilitation from Republic of Korean through its Embassy at New Delhi to strike up MoUs in cutting edge areas. One such cutting edge area is identification, categorization and systematization of local pool of knowledge systems for the purpose of advancing global science and technology. He explained the whole process as cultural and educational without which local and global cannot be pulled together.

In the interaction with students, on a specific question of a NEHU student who runs a start up company and who wanted to extend it to Korea, The Ambassador referred to Kolkata trade office of Republic of Korea which can provide guidance to such a welcome idea. In yet another response, the Korean side took great interest in the demand for increasing more scholarships for Indian students, to which the Ambassador sounded positive by saying that ‘we understand that India has a huge population’. The students exhorted the Ambassador for his positive mindset. On assisting in opening up Korean Learning Centre at NEHU, the Ambassador referred the matter to Korean Cultural centre at New Delhi, which NEHU would pursue in the right manner.

Prof. Anand Shankar Dixit, Director of Internal Quality assessment Cell gave a lucid picture of state of art in NEHU and pointed out how NEHU is developing high-capacity research infrastructure and output with meagre resources and sought Korean Collaboration in mutually enhancing areas of all disciplines. 

The Visiting team was welcome by Prof. Prasenjit Biswas on behalf of NEHU’s Office of International Affairs (OIA). The programme was duly compered by NEHU PRO Dr. Davidson Pyngrope.

On his thanksgiving address, the registrar of the University Prof. Saurabh Dixit thanked Indian Mission in Korea, Ministry of External affairs and Embassy of RoK in New Delhi for making such a first of its kind visit possible.