Strengthening Scientific and Cultural Ties in Pune
Date: May 17 2024
On Friday, May 17, 2024, His Excellency Mr. Dr. Rezaei Eskandari, Acting Consul General of the the Islamic Republic of Iran to Mumbai, along with members of the Consulate General, embarked on a visit to Pune. The visit aimed to foster scientific and cultural interactions between Iran and India, reflecting the deep-rooted connections between the two nations.
Visit to Pune University
Dr. Rezaei's first stop was Pune University, where he met with Dr. Vijay Khare, the director of the international center of the university. During their discussion, Dr. Khare highlighted the university's long history and its prestigious A+ grade from the NAAC center. He emphasized Pune University's top ranking in international student affairs and showcased the university's facilities, including the conference room, multimedia center, and separate dormitories for men and women.
Dr. Khare pointed out the significant number of Iranian graduates from Pune University. He noted that while the number of Iranian students once reached 6,000 to 7,000, various factors, including increased exchange rates, have led to a decline. Currently, there are 7 Iranian students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees, and 6 at the doctoral level, along with 15 students enrolled in the English language course for the academic year 2023-24. He also mentioned Iran's 28th rank in the list of foreign students at the university over the past five years, with Afghanistan leading with 46,805 students.
Dr. Rezaei expressed the importance of Pune city among Iranian scientific and cultural communities and highlighted the past presence of nearly 14,000 Iranian students in India. He expressed hope for increasing Iranian student enrollment and discussed the potential for signing scientific and cultural MOUs between Pune University and Iranian institutions.
Meeting with University Leadership
Following his discussion with Dr. Khare, Dr. Rezaei met with Dr. Suresh Gosavi, Vice Chancellor, and Dr. Parag Kalkar, Pro-vice Chancellor of Pune University. The Vice Chancellor praised Iranian students for their hard work, honesty, and good performance, emphasizing the significant drop in Iranian student numbers due to financial challenges. Dr. Rezaei thanked the university authorities and raised issues such as the lengthy process for student document approval, the need for dormitories for married students, and the potential for Iranian students to benefit from ICCR scholarships and university-specific grants.
Interactive Session with Students
Dr. Rezaei also participated in an interactive session with students from Iran, Nepal, Sudan, South Sudan, Comoros Islands, and South Korea. The students discussed various issues, including financial difficulties, challenges in opening bank accounts due to sanctions, high tuition fees, visa renewal problems, and unfavorable treatment in immigration offices. Dr. Rezaei assured the students of the Consulate General's support and commitment to addressing these issues and enhancing communication and support.
Visit to Deccan University
In the afternoon, Dr. Rezaei and his colleagues visited the Archeology Center of Deccan College, where they met with Dr. Pramod Kumar Pandey, Vice Chancellor, and Mrs. Sonal Kulkarni, Head of the Linguistics Department. Dr. Pandey spoke about past interactions with Iranian scientific institutions, joint projects in linguistics and archeology, and the presence of Iranian students. Dr. Rezaei highlighted the linguistic similarities between Persian, Indian, Marathi, and Sanskrit languages and discussed potential cooperation projects, such as sending archaeology and history groups to Iran. Mrs. Kulkarni proposed establishing a Persian language chair at the faculty, to which Dr. Rezaei responded positively, indicating potential support for this initiative.