Hong Kong varsity keen to tie up with Indian institutions

VILLUPURAM: Lingnan University, Hong Kong, is keen on tying up with Indian institutions for student and faculty exchange programmes. Willim K.M. Lee, Professor of Sociology, said his university had 80 exchange partners in the U.S., Europe, Korea, Japan, Thailand and in the mainland China, but none in India. Therefore, he along with Merry Chey, Assistant Registrar, visited Theivanai Ammal College for Women in Villupuram on Saturday, to explore the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding in this regard.

It was a reciprocal visit to the one made to the university by college Secretary S. Senthil Kumar and Principal Kasthuri Bai Dhanasekaran.

Addressing an interactive session on the college premises Mr. Lee said in view of the ageing Hong Kong population and globalisation, it had become necessary to maintain the skill level.

In the backdrop of BRIC formation (comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China) Hong Kong was trying to explore what India could offer by way of education.

He hoped that India would play a significant role in this regard because India and Hong Kong shared values and synergy and both were paying attention to economic and social development of the underprivileged. Mr. Lee underscored the point that associated development was far better than segregated development. The university was sending students to Yunnan, a mountainous region, to improve the literacy level and economic condition of the people there. Under the new educational system (3 + 3 + 4) that would come into force in colleges and universities in 2012, the duration of the undergraduate courses would be four years and all students would have to necessarily stay in hostels, Mr. Lee added.

Mr. Senthil Kumar said the exchange programme would benefit students in acquiring additional skills and in improving their employability at the international level. It would also help the faculty to take up research programmes in a big way. Ms. Dhanasekaran, Principal, said, the college, run by the E. Swamikannu Educational Charities, had to its credit “A” grade from the National Accreditation and Assessment Council, and, ISO: 9001 – 2001 standards.