Indians keen to learn about Tibetan culture

Lhasa, Oct 2 (PTI) Indians are among a large number of foreign students seeking admission in language and cultural courses in the prestigious Tibet University, which also houses a huge library storing centuries-old rare manuscripts written in Sanskrit. We are receiving a lot of applications from foreigners who want admission in various courses, Tseyang Changngopa, Vice President of Tibet University, told PTI here. Changngopa, who herself has been teaching in the university for the past 30 years, said the institute, which currently has 8,000 students, is receiving applications from Indians as well. Referring to one of the girl students from India who is learning Tibetan language in the university, Changngopa said she is a bright student who wants to further pursue her studies here. I also want to learn to cook Indian curry from Mendy (the Indian student here) which she had offered me once and I became a fan of it, she said. Currently, 30 foreigners from countries like India, US, Japan, Canada and Italy are studying in the university. They have picked up the Tibetan language fast and interact easily with the locals. They love the rich life on the campus, Changngopa said. Of the university's 8,000 students in its 13 colleges, 5,000 are studying on its new sprawling campus in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, she said. Among the popular courses are those on traditional Tibetan culture, language and history. Science and Technology is another course in which the number of enrolments has witnessed a remarkable rise, Changngopa said. She said more and more local students are also taking a keen interest in learning English language as demand for interpreters is rising in Tibet and mainland China. The new campus of the university also boasts a wide range of facilities like a huge library that houses 70,000 books. There are also rare original scriptures stored carefully in glass shelves. Many of the centuries-old scriptures and manuscripts are preserved in the library. Most of these are written in Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tse Wang Lang Jie, who teaches documentation, said. We have a close connection with India. When I teach my students, I often mention about Indian culture and Buddhism of India, he said.