American univs in India? Joint panel urges US diplomatic mission to assist foreign varsities in setting up branch campuses

The American members of the committee were represented by Pennsylvania State University president Neeli Bendapudi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor Robert J. Jones, University of California San Diego chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, University at Buffalo president Satish K. Tripathi, and Johns Hopkins University provost and senior-vice president for Academic Affairs Sunil Kumar (who is set to become the president of Tufts University on July 1). The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were on the Indian side, according to the joint statement. This committee was tasked with exploring new areas of collaborations between US and Indian institutions, and “new models of engagement”.

“Build the front doors”

The task force has suggested that both countries need a coordinated approach to attract and keep international students. “The time is ripe for a concerted international education strategy. A new era of academic partnership will require both nations’ embassies to “build the front doors” to each other’s country. Each diplomatic outpost should create a dedicated liaison office to assist foreign universities in navigating the myriad legal hurdles required to establish nonprofit academic centers or satellite campuses in-country – alleviating the need to work through private consultancies,” the interim report states.

The establishment of joint research institutes focused on societal and scientific “grand challenges”, and increased people-to-people exchanges between higher education institutions in India and the US are among the interim recommendations that found a mention in the joint statement released by the White House on Friday.

The statement welcomed the proposal to set up “Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes” that will help increase collaboration between researchers in the US and India around challenges of interest to both countries, including areas of semiconductors, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, health and pandemic preparedness, and emerging technologies.

Both governments, through their science agencies, will issue a funding call for the above-mentioned institutes. They will receive equal funding from government and private sources in each country, according to the proposal. The aim is to establish anchor institutes for each “grand challenge” in both countries.

Record increase

This announcement comes amidst a record increase in the number of Indians moving to the US for higher education. Indians are set to soon displace the Chinese and become the largest international student cohort in the US, the statement noted, adding that their numbers grew by 20 per cent in just last year.

The interim report of this task force, released on Thursday, has nine recommendations. Other than the joint research institutions, it has recommended scaling up of student-based research collaboration, expansion of internship and apprenticeship opportunities for Indian and American undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for post-doctoral researchers.

It has also suggested that Indian students, scientists and exchange visitors should be awarded multi-year, multiple-entry visas with the opportunity for state-side renewal to help jump-start faculty exchanges, boost meeting participation and accelerate student enrollment.

“As envisioned by our leaders, the @EduMinOfIndia will work to setup Indo-U.S. Global Challenge Institutes to deepen research partnerships and people-to-people exchanges in areas such as semiconductors, sustainable agriculture,clean energy, health and pandemic preparedness & emerging technologies,” Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted on Friday.