Twelve employees of South Korea’s tech giant Samsung will travel to Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) in August to receive training in Hindi language and Indian culture, as part of the expanded Samsung Global Experts programme. This development follows the successful 12-day official visit of CUJ Vice Chancellor Prof Kshiti Bhusan Das to South Korea and Japan, where he signed four MoUs with major universities.

The language and culture training will be conducted at CUJ under a renewed agreement with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The MoU, extended till 2030, now includes new provisions for joint academic programmes in management, computer science and social sciences. The initiative, according to university officials, aims to create deeper cross-cultural understanding and to prepare Korean professionals for long-term engagement with India.

Advertisement

During the visit, Prof Das held detailed discussions with the heads of Hankuk University, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Kwangwoon University, and Dongguk University. The engagements culminated in formal agreements covering a wide range of collaborative activities including student exchange, joint research, industrial internships, and dual programmes.

The partnership with Busan University of Foreign Studies, originally signed last year, will now be taken forward through internship support and joint academic programmes in mass communication, management and social sciences. With Kwangwoon University, academic collaboration will begin shortly in civil engineering, computer science and mass communication. Dongguk University also expressed interest in initiating academic exchange programmes with CUJ.

In addition to signing the MoUs, Prof Das delivered special lectures at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Busan University of Foreign Studies, and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. In his addresses, he highlighted India’s rising economic and academic profile and underscored the significance of the Indian Knowledge System in creating a more harmonious global society. He spoke about India’s ancient contributions in philosophy, mathematics, Ayurveda, language sciences, and its emphasis on values-led education.

He called upon Korean and Japanese students to explore India’s academic institutions for higher studies and to become part of a deeper people-to-people engagement across Asia. “India’s growing economic stature signals immense opportunities for foreign students. A developing state like Jharkhand can greatly benefit from such partnerships,” he said.

Responding to a student query regarding India-Pakistan relations during a lecture, Prof Das clarified that India does not seek war but is determined to counter terrorism. “This is not a conflict between two countries, but a fight against terrorism and those who sponsor it,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor also met Indian professionals working in Korea, including a group led by Dr Nagendra Kaushik. As part of his cultural outreach, he distributed certificates to seven students of Hankuk University for their performance in a Hindi speech competition.

CUJ’s push for internationalisation reflects a broader trend among Indian universities to seek deeper collaboration with Asian institutions. Prof Das remarked that by engaging with culturally rich and academically advanced countries like South Korea and Japan, Indian universities can help shape a more interconnected and value-based global education system.