Ravenshaw to house a regional centre of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
Following is an excerpt from a report in expressbuzz.com.
… The only unit of the pioneering institution of cultural diplomacy, furthering revival and strengthening of cultural relations and understanding between India and other countries, in Orissa would open up a sea of opportunities for the artists and performers of the State.
The regional centre would undertake all activities of ICCR at the local level and extend the benefits from providing assistance to the artists to scholarships to students for culture studies.
Vice-Chancellor Devdas Chotray said the centre would provide the much-needed handle for showcasing the art and culture of Orissa on the global platform.
Artists from here would be empanelled for the exchange programmes, exhibitions and performances abroad. Students would also be provided with scholarships to undertake culture studies abroad.
Meanwhile, the university has also applied to the University Grants Commission for starting an Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) to churn out audio-visual educational programmes for the benefit of the large number of students in remote regions of the State.
The possibility of the GoI nod is very high and with it Ravenshaw University would become the 18th EMRC in the country. The St. Xavier’s Autonomous College at Kolkata, which has over 22 years of experience in the field, would provide the technological knowhow and attune the infrastructure, faculty and students to the system.
The centre would be producing educational content meant to take knowledge and learning beyond classrooms, which would be telecast through EDUSAT. With approvals forthcoming, the facility would be up and coming by the year-end, the Vice-Chancellor said.
October 14th, 2008