US University team to visit Delhi, Mumbai to explore tie ups

A high-powered delegation of an eminent American university will visit New Delhi and Mumbai this month to explore possibilities for collaborations with Indian academic institutions and to attract Indian students.

A delegation of the University of Michigan (U-M) led by its president Mary Sue Coleman will be in India from November 13 to 17 to work jointly with Indian educational leaders on solving global issues such as trauma care and sustainable development, a media release said.

They hope to create educational experiences that allow both U-M and Indian students to understand the context within which global challenges must be understood, it said.

"This is a natural extension of the strong partnerships the university has enjoyed in India for many years now," Coleman said.

"Just as we have built upon educational bonds in China, Ghana, South Africa and Brazil in recent years, we look forward to increasing our collaborations in India," she added.

India, which has more people than the US, Europe and Latin America combined, spends more on education than China, Russia or Brazil. By the next decade, India will have more college graduates than any other country except China - with 12 per cent of the world's total, the university said.

James Holloway, U-M vice-provost for global and engaged education, said the visit will provide an opportunity to build new partnerships and enhance existing ones.

"India offers unique opportunities for our students to engage in global educational experiences that benefit both the people of India and the students who participate there," he said."

The partnerships also will allow Indian students to conduct research at U-M. In Delhi, the university will partner with Ashoka University, the National Council of Applied Economic Research and Delhi University.

The U-M group also will collaborate with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to work on trauma care, cancer research and genetics, the university said.

In Mumbai, Coleman will deliver the keynote address at the India Business Conference, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year.

PTI