Centre for the Study of China and her Neighbourhood :-

Kolkata has had a long connection with China and its neighbourhood.  The city is well-equipped with a collection of books in Chinese language at the National Library.  Its Chinese community has run schools and newspapers in the past.  It has fine collections of Chinese art.  The trade and cultural connections with China are well-known and today, as a follow up to the Kunming Initiative, there is considerable interest in China in the city.  Since its inception, the University of Calcutta has developed programmes of study that deal with China and Chinese culture.  Its History and Political Science courses have traditionally had a close focus on China. The Centre uses the resources of the University and the city of Kolkata to act as a focus for interest in China, and its relations with its neighbourhood.  It is the first institution in India to deal with the energy hub of North East Asia (Russian Far East, Sakhalin).  It proposes to interact with the Chinese community of the city to develop study of the Chinese language and to take stock of the fate of the diaspora.  The Centre hopes to stimulate discussion concerning modern China and its neighbourhood in universities and colleges and improve understanding of China in the region.  It intends to interact with other Centres that specialise on the area in India and abroad. The Centre tries to create awareness of modern and contemporary China and its relations with its neighbourhood through the organisation of seminars and publications and maintenance of a website; to provide analyses of interest to the Government of India–especially concerning the energy resources and politics of the area with a focus on the compulsions on Sakhalin. Besides, it encourages research on Indian perception of China. The Chinese diaspora in India figures as an equally important concern.

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