Call it the Kapil Sibal-effect, or the promise that emerging markets are holding out to the West, American universities have evinced great interest in entering into pacts with the IIMs and IITs to set up their campuses here. This would mean that Indian students need not leave the country to pursue their niche studies in the US. Some 31 American universities, such as the University of Massachusetts, Duke University, University of Rochester, and others, are visiting India next month to attend the Indo-American Education summit to offer their courses to Indians.
These courses, based on the American system, will include student exchange programmes and will be taught by Indian, as well as, American faculty. After Europe, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal is also reaching out to the US to develop partnership with education institutions of global repute. Talks are on with universities like Harvard, Boston, Yale, Duke and the University of Georgetown. Sibal, who is scheduled to visit Washington on Wednesday, will also meet members of the Obama administration, university officials, and industry representatives. Universities like Southern Illinois-Carbondale, South Dakota Tech, Case Western Reserve, and others, are also scouting for research collaborations in India in areas such as nano-technology, aerospace, genetic engineering, terrorism, psychology and information technology.
