Weeklong Exchange Programme with Thailand begins
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, October 16 2023:
The Act East Policy contains three important components, namely commerce, communication and culture.
When these three components are fulfilled, the Policy will be a success, said Manipur University of Culture (MUC) vice chancellor Prof Paonam Gunindro.
He made the statement at the inaugural function of a seven-day long University Exchange Programme, which is being organised jointly by MUC and Surindra Rajabhat University & Phranakhon Rajabhat, Thailand, at MUC campus, Palace Compound, here, on Monday.
Nine delegates from Thailand including four teachers and five students from Surindra Rajabhat University and Phanakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand led by University Council Thailand chairman Dr Tanom Intarakumnerd were warmly felicitated by MUC and honoured with gifts.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Gunindro informed that Dr Tanom Intarakumnerd, who is the chairman of 38 different universities in Thailand, is leading teachers and students from the southeast Asian country to learn Meetei pung (Traditional Meetei drum), as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Surindra Rajabhat University & Phranakhon Rajabhat Thailand and MUC on November 26 last year.
The MoU was signed to promote cultural exchange between Thailand and Manipur in addition to facilitating study and research between students and staff, art and culture programme collaboration, researches on performing arts and various cultural aspects, sharing art and cultural ideas between the academic and research community, and strengthening co-operation between the parties involved.
He informed that the delegates from Thailand will participate in the programme till October 22, and would mainly be learning about Meetei pung, which has a unique resonance sound not found in other drums across the globe.
The delegates will study the Meetei pung and undergo a preliminary training for seven days, following which they could undergo a three-month, sixmonth or a year-long training.
MUC's emphasis is on cultural studies, which is highly interesting to Thailand considering the similarity in language, culture and religious rituals.
Surindra Rajabhat University had previously conducted a comparative study of Manipur's Lai Haraoba festival till 2017.Studying all of these would help in making Manipur a cultural hub for South East Asian Studies, he added.