Shillong: The North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) has proposed the establishment of an umbrella centre at its Shillong campus, to be known as the ‘Centre for Indo–Thai Collaboration’, to serve as a common platform for promoting and coordinating academic and research partnerships between NEHU and Thai universities.“The proposed Centre would encompass diverse fields of study and research and facilitate collaborative programmes, student and academic exchanges, joint research and other institutional initiatives,” said Prof. S K Barik, vice-chancellor-in-charge, NEHU, during the recent visit of a delegation of Thai academics, led by Urasa Mongkolnavin, director-general, department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, ministry of foreign affairs, Thailand.Prof. Barik highlighted the importance of strengthening India–Thailand academic relations and expressed NEHU’s interest in developing “meaningful and sustained partnerships” with Thai universities.Urasa Mongkolnavin emphasised that Govt of Thailand envisages the visit not as a one-time engagement but as the “beginning of a long-term academic association and cooperation” between institutions in Thailand and NEHU.She highlighted the importance of promoting the exchange of ideas, joint research projects, faculty and scholar exchanges, and student mobility. Formal MoUs between Nehu and Thai universities could provide an institutional framework for sustained cooperation and jointly implemented academic and research activities.Mongkolnavin also pointed out that one of the Thai academic delegates is a NEHU alumnus, who completed his PhD in the Department of Hindi and continues to serve as an important academic link between Thailand and the University.Representatives from Thammasat University – India Studies Center, Prince of Songkla University and Ubon Ratchathani University presented their respective academic programmes, faculties, research centres and areas of international engagement. They outlined opportunities for cooperation in multidisciplinary areas and discussed possibilities for student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, academic programmes and scholarship opportunities for Indian students.The visiting delegation also shared a proposed two-year action plan for establishing Thai Studies Centres in Assam and Meghalaya to ensure the sustainability of Thai–India academic cooperation.The discussions underscored the multidisciplinary nature of the proposed partnership, with potential areas of cooperation ranging from science and technology to medicine and healthcare, traditional medicine, socio-economic studies, cultural studies and other fields.
