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In an effort to boost educational and scholarly engagement between India and Australia, an agreement has been signed between the ICCR and University of Melbourne for establishing a new visiting chair in Indian Studies here.
The memorandum of understanding, which was signed by Indian High Commissioner Biren Nanda on behalf of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations here yesterday, will formalise one of five ICCR visiting chairs to be established in Australia.
The initiative is in line with the announcement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in October which coincided with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s official visit to India.
The new visiting chair will be housed in the Australia India Institute, based at the University of Melbourne.
The agreement lays down a framework under which visiting Indian professors will teach subjects in their areas of expertise for a period of one semester each or for longer durations by agreement.
ICCR will meet the cost of the visiting scholar’s airfares, salary and allowances whereas the University of Melbourne will provide accommodation, office support and space, and a modest honorarium and may by agreement fund other research, travel and development activities of the Chair.
The visiting professors will also deliver at least one ‘ICCR Lecture on India’ during their stay.
The rotating ICCR Chair is in addition to the permanent Chair in Indian Studies at the University of Melbourne funded by the Victorian Government.
The inaugural permanent Chair will commence from May 1.
The Australia India Institute (AII) is also negotiating with the Indian Ministry of Culture to establish a Tagore Centre, envisaged as an important gateway for cultural and scholarly dialogue and exchanges between the two countries.
The visiting Professor, who must have a doctoral qualification and university teaching experience in a relevant discipline, will be chosen by the University from three candidates put forward by the ICCR.
Their teaching curriculum will be decided in consultation with the university, according to the AII statement.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous organisation of the Indian Government, involved in India’s external cultural relations through exchanges with other countries and their peoples.
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