By IANS
Santiago : The University of Chile has presented Indian President Pratibha Patil an honorary doctorate, also awarded to Polish Nobel laureate Lech Walesa and renowned philosopher and writer Noam Chomsky.
Accepting the honour Tuesday on the last leg of her 12-day tour of Latin America, Patil invited Chilean universities, think tanks and academic centres to consider collaborations with their Indian counterparts.
“We need greater academic interaction in science and technology, in humanities, in engineering, in medicine, in ayurveda and knowledge sectors such as nano-technology, bio-technology and IT,” Patil said.
Patil also spoke about the importance of educating women. “From an early stage, mothers can deeply influence their children to develop respect for knowledge and learning,” she said.
Later in the day, speaking at a banquet held in honour of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Patil said both countries should give special emphasis to business investment.
“Some Indian companies are actively looking at opportunities in Chile. We hope that in coming years we will see more Chilean investment in India, especially in the infrastructure sector,” she said.
Patil, who has already visited Brazil and Mexico, said she has established a “close personal rapport and empathy” with leaders of the Latin American countries, “based on shared experiences and concerns and values”.