11 US varsities selected for partnership programmes with India

Washington, Aug 13 (PTI) Eleven prestigious US colleges
and universities have been selected for partnership programme
with India as part of the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge
Initiative.
An announcement to this effect came ahead of the
scheduled India-US Education Summit in Washington in October.
Selected educational institutions are Fort Hays State
University, George Mason University, Northern Illinois
University, Queens College (City University of New York),
Rollins College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,
Suffolk University, Thomas College, University of Kentucky,
University of Oregon and the University of Montana, the
Institute of International Education (IIE) has announced.
Each institution has made a commitment to form a
campus-wide task force to work on prospective partnerships,
conduct an institution-wide inventory of activities pertaining
to India and develop a strategic plan focused on partnership
with India, IIE said.
The Knowledge Initiative between the US and India, which
was announced during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to
America last year, is aimed at developing faculty for select
institutions like new IITs.
The initiative will provide USD 10 million in combined
funding to increase university linkages and support junior
faculty development between US and Indian universities.
"Higher education is an important area of the strategic
partnership between the United States and India because of its
impact on fostering collaboration on critical issues that we
face today," said IIE President Allan E Goodman.
"This new phase of the International Academic Partnership
Programme and the strong group of campuses will strengthen the
educational ties between our two nations and pave the way for
students from both countries to gain important international
perspective," Goodman said.
"We aim to support the Obama-Singh goal to advance the US
-India global partnership for the benefit of their countries,
for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia, and for the
betterment of the world," Goodman said.
The International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP) has
been launched with an initial two-year grant from the US
Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of
Postsecondary Education