ome 36 students, a majority of them from various branches of engineering, are confident that they would find employment in one of the Japanese firms that are likely to set up base at Andhra Pradesh’s new sunrise capital at Amravati.
For the last two months they have been learning Japanese language at the Japan Information Study Centre at the Department of Foreign Languages in Andhra University.
“We have picked up some basics, but by the time we pass out in the next five to six months we will be able to read, write and speak basic Japanese,” said Sree Pujitha, who is in her second year of Geo-Informatics at Andhra University.
“A lot of Japanese companies will be setting up bases in Amravati and by learning the language, we will have an edge over the others,” pointed out Sri Jyothsna, who is pursing third-year in Computer Science Engineering at AU Women’s College of Engineering.
But, according to I. Prasanth, who just completed his civil engineering for Chaitanya Engineering College and D. Amulya, an ECE student from Raghu Institute of Technology, learning Japanese is not an easy task. “It needs a lot of concentration and the script is highly calligraphic. A minor fault in the strokes can change the meaning,” said Amulya.
Acquiescing with the students, Akansha Savant, who teaches the language said, “It is one of the most difficult languages in the world. The script is basically divided into three parts – Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. While both Hiragana and Katakana has about 48 pictorial script, Kanji has about 2,500 pictorial script,” she said.
According to Ms. Akansha, the six-month diploma course focuses on basic understanding of the language and Japanese culture.
“Japanese language goes along with the culture, and after six months the students will be able to converse in basic Japanese. We are focusing on speaking, reading, listening and writing skills,” she informed The Hindu.
In-Charge of the Department of Foreign Language and Director of Japan Information Study Centre D.V.R Murthy said that the centre was set up in collaboration with Mitsubishi Corporation India Private Limited.
The Japanese firm has allocated Rs. 27 lakh from the CSR funds to the centre. Apart from Japanese, the department is also imparting diploma courses in French and German language. The certification will be from AU, said Prof. Murthy.
State-of-the-art centre
The Japanese centre at AU is a state-of-the-art one and it is second one to be sponsored by Mitsubishi after Delhi University in the entire country.
According to Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G.S.N. Raju, the formal inauguration of the centre is scheduled to take place on December 14 and Chairman and Managing Director of Mitsubishi Corporation India Private Limited Masakazu Sakakida and HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao have agreed to be present.
