Wednesday 24 August 2011

President of a top US university to visit India

Ahead of the India-US Education Summit in October, the president of a top American university would be visiting various Indian cities later this month to explore the possibilities of new academic partnerships. 

"This trip to India is very important to the university as we continue to raise our international profile and prepare students to become leaders in an increasingly global society," Indiana University President Michael A McRobbie said in a statement. 

McRobbie is leading a high-powered university delegation to visit several Indian cities - New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Hyderabad - on a 11-day trip beginning August 27. 

He would be joined by the Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret and Professor Sumit Ganguly, the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations. 

The visit, the first to India by a sitting Indiana University president in at least 40 years, will result in new academic partnerships that will increase study abroad opportunities in India for IU students and help attract more top Indian students to the university, the statement said. 

"As home to some excellent universities, and one of the world's most dynamic, growing economies, India is fertile ground for IU as we look to provide expanded study abroad opportunities for our students and to attract the best students from around the world to IU. It also provides us a rare opportunity to meet with our alumni in India who provide us with invaluable support," McRobbie said. 

Indians make up the third-largest group of international students at Indiana University, with approximately 800 students attending IU, including about 165 new students entering this fall. 

The university also has approximately 2,100 alumni who are Indian citizens, including 400 living in India. 

During the trip, McRobbie will help launch IU's newest alumni chapter in New Delhi. 

McRobbie also will seek to strengthen business ties between India and the state of Indiana, building on a visit to India this spring by Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leaders, the university said. 

Business highlights of the trip will include a luncheon with members of the Confederation of India Industry (CII), the largest business trade group in India, at which McRobbie will be the keynote speaker. 

McRobbie also will sign a MoU between IU and the CII that will result in increased collaboration on training, research and education-related activities, it said. 

Indiana Secretary of Commerce and IEDC Chief Executive Officer Mitch Roob said he hopes the IU trip will add to the momentum the state is trying to generate with Indian firms to bring jobs to the state.

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