November 2012

Institute of International Education Releases Open Doors Report 2012, Reveals Shift in India – U.S. Exchange

The Institute of International Education has released its annual Open Doors Report, which has provided a statistical snapshot of international educational exchange in the United States each year since 1949.  Supported by a grant from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the report serves as a comprehensive resource for information on international students and scholars studying or teaching in the United States, as well as U.S. students studying abroad. 

This year’s report, which captures data from the 2011/12 academic year, reveals that the number of Indian students studying abroad in the United States has dropped for the second consecutive year.  A total of 100,270 Indian students (accounting for 13.1% of the U.S.’ international student population) studied in the United States in 2011/12, marking a 3.5% decrease over the previous academic year and the second year of decline since the number peaked at 104,897 in 2009.  By contrast, the number of students entering the U.S. from China has shot up by 23.1% over the past year, with 194,029 Chinese students accounting for 25.4% of the U.S. international student population in the 2011/12 academic year.  Meanwhile, the number of students from the U.S. studying in India has rapidly increased from just 2,690 in the 2008/09 academic year to 4,345 in 2010/11, though this number still represents only 1.6% of the U.S. students who studied abroad in 2010/11.  Data for U.S. students for the 2011/12 academic year is not yet available.   

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FICCI Higher Education Summit 2012 Espouses a ‘Quest for Excellence’ in Higher Education in India

The 8^th FICCI Higher Education Summit 2012, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Planning Commission, is taking place November 5 and 6 in New Delhi.  The Summit brings together key policy makers, thought leaders from domestic and foreign educational institutes, and corporate representatives to engage in knowledge sharing, examine global best practices in higher education sector improvements, and deliberate policy imperatives.  The program includes panel discussions, master classes and exhibitions on the emergence of education hubs, academic reorganization, the industry-academia interface, cross border partnerships, fostering social responsibility, and collaborative research in higher education, among others.

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US Education Fair Five City Tour Underway

The US University Fair, organized by United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) and the Institute of International Education (IIE), opened on 3 November in Delhi. Forty-six American institutions were represented at the event, which was attended by 1,200 interested students and parents. The universities participating in the fair offer a number of undergraduate and graduate level programs to appeal to students with a variety of academic interests, such as engineering, business administration, and fashion and interior design. The fair offers Indian students the opportunity to obtain accurate and up-to-date information from US institutions on their programs, financial aid, and admissions processes and requirements.  In addition, a consular officer from the US Embassy is available to familiarize students with the US visa process.  Following Delhi, the US University Fair was held in Bangalore on 4 November, and it will also take place in Hyderabad on 7 November, Chennai on 10 November, and Mumbai on 11 November.

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October 2012

Ministry of Human Resource Development Undergoes Leadership Overhaul

M.M. Pallam Raju has replaced Kapil Sibal as the head of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), and two new Ministers of State, Shashi Tharoor and Jitin Prasad, have also been instated.  Mr. Raju has stated his commitment to continuing the reforms introduced by his predecessor, including working to build a political consensus to enable the pending education bills to move forward. Universal education and industry-oriented skill development among India’s youth to increase employability are two of the minister’s greatest priorities.

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FedEx establishes “International Student of the Year” competition

Indian university students intending to pursue higher education abroad may compete for a sponsorship of Rs. 5 lakh and a chance to meet Karan Johar, director of the upcoming movie ‘Student of the Year,’ through FedEx’s recently launched International Student of the Year campaign.  In addition, ten shortlisted students will win a free counseling session from the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF).  FedEx has also developed a new Student Offer, to provide cost-effective and speedy shipment of packages weighing up to 500 grams to students needing to submit their university applications for institutions abroad.  Students can compete for the International Student of the Year prize by availing of the Student Offer and shipping at least one application through FedEx between October 8, 2012 and December 15, 2012.  Additional information can be found on the campaign’s microsite: www.fedex.com/in/studentoffer

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Denmark to launch scientist exchange program with India

Danish Technical University, University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University plan to partner with Indian universities in an exchange program to promote scientific collaboration and innovation in the industrial biotechnology sector. The program will target PhD students, though it may also facilitate the exchange of Master’s and post-doctorate students as well as senior scientists. Approximately 25 scientists will be selected to participate in exchange visits each year of the program, which will run from 2013 to 2019.

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Pennsylvania-American Center for Education opens in Mumbai

The first educational centre in Mumbai specifically dedicated to providing students and families with information about studying abroad in the United States – more specifically, in the state of Pennsylvania – opened its doors on Friday, September 21. The Pennsylvania-American Center for Education is situated at the Jamnabai Narsee School in northwestern Mumbai. The Center will send education counsellors to Pennsylvania for training and to meet with various universities and colleges to learn about their programs, and will provide that information to Indian families and students for a nominal fee – no more than 3 U.S. dollars.

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