US Ambassador Advocates for Increased Educational Exchange in India for American Students

By Advay September 19, 2024
Alarm 2 Min Read
Copied
Featured

As diplomatic relations between India and the USA grow increasingly cordial, the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, has called for more educational exchange opportunities for American students in India.

Garcetti emphasised the desire for a greater number of American students to study at Indian universities during his speech at the annual IC3 conference in Delhi. “For the second year, India has emerged as the leading source of higher education students in the United States,” he stated, highlighting that “this remarkable country contributes over a million students to the US.”

However, he noted that the flow of American students to India remains insufficient, expressing his goal to encourage more American students to study in India.

He pointed out that more students in the US choose to study in the relatively small country of Costa Rica than in India. According to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report 2020, the number of US students studying in India dropped from 3,387 in the academic year 2018-2019 to just 1,736 in 2019-2020, as reported by the US Department of State.

Reflecting on his own experiences during two trips to India—first at the age of 14 and then at 19—Garcetti highlighted the profound impact an educational tour can have on students. “It is unbelievable how reading many significant religious, philosophical, and historical texts from India revolutionised my life and perspective,” he remarked. He added, “If we are to build a human bridge, we must understand each other and our histories.”

Garcetti also noted that over 10,000 students participated in sessions organised by EducationUSA across six cities in India. These sessions covered various topics, including comparisons between large state universities and small liberal arts colleges, the university application process to ease parental concerns, and campus mental health, among others.

Source: THE PIE NEWS

More Articles