BIMSTEC proposes establishing mega-game event, universities to better connect people

Speaking at the meet, Jigme Nidup, Assistant Professor, Norbuling Rigter College, Royal University of Bhutan, said: "Cooperation and connectivity among neighboring member states is very important. Bhutan is a country that is more import driven than export. We must also look into the fact that connectivity of education, though BIMSTEC, will ensure success along neighboring regions."

"Bringing up BIMSTEC university is something we can think as a long-term plan. Recruiting professors, lectures from different neighboring countries will come as a big help and boost the initiative. This can help bring up a joint collaboration and research project between neighboring countries. We must involve youth in every aspect and not leave the behind. It will also help exchange data in academics and research. The most important aspect, I think, is being more liberal in the visa regime to increase people connectivity. This will lead to trade, fair, exhibition, conferences, workshops and seminars among the neighboring countries," he said.

Talking about Sport as Soft Power, Arindam Basu, Former Sports Journalist and Senior Faculty Sister Nivedita University, said: “The need of the hour was the formation of a common sports policy; regular sporting exchanges; holding each other develop sports; include sports as an important subject of nation building and create a new sporting frontier for the world to see—like a BIMSTEC Games.”

He said there are five reasons to sporticization of diplomacy.

“Sports are central to our hobbies in a modern society and is considered entertaining, enjoyable, peaceful yet passionate. Sports have become an instrument of identity for race and culture. Sports and modern politics are great subjects. A lot of times, they are mixed together for the reason of state, to serve a cause, good or bad. Finally, globalisation and the mass media have accelerated this influence of sports though the creation of global ambassadors,” he said.

George Cooke, Diplomatic Historian & Strategist Head of Awarelogue Initiative, Sri Lanka, said: "It is very important to bring integration among the neighboring states. Building awareness is important to this group forward. We also need to make people aware and know about BIMSTEC. We must also aim to include youth in the conclave of the organization in all key areas of BIMSTEC. Their voices need to be heard. Also, building a research network in BIMSTEC is important. We must also focus on building institutions and thinking tanks together for discussion. Networking connectivity across regions is very important and also people to people connectivity."

Narut Charoensri, Deputy Dean of Research Affairs, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, said that awareness and political knowledge was essential for BIMSTEC’s reach.

He said: “For the first time that I have to talk about people-to-people connectivity what could I contribute today's panel at that it turns out that we have already speaking to a promote education as the mechanism they stress importance. In order to increase the visibility and increase people to people connectivity we might encourage and enhance higher education and collaboration between universities and I really like the idea of the State University and in that case, we can actually learn from the experience of ASEAN of the regional higher education exchange that could be contributed to what we can do in strengthening in the university.  "

"We have many issues on how people have less knowledge or have less notions of BIMSTEC. The first question that came up on my mind when I have talk about people-to-people connectivity have the knowledge for the understanding of BIMSTEC in our society what is the existing number of studies in Thailand or South Asia as a whole. In order to understand the I started to look into the website of the ministry of foreign affairs. Why should we focus and promote the idea and knowledge on BIMSTEC in Thailand. And it turns out that from the information BIMSTEC has quite a great number from the ministry of foreign affairs," he said.