DELHI, February 24. /Dunyo IA/. For the first time, a delegation from the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan (UJMCU) participated in the international student festival La'Kermesse, which is held annually by the Management Education and Research Institute (MERI) Group of Institutions in the Indian capital, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

La'Kermesse is one of the major inter-university events in Delhi, bringing together students from the country’s leading universities. The festival aims to identify and support young talents and to develop students’ creative potential through competitions in various fields, including information technology, music, dance, theater and more.

The visit of the Uzbek delegation took place within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2025 between UJMCU and the MERI Group of Institutions. This agreement laid the foundation for a long-term partnership focused on academic exchange, joint research and cultural interaction.

UJMCU students were not only guests at the festival but also actively participated in its program. The highlight of their involvement was a vibrant musical performance, warmly received by the international audience. This performance became a genuine gift to their Indian peers and a symbol of cultural unity. According to Indian media coverage of the visit, Uzbek students quickly established rapport with local youth, taking part in joint workshops and academic sessions.

-  The visit of the group of Uzbek students is the first practical step in implementing our agreement, - noted Professor Lalit Aggarwal, Vice President of the MERI Group of Institutions. - In the near future, we plan to organize a series of lectures by leading Indian professors and instructors for UJMCU students. The topics will be highly relevant: the integration of advanced information technologies in media operations, artificial intelligence and machine learning in media, modern management and more.

The partnership between UJMCU and MERI will also develop across other important areas. The parties are discussing plans to publish joint scientific journals and collections of articles, conduct bilateral academic conferences, and organize regular exchanges of student and faculty delegations.

The visit of the UJMCU delegation to Delhi became a vivid demonstration of the dynamically growing cooperation between Uzbekistan and India in the field of education. In May 2025, the Uzbek - Indian Educational and Business Summit was held in Delhi, with active participation from the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan. The event confirmed the increasing interest in educational exchanges between the two countries.

A logical continuation of this process will be a reciprocal visit. It is expected that already in March of this year, a delegation from the leadership of the MERI Group of Institutions will visit Uzbekistan. During this trip, meetings are planned at UJMCU, allowing the parties to discuss the roadmap for further cooperation and the practical parameters of joint programs.

The visit of Uzbek students and their participation in La'Kermesse-2026 clearly demonstrates how educational diplomacy and cultural exchange bring together the younger generations of the two countries, opening new horizons for their professional and personal development.