Monday, December 8, 2008

First Catholic University in India Opens

Although this piece is from the same portion of the world as the last post, it is about a vastly different subject and source.
From the Indian Catholic Newspaper:

The Don Bosco University, India’s first Catholic university, was opened by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday at a prayerful function in Guwahati. "Let all involved in the project be filled with the spirit of Don Bosco and the mission of empowering youth with necessary skills and knowledge," wished Gogoi while opening the university.

Archbishop Thomas Menamparmbil of Guwahati released the DBU Brochure and presented it to the Chief Minister. Salesians are known for their schools and colleges in north east India and have set up the region’s first college, St. Antony’s college, in Shillong in 1934.

The college is also the world’s first university college Salesians have opened. The Salesians now have 27 colleges and over one hundred Technical Schools.

Hundreds of Salesian centers serve people across the country [of India] helping people for non formal courses, agricultural development, literacy and to shelter for street children. The newly opened university plans to link and upgrade Salesian educational facilities with its government approved and nationally recognized system.

“This is the first catholic university in India. The project has been sanctioned by the Rector Major and his Council. The Government of India has welcomed the move to set up a Catholic University in India. The Ecclesiastical authorities in India have been very positive in their attitude to the setting up of a Catholic University in India,” said a Salesian web site.

While the Chancellor-designate of the new University, Fr. Joe Almeida welcomed the guests, Fr. Stephen Mavely, the Vice Chancellor, gave a short account of the evolution of the dream of a University. K. Sudha Rao, former vice chancellor of Karnataka State Open University, in the key note address stressed the need of a University in the cultural context of the North East.

No comments: