Santiniketan, Feb. 19: A delegation from Yunnan University in China that visited Visva-Bharati recently has expressed interest in taking music and art teachers from the Santiniketan varsity to teach in the neighbouring country

Officials said members of the Chinese delegation were impressed by the way music and art are taught in Visva-Bharati's Sangeet and Kala Bhavanas. The Chinese officials will submit a report to the authorities at Yunnan University recommending the names of teachers, the officials said.

The officials said Visva-Bharati, too, was interested in sending its teachers to China to spread Rabindranath Tagore's music and culture in the country the poet visited in 1924.

Swapan Kumar Datta, the officiating vice-chancellor of Visva-Bharati, said: "It is our dream to spread Tagore's music and culture abroad. The team from Yunnan University is also interested in extending the bond beyond Cheena Bhavana (the Chinese department at Visva-Bharati) . We will definitely send our music and art teachers to China."

Visva-Bharati and Yunnan University had in 2012 signed an agreement for an education exchange programme.

A team of 30 students and officials led by a deputy director of the Yunnan University, Shen Bin, had come to Visva-Bharati on February 15 and stayed on the campus till today.

The Chinese delegation visited several departments, including the Rabindra Bhavana museum, Sangeet Bhavana (music school) and Kala Bhavana (art school).

"The entire team has come for the first time to Visva-Bharati. We also have an art and music school in Yunnan. We are really overwhelmed after listening to the music at Sangeet Bhavana and seeing the art at Kala Bhavana. We want to incorporate Tagore's music and art in our university," Shen Bin said on Saturday evening.

Tagore had travelled to China in 1924 and decided to set up a centre for Chinese studies at Visva Bharati after returning from there.

The Cheena Bhavana, which offers undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in Chinese, was set up in 1937 with an aim to promote cultural bonding between the two neighbouring countries.

Wang Jingyu, an official of Yunnan University who was with the delegation, said: "It will be our pleasure if we can include Tagore's songs, music and art in our university. We also have music and art schools in Yunnan University . We have great respect for Tagore."

Abhijit Banerjee, the head of Cheena Bhavana, said: "We showed them the art work at Kala Bhavana and they also listened to Rabindra Sangeet at Sangeet Bhavana. It would be an achievement if Yunnan University students learn Tagore's music and songs."

Officiating VC Datta said: "I have also visited Yunnan University. We will also want to bring teachers of music and art from Yunnan University to enrich our students."