India Chair to be established at prestigious Leiden University

Updated on: Friday, June 04, 2010

An India Chair will be set up at the prestigious Leiden University of The Netherlands to strengthen educational and cultural bonds between the two countries.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Leiden University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here yesterday for establishment of the Council's Long-Term Chair for study of Contemporary India at the Leiden University. The Chair will function under the aegis of the LEI Faculty of Humanities. India's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Manbir Singh, signed the MoU on behalf of ICCR while Prof P F Van Der Heijden Rector Magnificus and President, signed on behalf of the Leiden University. Under the terms of the MOU, the ICCR, in consultation with the University, shall appoint an Indian academician to hold the Chair for a period of two years.
During his/her term, the Chair would contribute to the academic life of the University by engaging in teaching, research and mentoring at various levels. The Chair will commence from September 2011 and the MoU will remain valid for five years. Leiden University is the oldest and foremost among the institutions of higher learning in the Netherlands with more than 18,000 students.

Leiden University has a unique combination of excellence in the fields of international law, political science and a specialized department of South Asian Studies with focus on India through the unique Kern Institute. It has an international reputation as a leading research university. This makes Leiden University an ideal Dutch partner to host an India Chair in the politics and economy of modern India, the Indian Embassy said.

''The establishment of Chair of Contemporary Indian Studies would be an important step in furthering ICCR's larger mandate of fostering and strengthening educational and cultural bonds and towards enhancing academic knowledge and awareness about India, through exchange of academicians,'' it added.

India Chair to be established at prestigious Leiden University

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