site.btaConference Marks 40 Years of Sofia University's Indian Studies Programme

The 40th anniversary of the launch of the Indian Studies Programme at Sofia University is being commemorated with a three-day national conference titled "Talking India: Traditions, Approaches and Directions", which began on Monday, the university's press service reported.

Guests from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Hungary, India, Norway, Poland and Russia, and people who finished Sofia University's Indian Studies Programme and now teach at universities in Germany, Canada and the United States, among other countries, are taking part in the conference. Prof. Knut A. Jacobsen, a Norwegian scholar of the religions and the philosophical systems of India, is an honorary guest.

Prof. Milena Bratoeva, PhD, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Classical and New Philologies, said at the opening of the event: "For 40 years now, we the teaching staff, the doctoral candidates and the students working under the programme have been writing our story about India, its millennial, multicultural tradition, its variety of languages, literatures, philosophical teachings, religions and customs, and its impressive contemporary achievements in the economy, science and information technology." Bratoeva added that, in a way, it is also a story about the history of Indian studies in Bulgaria.

Greeting the participants in the conference, Indian Ambassador to Bulgaria Sanjay Rana said that much useful work has been accomplished since Sofia University launched its Indian Studies Programme in 1983. He said Sofia University has become one of the leading centres of Indian studies in Europe. The programme has provided training to many diplomats, researchers and other people who have worked to bring India and Bulgaria closer together. "India is complex and ever changing, and exploring it is a major challenge," the diplomat said.