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Dr. B. Lotz M. Thiel

Promoting India at Würzburg

„Würzburg Centre for Modern India - CMI Wuerzburg” Inauguration and activities during the “European-Indian Alumni Week”

at the University of Würzburg, 01.- 08.07. 2011 On July 1st, 2011, the „Würzburg Centre for Modern India“ (CMI Wuerzburg) and the “European-Indian Alumni Week” at the University of Würzburg, both sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD, were formally inaugurated with an opening ceremony, held in the Auditorium Maximum of the University of Würzburg. The event was organized jointly by the CMI Würzburg, the Alumni Office and the University of Würzburg Graduate Schools (UWGS).

The main organizers and the moderators of the ceremony were Dr. Barbara Lotz (Coordinator CMI Wuerzburg) and Michaela Thiel (Head Alumni Office). Both welcomed the honorary guests and the audience. The ceremony then started with the traditional “Lighting of the Lamp” by the Hon. Consul General of India at Munich, Mr. A. K. Mudgal, the Lord Mayor of the City of Würzburg, Mr. G. Rosenthal, and further dignitaries.

“Lighting of the Lamp”, A.K. Mudgal, G. Rosenthal

Audience expecting the start of the ceremony

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Welcome addresses were given by Prof. Dr. Eckhard Pache (Vice-President, University of Würzburg), Georg Rosenthal (Alumnus of the University of Würzburg & Lord Mayor of the City of Würzburg), the Honorable Consul General of India, Anup K. Mudgal, followed by Dr. Klaus Birk (Director Asia-Pacific, DAAD), Dr. Anja Weisgerber (Alumna of the University of Würzburg and Member of the European Parliament), and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Lehmann (Chairman of the Board of Directors “BayInd” and President of the University of Applied Sciences Hof).

Afterwards, the Vice-President for International Relations of the University of Würzburg, Prof. Dr. Eckhard Pache, gave an overview of the activities of the alumni network.

Prof. Dr. Heidrun Brückner, Chairholder of Indology, then gave an introduction into the history of Indology at the University of Würzburg and the new “Würzburg Centre for Modern India – CMI Würzburg”. The CMI Würzburg is one of only three of such centres which have recently been founded in Germany and which are financed by the German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD. The following slide from Prof. Brückner´s introduction gives more information.

From left to right: Prof. Dr. J. Lehmann, Prof. Dr. H. Brückner, G. Rosenthal, A.K. Mudgal, Dr. A. Weisgerber, Prof. Dr. E. Pache Dr. K. Birk

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of traditional Indian music and songs by Aruna Bhat, member of the Würzburg branch of the German-Indian Society

Audience, expecting the start of the ceremony

www.indienzentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de

http://www.indienzentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de/

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From top left to bottom: › Priyadarshini Panjwani and

Reenaben Rathod dancing; › Dr. B. Lotz (CMI) and Dr. S.

Schröder-Köhne (Graduate Schools) with presents for the dancers;

› Dr. A. Bhat performing; › Prof. Dr. J. Kreft handing over a

memento to the Hon. Consul General of India, Mr. A.K. Mudgal;

› Bottom two rows: impressions from the reception at the main hall

The event was accompanied by classical Indian dances, performed by two Indian research students of the Graduate Schools of Life Sciences (GSLS) and by the presentation of traditional Indian music and songs by Dr. Aruna Bhat, member of the Würzburg branch of the German-Indian Society. Before the evening ended with a reception in the hall of the main building of the university, small mementos were handed over to the honorary guests:

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The CMI Wuerzburg contributed significantly to the first “European-Indian Alumni Week”, mainly organized by the alumni office of the university and sponsored by the DAAD.

› On 2nd July a workshop “Governance: Universal challenges, local solutions” was commonly organized by the UW Graduate School Law, Economics & Society and the CMI Wuerzburg. Scientific presentations were given by Prof. Dr. Ralf Brinktrine (University of Würzburg law school), Prof. Dr. Valerian Rodrigues and Prof. Dr. Amithab Kundu (both from the Jawararhal Nehru University, New Delhi). The Indian speakers had been invited to the university as guest professors of the CMI Wuerzburg in a DAAD-sponsored programme which started in Oct. 2010 and will be continued in future.

› “Europe and India – Historical and Contemporary Conceptions” was the topic of

presentations given on 4th July. Prof. Dr. Heidrun Brückner (Indology) gave an introductory talk about “European Perceptions of India in a Historical Perspective”. Then a team of students of Indology, supervised by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Schömbucher-Kusterer (Indology), presented its work on “Incredible India – the Adventure of Intercultural Experience”.

Prof. Dr. H. Brückner Student´s presentation

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Dr. Werner (center), lecture room of the Graduate Schools

Above: Indian and European alumni; Information desk “A new Passage to India” (L. Reuter, S. Merkle) Left: Dr: Lotz talking about Bollywood

Prof. N. Klaes, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. F. X. D´Sa, Prof. Dr. H.-G. Ziebertz (left to right)

› In the evening of the same day a round table “Dialogue of Religions” took place in the “Toscana Hall” of the former prince-bishop’s Residence. Speakers were the eminent religion scientist Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Francis X. D´Sa (Pune, India), Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Georg Ziebertz and Prof. Norbert Klaes (both University of Würzburg).

› The activities of the Bavarian-Indian Centre for Business and University Cooperation (BayIND, www.bayind.de), with its office in Hof, were explained on 5th July by its managing director Dr. Daniel Werner. Prof. Brückner, Indology, serves as a member of the board of directors of BayInd.

› A relaxed atmosphere, with snacks, music and interesting visits to points of interest of the botanical garden was provided during the “International Evening” on 6th July, organized by the “International Office” of the University of Würzburg. Advanced students of Indology informed about the DAAD stipend programme “A New Passage to India” (http://tinyurl.com/india-go).

› Finally, on 7th July, Dr. Rainer Lotz gave a talk on “The Language of Bollywood”. Bollywood movies are known for transmitting, but also generating, contemporary popular culture in India. The talk of Dr. R. Lotz was illustrated by samples from movies and extracts of interviews with Indian experts, including the late Prof. Halemane (Mysore). Prof. Halemane used to teach Kannada as a guest professor in Würzburg and was supposed to attend the European-Indian alumni week, but sadly died shortly before the event.

For more information on the event and the alumni week see: http://www.alumni.uni-wuerzburg.de/berichte_und_bilder_alumni_veranstaltungen/

http://www.bayind.de/http://tinyurl.com/india-gohttp://tinyurl.com/india-gohttp://www.alumni.uni-wuerzburg.de/berichte_und_bilder_alumni_veranstaltungen/