Chinese university plans to set up Confucius Institure

Updated on: Friday, June 25, 2010

The Zhejiang Gongshang University of Southern China and the Rabindra Bharati University have decided to set up an institute in the name of famous Chinese philosopher 'Confucius' here to propagate the age-old socio-cultural bond between India and China with special reference to Rabindranath Tagore.

This was announced today by Zhejiang Gongshang University president Prof Hu Jianmiao and Rabindra Bharati University Vice- Chancellor Karuna Sindhu Das during a round table conference with an eight-member Chinese delegation.

The round table was organised under the banner of Bharat Chamber of Commerce to explore the possibilities of closer relations between the two largest south Asian neighbours in the backdrop of the present cordial relations.

'' Though we wanted to set up a full fledged cultural university on the line of Rabindra Bharati University here so that more and more people will be able to know in depth not only the rich heritage of both countries, but also their close bond at people to people level, said Mr Jianmio.

But at the same time he regretted that owing to the respective government's foreign policies, the idea of setting up a full fledged branch of Chinese university in India would not be materialised as it was not allowed under the provision of Indian Constitution.

As such both universities were now considering setting up an institute through collaborative efforts. An MOU to this effect would be signed during the proposed visit of a similar delegation from RBU to China later this year, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Das disclosed several other plans of joint cooperation with some other Chinese Universities and said to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the great poet in a befitting manner, the Beijing University of Foreign Studies had requested them to donate a statue of Tagore this year so that they could set it up at a prominent square in the university campus.

'' We are also planning to set up a Chinese Art and Culture gallery at the Jorasanko Campus of RBU, '' the VC said and hoped to receive all assistance and cooperation from the Chinese authorities to make it as one of the popular tourist attractions in the city in near future.

Earlier welcoming the delegation, which included six professors of different Chinese unmiversities, Chamber president and noted industrialist Pawan Poddar expressed the industry's desire to establish a Trade and Industry-related Indo-Chinese Institute in the city.

'' We hope the Indian Government will sympathetically consider to lift the present ban on foreign institutes to enable a much closer people to people contact through education and culture, '' he stated.

Chinese university plans to set up Confucius Institure

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