Central Junior High School (CJH) in Euless, Texas, recently signed a collaboration agreement with Delhi Public School Ghaziabad (DPSG) in India. The landmark agreement between the two schools will create a platform for students to experience in-depth cultural exchanges.
On March 7, 2018, the principal of DPSG, Dr. Jyoti Gupta, received a warm welcome at the CJH campus located in North Texas. The morning consisted of a reception led by the ninth grade Hindi students from CJH, and a performance by the orchestra. The two schools signed a memorandum of understanding, acknowledging their aligned objectives to deliver global education through sustained partnership. The agreement will enable students to gain first-hand experience in each culture, and CJH students will also have greater opportunity to practice language skills they have amassed at school.
Both schools stand committed to providing quality educational programs. Central Junior High is the only school in its district that offers Asian language courses in middle school, including Hindi, Arabic, Mandarin, and Chinese. Delhi Public School, located in an industrial center and a residential suburb in New Delhi, also offers a unique environment for students to build relationships with both the local and global communities. In addition, the British Council recently conferred DPSG with the International School Award.
The United States and India have maintained firm ties through educational exchange for the past decade. India has the 2nd largest share of international students studying in the United States with 17.3% as of 2017, following China; graduate students account for more than 50%. Moreover, Indian international students studying at colleges and universities in Texas contribute $2.1 billion with their education and living expenses. Based upon the direct and indirect economic value they create, they create and support 27,232 jobs in the US economy. The relationship is not one-sided, however, as India is the 4th most popular destination for the US students studying in the Asia Pacific. Moreover, the United States and India share 23 sister city and county relationships and two sister state relationships
Seulah Song is a research intern at the East-West Center in Washington D.C. and a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.