CHANDIGARH: The Office of the Dean International Students celebrated the International Students Day at a dinner held in the Garden of Memories, Panjab University.

Overseas students from more than a dozen nationalities along in their traditional dresses collected this evening to interact with each other and with the faculty of the Punjab University over a formal dinner. The evening was more in the nature of exchange of ideas and a dialogue. 

M. M. Sharma, Deputy Director, Indian Council of Cultural Research was the Guest of Honour.

The Chief Guest , Professor S. K. Kulkarni, Dean University Instructions emphasized that the university is taking all necessary steps to achieve a close working relationship with other universities in order to cooperate on exchange programs and the cross-cultural experience will provided the people of this region with an opportunity to lay the groundwork for regional cooperation in working towards excellence in the academia and other walks of life.

Professor Shelley Walia, Dean International Students emphasized that such cultural functions bring together students of various countries and facilitate international understanding.

Drawing attention to today’s world of globalization and knowledge, Professor Walia said that the university is fast making strides in upholding the proud academic traditions as well as boldly forging ahead the innovative experiments which are vital for the university to stay at the forefront of the academic world.

The university, he added, was fast striving towards renewing links with universities around the world and improving the infrastructure which is essential for the enhancement of overseas students joining the university.

Drawing attention to the need to counter the self-insulation of academic institutions from the larger and more diverse political and cultural realities of our time, he said, ‘Universities renew themselves only if they contain people for whom intellectual freedom matters and academics look at the real needs of our times.’

It is very important to have an international character for a university and the Punjab University is endeavouring to create an environment of excellence that would cater to all academic needs of students in the sub-continent, he said.