India-US Educational Cooperation

Washington, DC
September 25, 2008

Since the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to USA in March 2005, education has been identified as one of the areas of cooperation between the two knowledge societies. Under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America in March 2000, an Indo-US Science and Technology Forum was established to promote science and educational cooperation and to catalyze collaborations in science , technology, engineering and biomedical research.

Although over 60% of all Indian international students prefer USA as their destination, less than 1% of all Americans students going abroad for studies chose India for study. In order to enhance mobility of students and teachers between India and other leading countries, the Government of India has taken many initiatives such as “Promotion of Indian Higher Education Abroad (PIHEAD)” program and awarding fellowships, including through the corporate sector. India has also tabled in the parliament, the “Foreign Educational Institutions Bill” under which any foreign university will be allowed up to 50% Foreign Direct Investment to set up its campus in India in partnership with Indian universities. Other recent initiatives include the teaching of Ayurveda (Indian system of Medicine) in US medical schools, Indo-US Cooperation on E-Learning (between DST, ISRO, 42 Technical Schools in India) with nearly 20 leading Universities in US and corporate partners.

Promoting India’s higher education among US students

In recent years to promote India’s higher education institutions among US students, direct enrollment at an Indian institution is offered through U.S. universities, providing them an opportunity to take courses with their Indian peers. The Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) have programs which are open to American students. Direct University level linkages between India and US, have allowed US students to benefit from a wide variety of academic exchanges and programs which allow them to obtain hands-on experience in international development, undertake comparative studies, tutorials, fieldwork, intensive language courses, summer programs, study contemporary India, its religion and modern history, philosophy, anthropology and avail of short-term “Study India Programs”.

India – U.S. Fulbright Educational Exchange Program

On July 4, 2008, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and U.S. Ambassador to India David C. Mulford signed an historic new bilateral agreement, strengthening educational exchanges between the two countries. The Agreement supersedes the Fulbright Agreement revised in 1963 that has been operating since 1950 with U.S. funding. Under the new Agreement, the Government of India and the United States shall henceforth implement the scholarship programme as full partners and increase by 100% the total scholarship amount awarded annually - to US$5 million.

The new Agreement provides for expansion of the existing programme with, for the first time, (i) a direct financial contribution by the Government of India. Under the new agreement, the binational U.S.-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) will expand the number of bilateral educational exchanges beginning next year, issuing “Fulbright–Nehru” scholarships honoring both the Senator J.W.Fulbright after whom the ongoing US program was named and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who signed the 1950 Fulbright Agreement.

USIEF’s programmes will continue to finance studies, research, instruction and other educational activities; visits and exchanges of students, trainees, teachers, instructors and professors; and other related educational and cultural programmes and activities.

The Foundation’s programmes of activities, research and studies will complement the bilateral initiatives announced by the US and Indian Governments on July 18 2005 and March 2, 2006 in areas of agriculture, science and technology, sustainable development, clean and efficient energy, environment, climate change, democracy and capacity building in emerging democracies and global issues of common concern - among others - and create further awareness and understanding of India in the USA and vice versa, strengthening the ‘knowledge’ linkages between the people of the two countries.

Since its inception in 1950, USIEF has awarded approximately 8,200 Fulbright grants in almost every field of academic endeavor. The participants in the program have contributed substantially to strong India – U.S. academic relations and strengthened the people-to-people ties between our countries. Noted Fulbright scholars from India have included:
a. C. Rangarajan, Chairman of 12th Finance Commission; former RBI Governor
b. S. M. Krishna, Chief Minister of the State of Karnataka
c. Tejendra Khanna, Lt. Governor, National Capital Territory of Delhi
d. Girish Karnad, actor and playwright
e. Meenakshi Gopinath, Principal, Lady Shri Ram College for Women

Fulbright scholarships were given for studies in India to the following US nationals:
a. George A. Akerlof, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics
b. Leonid Hurwicz, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics
c. John R. Hubbard, U.S. Ambassador to India
d. Nathan Glazer, Professor of Sociology and Education, Harvard University
e. Barbara Crossette, U.N. Bureau Chief and Contributor, New York Times

Future Direction

Both India and USA are considering educational initiatives that would facilitate greater exchanges between scholars and researchers of the two countries, and strengthen people-to-people linkages. With this objective, both countries are looking forward to the India-US Education Initiative which will meet in October under the aegis of the CEO’s forum, with participation of educators and the corporate leadership from both sides.

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