India-US cooperation in education sector poised for expansion

“India-US cooperation in the field of education is

today poised for major expansion. With a young population,there is greater demand in India for expanding the education infrastructure,” she said at a function to commemorate the 60th year of the Nehru-Fulbright Educational Exchange Programme.

Shankar said the Indian Government has announced major initiatives for massive expansion and up gradation of the education infrastructure of schools,universities and institutes imparting vocational training.

“To accomplish this,we are increasing Government expenditure on education from around 10 percent to 19 percent.

A bill in the Parliament has also been introduced to open up the education sector for Foreign Universities,” she said. “This provides an excellent opportunity for US universities to increase the number of Indian students studying in their Institutions,not only in the US,but also in India,through opening up of their off-shore locations or through tie-ups with Indian institutions,” Shankar said.

There are around three million Indian Americans in the United States,who have made the US their home,she said,adding that most of them are highly educated in technical fields and have contributed immensely to the economy of their adopted country and to the perception of India amongst the American public,through their expertise,perseverance and hard work.

“Like the Fulbright scholars,these Indian Americans have contributed in their own ways to India’s social and economic progress by linking back to the land of their ancestors,helping to change perspectives and outlooks and bringing a modernising impetus to a traditional society,” she said.

“I often counter the cliche of “brain drain” in India’s context with the concept of “brain circulation”.

Some of the Indian Americans are also offering precious insights to help India’s rejuvenation through our Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians,she said.

Shankar said these efforts are appreciated by the people and the Government and are a source of new warmth in the bonds between the people of two countries.

India,she said,has among the largest number of students in various American Universities pursuing higher education,numbering over 100,000.

Over 60 percent of all Indian international students prefer the US as their destination for higher education.

“Further,individual Universities and Technical institutions of India and the US have collaboration for teacher-student exchange programmes,curriculum design etc,” she said.

Certain fellowships and chairs like the Amartya Sen Fellowship at the Harvard University,B R Ambedkar Chair and the Bhagwati scholarships at the Columbia University,have also been set up.

“These exchanges have contributed to a strengthening of mutual understanding and cooperation,particularly in the knowledge and innovation intensive sectors,” Shankar said.