New Delhi: Ahead of enactment of a law to
allow entry and operation of foreign educational institutions
in India, a number of American universities today expressed
their desire to come to the country to offer education in
diverse fields.
Presidents and Deans of many US Universities met HRD
Minister Kapil Sibal in Washington DC and expressed their
willingness to set up higher education institutions in India,
an official release said.
They also appreciated the process of academic reforms
initiated in India and said they would like to be active
partners in the growth story of Indian education.
Sibal was supposed to meet, among others, the
president of Virginia Tech University which has already
evinced interest to set up a campus near Hyderabad.
He is scheduled to meet representatives from George
Town University tomorrow.
The government has introduced a bill in Parliament,
seeking to allow entry and operation of foreign education
providers in India.
Sibal addressed the Council on Foreign Relations, an
important think-tank of USA and gave his vision of education
reforms and the strategic partnership between India and USA.
He said demographic changes are occurring around the
world and the developed countries will need skilled manpower
from developing countries having human resources.
Replying to questions, Sibal said time has come for
education to be delivered at the door step of the student
rather than students having to travel abroad to get the same.
It is thus mutually beneficial to both India and USA
to work together to set up educational institutions in India
to train skilled manpower of the 21st century, he said.
-PTI
