St. Stephen’s College is offering a twenty one days course on “An Introduction to Indian Culture” to a group of seven students from Soka University, Japan as part of the St. Stephen’s College—Soka University Academic Partnership Programme 2017.

Prof. John Varghese, the Principal welcomed the students and their coordinators Prof. Mukesh Williams and Prof. Matsushima on 23 February 2017 in his office. Thereafter, Dr. Renish Geevarghese Abraham, the Bursar and Coordinator, Soka University—St. Stephen’s Academic Partnership Programme gave an introduction to the course. The course encompasses various aspects of the Indian culture administered by the following faculty members:

• Language Acquisition through Media: Prof. John Varghese
• Representing India: Dr Rohit Wanchoo.
• Democracy and Regionalism, Negotiating Des Pardes : Dr. Ashley N P
• Indian architecture: Ms. Taiyaba Munawer
• Indian Writing in English, Vernacular Literature, Dynamics of Religion: Ms Wafa Hamid
• Indian Politics: Ms Garima Dhabai

The visiting students will also interact with the students of St. Stephen’s College to generate collaborative research papers. Within a short time the visiting students have become part of the Stephanian community and some of them expressed their wish to come back to pursue their undergraduate studies here. The course will end on 15 March 2017 and the students will be awarded certificates of merit on the basis of their overall performance.