It was a sea of saffron as the administration and students of Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University (MCU) warmly greeted Ambassador Eric G. John on October 2nd to the school's new campus in the historic city of Ayutthaya. Ambassador John was the first foreign diplomat to visit the facility, whose purpose is to train and educate monks and other individuals interested in Buddhism from Thailand and other countries. The student body includes monks and laypeople from Cambodia, China, Taipei, Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Korea, Lao, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
Over 200 staff and students attended the Ambassador’s October 2 talk stressing U.S. respect for religious diversity and dedication to the principle of religious freedom. MCU rector, Professor Dr. Phra Dharmakosajarn, expressed his hope that the visit would create opportunities for future collaboration between the U.S. Embassy and the University.