A Dutch Delegation led by Mr. Thomas Van Berckel’, representing, Taalunie, the Union for the Dutch Language, Miss Tessa van Zijl and Mrs. Heleen Wolfs from Babel Language Courses in Utrecht, the Netherlands made a visit to the University of Hyderabad on 11th October 2023, coordinated by Prof. Chetan Srivastava, Director, Office for International Affairs.
This visit is a significant step towards fostering a stronger bond between the Dutch language and Indian academia. One of the primary objectives of this visit was to establish a framework for the Faculty for Dutch Studies, also known as Neerlandistiek, at one or more Indian universities. This endeavour aimed to create an environment where students and scholars at University of Hyderabad could engage with the Dutch language, culture, and literature, thereby exploring career opportunities.
Their visit included a meeting with the Head, Center for Applied Linguistics and Translational Studies, Prof Arulmozhi, Prof J.Prabahakar Rao, Prof.Chetan Srivastava, Director for the Office for International Affairs and Prof Alok Kumar Mishra, Associate Director, Office for International Affairs.
In this meeting, Prof. Chetan Srivastava, welcomed the delegates and discussed potential collaborations. This visit not only marked a significant milestone in the promotion of Dutch language and culture in India but also symbolized the strength of international cooperation in the field of education and language studies. The delegates apprised of the varied career opportunities for the students learning Dutch Language, especially in IT, Health Care, etc. domains,
There was also a proposal to institute a Chair at University of Hyderabad for the promotion of Dutch Language and culture, and also exploring short term student, faculty exchanges to begin with.
Later, they visited the Centre for Foreign Languages, University of Hyderabad.