LEAD NEWS : BURDWAN UNIVERSITY, EASTERN INDIA’S OLDEST GOVERNMENT UNIVERSITY OFFERING TOURISM COURSES IS ALL SET TO INK MoU WITH JAPAN VARSITY SOON

BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY

KOLKATA, 22 FEBRUARY 2025:s

A high level team led by  the Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata, Mr. Nakagawa Kochi had visited Burdwan University  campus in Rajbati  in West Bengal a  few days ago and had a meeting for a possible tie up with the tourism department , which is  the oldest government institute offering MBA ( Tourism) courses in Eastern India.

Shortly the next  meeting will be held at Kolkata between the higher education minister of West Bengal , Bratya Basu, Consulate General of Japan in Kolkata,  Nakagawa Kochi  and the Burdwan University top brass and tourism department to finalise the agreement.

Professor  Mir Ahmed Safique, head of the department of department of Tourism  of Burdwan University has said that a high level team of the Japan Consulate General in Kolkata visited the Rajbati campus of Burdwan University and held a meeting.

Vice Chancellor of Burdwan University, Professor Sankar Kumar Nath, Registrar Dr. Arijit Chatterjee, Dean of Arts, Professor Pradip Chatterjee, HoD of Tourism, Professor Mir Ahmed Safique, Professor B. B Parida  etc were  also present in the meeting.

“ Several possibilities will be explored like exchange of faculties, joint collaborations, intellectual property rights, joint workshop and technology transfer etc between Burdwan University and the university of Japan.  In the next phase it will be finalized which University of Japan will ink an agreement and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Burdwan University,”added Professor Mir Ahmed Safique Safique.

Mr. Nakagawa Kochi, consul general of Japan in Kolkata has said that they are very excited  to  sign an agreement  with Burdwan University to explore the vast opportunities in the tourism sector between the two countries  and  have invited a delegation team of Burdwan
University  to visit Japan. India and Japan has a strong bilateral relationship.

This was the second meeting, the first meeting took place in Kolkata last year in which officials of Japan Airlines and Nippon Airlines were also present.

India is a Buddhist Tourism hub and every year several thousands of Japanese tourists visit these Buddhist destinations. At this juncture any Indo- Japan collaboration  related to tourism will immensely benefit both  these two countries. The Japan Consul General in Kolkata  has invited a delegation team of BU  to visit Nara, an archeological enriched site.

In West Bengal too there are popular destinations like Chandra Ketu Garh in  the 24 Parganas , Bera Champa in North 24 Parganas etc  and many other lesser known destinations in our state and also in North East India which can be further explored, BU tourism department
proposed.

Students from abroad, not only from West Bengal and other states of India study in the tourism department of Burdwan University.

The Tourism Department of Burdwan University has evinced interest for possible tie ups with United Nations Tourism Organisation ( formerly UNWTO), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),  Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) for training, placement, joint academic research  work and technology development.