KARACHI, Aug 16: Japanese students, who have been coming here for the past 20 years, will not come to Karachi University this year because the university has not informed them about arrangements for their study tour and participation in cultural events.

Sources told Dawn that the University of Karachi had an agreement with Daito Bunka University, Japan, under which students from the latter spent their summer vacations in Karachi, learning the Urdu language and becoming acquainted with Pakistani culture and literature.

“It is a 20-year-long practice. The Japanese students, who study Urdu language and Pakistan Studies in their university, come here, brush up their language skills and take part in literary and cultural events. It is a shame that the University of Karachi failed to inform the students about arrangements for this year’s study tour, leaving them with no option but to cancel their trip,” they said.

The sources said that the Japanese students who availed themselves of this opportunity to become familiar with Urdu and Pakistani culture did more to project Pakistan in their country than Pakistani diplomats stationed in Japan.

They recalled that in the past the visiting students had encountered problems during their stay in Karachi.

Former chairman of the Karachi University’s Urdu department Dr Moinuddin Aqeel, who has been supervising the activities of visiting Japanese students for years, told Dawn that he had written a letter to the vice chancellor, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqi, informing him about the decision of Daito Bunka University to discontinue the practice of sending their students. He added that the vice chancellor did nothing to promptly make arrangements for the Japanese students’ study tour and stay in Karachi.

The vice chancellor of Karachi University, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqi, was not available for comment.