SHILLONG, May 30: After partaking in a productive bilateral discussion along with his delegation on a range of subjects like academic and cultural collaboration in the future at NEHU, Ambassador of Japan to India, Kunihiko Kawazo, called upon the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to strengthen the Indo-Japan ties.
The Japanese delegation was at NEHU for a meeting with the community of teachers and students at NEHU under the aegis of the newly established Office of International Affairs (OIA), NEHU, and ICSSR-NERC.
The visiting dignitaries were presented with NEHU’s achievements pertaining to the last half a decade.
Kunihiko Kawazo referred to multilateral agreements that have been currently arrived at in the discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Kishida Fumio.
He also pointed out India’s close partnership with Japan in areas like science and technology, trade, and also in the area of people-to-people relations.
Appreciating the natural surroundings of NEHU and its infrastructure, the Japanese Ambassador compared NEHU against the urban landscape of University of Tokyo of which he is a noted Alumnus.
He elucidated the possibility of NEHU’s collaborative work with Japan foundation, which is tasked with dissemination of Japanese language and culture. He exhorted NEHU for its enthusiasm to teach Japanese language and culture and exuded a lot of confidence in vibrant, dynamic and impactful members of the University’s fraternity in achieving higher goals of learning and research in areas such as Japanese language, literature and culture.
Recollecting Japan’s connections with Northeast India, the visiting Charge de affaires opened up the doors for further discussion and collaboration through his esteemed office.
The Political Counselor, Kentaro Orita, further explained his natural affinity to NEHU by exclaiming amidst loud applause his desire to become a student at NEHU.
The counselor further stated the professed objective of Japan’s deep-seated interest in the geo-strategic importance of India’s Northeast and related it to NEHU’s unique socio-cultural and educational eco-system.
Orita underscored NEHU’s role in uplifting the region towards a pan-Asiatic and global spread of advanced level of intellectual contributions.
Going by Japan’s role in Act East Policy, the Counsellor projected the possibility of closer ties between academic institutions, university/industry collaboration through Japan and in overall the possibility of larger investment by Japan for the benefit of people of Northeast India.
In his presidential address, NEHU Vice Chancellor, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla, solicited greater participation and cooperation from Japan and its universities in developing concrete research collaborations in areas of mutual interest.
Imploring Japan’s role in QUAD and especially announcing QUAD fellowships for Indian students, the VC elicited a lot of hope and exuberance towards more students from NEHU getting the benefit of such a fellowship.
He advocated that the civilisational linkage between India and Japan is transformed into Japan finding a home in North-east of India and the Northeast finding a home in Japan.
Large number of students and teachers had participated in the nearly two-hour luncheon discussion, the moments of which included a smattering of diplomacy mixed with intellectual and cultural proximity with Japan.
