The President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Vinay Sahasrabuddhe visited Vietnam on August 4-5, 2023. He held talks with Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as a meeting with Professor Le Van Loi, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in Hanoi on August 4.
The discussions highlighted the strong people-to-people ties and shared heritage between India and Vietnam.
They also discussed cooperation in the fields of culture, art, academic exchange, and heritage conservation to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both sides agreed to facilitate cultural exchanges, promote diverse art forms, and enhance interaction at the academic and institutional levels between the two countries, building on the cultural exchange program signed in December 2022.
Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe delivered a lecture titled “Connecting through Culture: India and Vietnam” at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, followed by discussions with scholars from the Center for Indian Studies of the Academy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and other institutions.
During the visit, he presented the ICCR Distinguished Alumni Award for 2022 to Nguyen Trung Khanh, General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, for his outstanding contributions to the understanding, goodwill, and friendship between India and Vietnam.
General Director Nguyen Trung Khanh, a recipient of an ICCR scholarship, shared his experience of studying at Bangalore University, India from 1999-2001, which helped him develop his expertise and cross-cultural understanding.
“India has a long-standing, multi-religious, multi-ethnic culture,” said General Director Nguyen Trung Khanh. “In particular, India has an education of international standards and prestige around the world, with a friendly training environment and advanced teaching methods.”
The ICCR President also presented the ICCR Award for Promotion of Buddhist Studies 2021 to Zen Master Thich Nu Lieu Phap (Dr. Duong Thi Thanh Huong) for her outstanding contributions to the promotion of Buddhist Studies internationally.
Zen Master Thich Nu Lieu Phap expressed her gratitude for studying in India and emphasized the desire of Buddhists to visit India at least once in their lives. She also praised the high-quality education and affordable tuition fees offered by India.
Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also had an exchange with Indian friends in Vietnam, discussing ways to strengthen educational, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
ICCR scholarships for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels (https://a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in) are being effectively implemented in Vietnam. The involvement of ICCR alumni, including their participation through the mentioned portal, was also mentioned.
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