Korea govt donates 100 books, multimedia materials to Dhaka University
The Korean government has donated 100 books and multimedia materials on Korea and Korean language to the Korea Corner at the University of Dhaka.
South Korean Ambassador to Dhaka, Lee Jang-keun, handed over the materials during his visit to the university today.
He also met Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman and Library Director Nasir Uddin Munsi.
Both sides agreed to further promote collaborative activities between the South Korean embassy and Dhaka University based on the various successful cooperation programs they have accomplished during the past decades.
Congratulating the centenary anniversary of Dhaka University, Ambassador Lee proposed to work closely together for furthering ties between Korea and Bangladesh, in particular towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.
The Korea Corner was established at the university's Central Library in July 2013 to promote the academic interest in Korea and Korea-Bangladesh relations among the university students, faculty members and general public.
More than 1,000 books and audio-visual materials in Korean or English language have been donated to the library so far.
As the university reopens in the coming week after a long shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Korea Center expects to draw students again. New books added to the library today include Korean Literature Through the Korean Wave, Korea's Premier Collection of Classical Literature, Global Perspectives of Korean Literature, A Concise History of Modern Korea, Korea: A Very Short Introduction.
The University of Dhaka has also established Korean Language Centre under its Institute of Modern Language (IML) in 1997 offering Korean language classes. Around 150 students are enrolled in the Korean language course every academic year.
As K-pop, K-drama, K-movie and K-food are getting popular in Bangladesh, many young people and students are showing a growing interest in learning Korean language.
With the support of the Korean government through KOICA, Dhaka University is also establishing a Startup Center to promote startups and youth entrepreneurs among the Bangladesh youth. The centre is slated to open in 2024.