Indian Embassy in Seoul to move Korean Govt to check Busan University from dropping Hindi courses
SEOUL: A day after Asian Community News (ACN) published a story “Korean University to drastically shrink Hindi language curriculum from next session”, the Indian Embassy in Seoul decided to take up the matter with the Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK).
Sripriya Ranganathan, Indian Ambassador in Seoul disclosed this during a virtual interaction with the Hindi language faculty and students of the Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS), which has decided to drastically reduce Hindi language courses from the upcoming spring session in 2021almost near to closure.
This private university’s decision has caused widespread resentment amongst not only the Indian community but also the Korean students pursuing careers in Hindi language teaching and other related studies in South Korea, India, and other parts of the world.
A Korea-based Indian national has launched an online petition to garner support against the BUFS move.
Others who accompanied the Indian ambassador in the hour-long virtual meeting were Surinder Bhagat, Deputy Chief of Mission, and Dr. Sonu Trivedi, Director, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Indian Embassy in Seoul.
“The Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan informed us that the Embassy was contemplating to take up the matter of BUFS with the concerned Korean ministry if the faculty at this university did not have any reservations on it. We replied in affirmative saying it would be a good move by the Indian Embassy,” said Vijay Kumar Yadav, Assistant Professor, Hindi, Indian Language and Culture Studies, Department of Indian Studies, Busan University of Foreign Studies, Busan, South Korea.
Yadav along with Assistant Professor Srijan Kumar, Assistant Professor Son Yeon Woo, Head, Hindi department, BUFS as well as some Korean students pursuing Hindi language further up to Masters and Ph. D. was present in the virtual meeting with the Ambassador on Thursday.
Yadav said that the BUFS faculty and the students expressed apprehension during the interaction with the Indian embassy officials that the reduction in the Hindi language courses by BUFS might set a wrong trend in Korea and another private university HUFA might follow the suit and drip Hindi courses from its curriculum.
According to highly placed sources, the top management at the BUFS is all set to announce the closure of Hindi courses on December 28, and it was putting pressure on Assistant Professor Son Yeon Woo, Head, Hindi department to offer her consent and sign on the restructured curriculum. Son Yeon Woo has stayed away from giving her consent on the issue.
Son Yeon Woo did M. A. as well as Ph. D in Hindi language from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),
Indian national kicks off an online petition
Kislay Kumar, who launched the online petition said, “While you sign the petition (http://chng.it/xXdm8L8v), I would urge you to kindly bear in mind that this not just a petition to reinstate Hindi in BUFS but this is a movement with a bigger goal to establish and strengthen the position and respect of India in Korea. I have also mentioned in the petition that it’s time, other Indian languages like Bengali, Tamil, etc. also be introduced in South Korean University. With increasing Korean investment in India, it is pertinent that the Korean Youths understand India better than they have been doing so far.”
