By Manish Prasad
Siliguri, November 20, 2024: In the wake of India reclaiming its position as the leading source of international students in the US for 2023-24 academic year, University of North Bengal Siliguri organized a lecture on “Traversing the Terrain of Internationalisation of Education” by Salesian Fr. Prof. George Thadathil, former Principal of Salesian College Sonada and Siliguri, on Nov. 19.
The intellectually stimulating event attracted a diverse audience comprising 3 former vice chancellors, faculty, researchers, and students, providing profound insights into the challenges and opportunities inherent in globalized education.
In his keynote address, Fr. Prof. Thadathil eloquently explored the evolving dimensions of internationalisation in education delving into the opportunities arising from cross-cultural collaboration and global knowledge exchange.
He did not hesitate to caution against the potential risks of losing local identity and autonomy.
Thadathil’s thought-provoking reflections included the broader implications of global student mobility, such as the prominent erstwhile representation of Chinese students in the United States, and prompted critical introspection on whether countries like India are merely providers of raw intellectual resources in the global educational narrative.
“The opening up of our economy” Thadathil said, “has brought immense opportunities, but it also compels us to reflect on the broader dynamics of internationalization.”
Thadathil asserted, “This trend underscores the global development in internationalism that is actively shaping educational landscapes elsewhere.”
An accomplished scholar, Thadathil currently serves as the General Coordinator for the Global Salesian University Network based in Rome.
Thadathil has authored several notable works, including Communities and Identity Consciousness: South Indian Trajectories and Democracy in Darjeeling. He has edited several series of Salesian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences and was awarded the prestigious Silver Medal by the International Association of Facilitators in 2019.
Thank you Paul. You represent in the field of media dissemination of information what Prof Amiya Kumar Bagchi would say regarding research: “knowledge is to be trawled” and you would add “on time”. NBU our alma mater deserves much better in these times. I could see bright, eager and daring young faces looking at me during at the lecture. We have reason hope.