Edinburgh Napier University inks cultural collaboration with Kolkata's Prabha Khaitan Foundation

The agreement was signed by Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, Trustee, Prabha Khaitan Foundation, and Mr Paul Holmes, Academic Lead, International, for overseas partnerships for School of Arts and Creative Industries.

Eminent Kolkatans, like Tanusree Shankar, Usha Uthup, Dona Ganguly, Goutam De (Director ICCR), Gouri Basu (Director of Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre or EZCC), Malika Varma, Nandita Palchoudhuri, Nilisha Agarwal and others were present on the occasion.

Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, which has 19,500 students from 140 countries on its rolls, is named after renowned mathematician and philosopher John Napier.

"We understand that literature and performing arts should travel side by side and as we have already spread our literary activities overseas, this memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Edinburgh Napier University is a step forward for performing arts and cultural exchange between two great cultural cities of Kolkata and Edinburgh" said Mr Sundeep Bhutoria.

Directors of ICCR and EZCC Goutam De and Gouri Basu respectively along with others assured their support.

As per the agreement, the two institutions would explore possible collaborations and partnerships to promote performing arts and literature in India and Scotland.

"We are looking forward to welcoming many Indian artists from the city and from India to come and perform and teach with us in Edinburgh. We are looking forward to sending our artists and performers from Edinburgh to come and do an exchange here in India," said Mr Paul Holmes, Academic Lead, International for overseas partnerships for School of Arts and Creative Industries.

"Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland was declared the world's first UNESCO City of Literature in 2004, the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust can help guide Kolkata achieve this unique UNESCO status," Mr Bhutoria said.

This is the outcome from the trip to the UK in September where the PKF (Prabha Khaitan Foundation) team met with Universities and NRI organisations there to explore possible collaborations and partnerships to spread the activities of the Foundation in the UK.