KARACHI: The National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) announced at a press conference on Friday a cultural partnership initiative started and funded by the National Theatre of Korea, which was set to launch an exchange programme for students from both countries.

Napa`s music graduate Nadir Abbas has been selected under the programme for a five-month course that is to provide him with the opportunity to learn about the music and cultural traditions of Korea. He will join and interact with musicians from around 20 countries.Napa director Arshad Mehmood emphasised the significance of the endeavour which, he said, would benefit both countries.

According to him, such rare scholarships deserved to be widely publicised.

He elaborated on the selection for the programme and assured everyone present that the procedure was absolutely transparent.

With regards to Abbas, extensive documents and audition tapes had been sent and he was then selected from a large pool of applicants, he said.

Sharing his experience on being selected for the programme, Abbas spoke of the opportunity to expand his musical horizons by not just learningfrom the course, but also sharing his experiences, cultural and academic, during his travels.

He thanked his teachers and stressed the importance of such programmes that would help not only in improving ties between the countries, but also allow students to getexposure to different cultures.

His aim while attending the course on traditional Korean music was to excel enough to return and teach it to Pakistani students, he said.

Napa has been actively involved in promoting cross-cultural communication; four of its students have already participated in a mentorship at the Butler School of Music. Lectures, training sessionsand performances form a small part of the programme, with emphasis on music composition and training in areas such as piano, voice and string instruments.

Korean Consul General Mr Lee Chang-hee laid stress on the need for an atmosphere that would allow `peaceful relations, through the spread of music and culture, to be encouraged between Pakistan and Korea.

He also shared plans of a music event to be held in Pakistan later this year that would feature a large group of Korean musicians.

Sharing this news, Mehmood suggested that workshops be conducted by the visiting musicians for all those interested in the art form.