Shillong, Sep 23 A high-level Thai delegation visiting North-Eastern Hill University here has called for a long-term academic partnership with the institution, with discussions focusing on joint research, student and faculty exchanges, scholarships and academic programmes, officials said on Wednesday.
The delegation was led by Urasa Mongkolnavin, Director-General, Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and included representatives from leading Thai universities.
Mongkolnavin said the Thai government viewed the visit as “not a one-time engagement” but the beginning of a long-term academic association and cooperation between institutions in Thailand and NEHU.
She emphasised the importance of promoting the exchange of ideas, joint research projects, faculty and scholar exchanges and student mobility.
She also said formal memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between NEHU and Thai universities could provide an institutional framework for sustained cooperation and jointly implemented academic and research activities.
NEHU vice-chancellor-in-charge Prof SK Barik proposed the establishment of a ‘Centre for Indo-Thai Collaboration’ at the university as an umbrella platform to coordinate academic and research partnerships with Thai universities.
“The proposed Centre would serve as a common platform for promoting and coordinating academic and research partnerships between NEHU and Thai universities,” Barik said.
The proposed centre would facilitate collaborative programmes, academic exchanges, joint research and other institutional initiatives across diverse disciplines.
Representatives from Thammasat University, Prince of Songkla University and Ubon Ratchathani University presented their academic programmes, research centres and areas of international engagement and discussed opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, joint research, academic programmes and scholarships.
Representatives from Prince of Songkla University also highlighted graduate scholarship opportunities, including tuition fee waivers and financial support for eligible master’s and doctoral students.
The Thai delegation also shared a proposed two-year action plan for establishing and developing a Thai Studies Centre in Assam and Meghalaya, with activities including Thai language learning resources, academic seminars, an annual Thai-India Symposium, expert panels, knowledge exchange and academic translation initiatives.
The plan also envisages faculty, researcher and student exchanges, joint academic activities and institutional integration to ensure sustained Thai-India academic cooperation.
During the interaction, NEHU deans and faculty members presented the university’s academic expertise and ongoing research in areas including biochemistry, physical sciences, biomedical sciences, information technology, nanotechnology and cultural studies.
The discussions also explored multidisciplinary cooperation in science and technology, medicine and healthcare, traditional medicine, socio-economic studies and cultural studies.
Mongkolnavin noted that one of the Thai academic delegates was an alumnus of NEHU who had completed his PhD in the Department of Hindi and continues to serve as an academic link between Thailand and the university.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to explore concrete mechanisms for strengthening India-Thailand academic relations, including institutional MoUs, joint research, faculty and student mobility, scholarships and academic seminars.
(PTI News)
