Göttingen, January 26
To commemorate 60 years of the Indian Republic, the President of the University of Göttingen, Prof. Kurt von Figura cordially welcomed the community of Indian scholars in Göttingen to brainstorm on forthcoming academic and cultural exchange projects between the University and India. The meeting was organised at the Oeconomicum Building in the main University campus and was presided over by Prof. von Figura. Other distinguished members included Mr. Bernd Hackstette, Head of the Alumni Office, Ms. Susanne Romanowski, Head of the Welcome Centre, Dr. Ramesh Ahuja, Head of the India Office, Dr. Bhaskar Bandarapu, President of Nirmiti and Dr. Bernd Ebeling, Head of Media Relations and Marketing.
The President Prof. von Figura officially inaugurated the meeting with an introductory presentation on the established exchange programs between the University and India. These included the establishment of a liaison office for Indians immigrating to Göttingen and students of the University interested in travelling to India. 
Dr. Ramesh Ahuja has been appointed the head of the office to coordinate its activities. The President emphasised the initiation of academic programs aimed at India such as Indian Sociology and Indian Economics. The University has also set up a Centre for Modern Indian Studies (CeMIS) to be formally inaugurated in November 2010. The University has appointed Dr. Ravi Ahuja as a Professor of Modern Indian History at CeMIS and further recruitments are underway to expand its faculty. The President spoke on the University’s endeavour to strengthen ties with India by setting up a dynamic platform for academic and cultural exchange. He extended his support in creating a “network of Göttingen scientists” and mentioned that the recently formed Nirmiti is a firm step in this direction. To conclude, the President conveyed his best wishes to all Indians on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Republic Day.
Dr. Ramesh Ahuja then spoke on the activities of the India Office. This liaison office has been established by the University to facilitate exchange of students and scholars with India. The initial activities like exchange conferences were held at the University of Pune which functions as a partner in this mission. The office aims at promoting and coordinating mutual activities between Göttingen and India that will benefit both the parties. Dr. Ahuja affirmed that the Office plans to extend its activities to other universities in India in the near future.
The Head of the Göttingen Alumni Office, Mr. Bernd Hackstette, introduced the design and organisation of the Alumni. The Alumni Office, now 7 years of age, aims at maintaining international dialogue among former students and researchers of the University. This daunting task is accomplished by initiatives such as the Annual International Homecoming that consisted of Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder in 2008. The next homecoming is scheduled for autumn 2010 and aims at inviting recent Nobel Laureates from Germany. The Alumni Office also organises seminars of inter-cultural communication for its German members. Other privileges include an Alumni Card that allows members easy access to the cafeterias and library facilities during their visits to Göttingen. Mr. Hackstette also informed us of alumni activities in Asia notably the recent Göttingen Alumni meet in Seoul, South Korea. He also expressed his appreciation for the recently formed Association of Indians in Göttingen, Nirmiti, and reiterated the importance of such associations in strengthening the alumni network.
A befitting conclusion to the evening was the presentation by Dr. Bhaskar Bandarapu, President of Nirmiti. In his vibrant talk, Dr. Bandarapu emphasised the size and diversity of the Indian community in Göttingen that has been socially and culturally active in the recent years. Occasions like Diwali, Holi and the hallmark 60th anniversary of the Indian Independence have been celebrated with great enthusiasm and splendour. 
To hoist such activities and further initiatives on a common platform, the Indian students in Göttingen have founded Nirmiti that is aimed at coordinating academic and cultural events at an international level here in Göttingen. Dr. Bandarapu presented the official website of the Association featuring its newly designed logo, news column and other fascinating features to be activated soon. The website will also serve as a communication portal for bi-directional exchange of students and scholars between Göttingen and India. Nirmiti will soon host a blog for open interaction, coordinate inter-cultural events and career-related seminars and also participate in the “India Week” to be organised by the University later this year. Finally, Dr. Bandarapu introduced the Core Committee of Nirmiti consisting of Ms. Nivethida Thirugnanasambandam as the General Secretary, Mr. Raghavendran Lakshmi Narayanan as the Treasurer and Mr. Rahul Putty as the Cultural Secretary.
The meeting was well received by the audience and incited exuberant discussions among the members over light refreshments and beverages subsequently.
Mr.N. Govindarajan is a PhD student at the European Neuroscience Institute in Goettingen. He has been living in Goettingen since 2004.
