The United States and India reaffirmed their joint commitment to building on the success of the US-India Higher Education Dialogue (HED) in a preparatory meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 13, one month in advance of the next HED summit which is scheduled to be hosted in India in June.
"Knowledge knows no barriers. The USA and India have together embarked on a journey to eliminate barriers of prejudice by creating opportunities for our children to share knowledge. Ours is a partnership of two vibrant democracies destined to lead the 21st century. Nothing will be more invigorating for this partnership than bringing together our knowledge institutions." India's Minister of Human Resource Development, M. Mangapati Pallam Raju, explained to the audience at the "Advancing U.S. India Academic Partnerships" roundtable hosted by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Speaking on behalf of the United States in support of the bilateral education partnership, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine outlined the early success of the U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue where she noted that currently, approximately 4,000 American students study in India. In turn, over 100,000 Indian students studied in the U.S. during the 2011-2012 academic year, making it the second largest source of foreign students studying in the country. In noting that the goal is for 15,000 American students to study in India in five years and to increase access to higher education for Indian students, Under Secretary Sonenshine said, "I think we all have heard and underscored the stakes that are involved here. When we prepare more young people for success, we are opening doors to everyone’s futures and contributing to the economic growth of India and the United States.”
For current information on American students studying in Asia and Asian students studying in the U.S., visit the American Students in Asia page and the Asian Students in America page at Asia Matters for America.