India has embarked on the path of educational diplomacy in order to provide
foreign students who come here "affordable excellence", union Human
Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Monday.
"For, long cultural diplomacy has been at the forefront of our
engagement through the MEA (ministry of external affairs)
"The honourable prime minister (Narendra Modi) now has given it an
added push through education diplomacy and am hopeful that this educational
diplomacy which leverages affordable excellence in India is a part of diplomacy
that will take us from strength to strength in times to come," said Irani
after inaugurating a conference on "Higher education for foreign students"
organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
She stressed the fulcrum of engagement for the education sector regarding
foreign students should be affordable excellence.
"India is an affordable destination of high-quality education. It's the
engagement that we seek with foreign students across the world," she said,
calling for creation of an environment that went beyond scholarships.
"If I look at the numbers that help students to apply for scholarship
that are given by the government of India under various heads, the numbers are
very miniscule. It is our endeavour and our hope that we expand on these
numbers given the excellence which is affordable and is now available in
India.
"
Irani said the government started the Global Initiative for Academic
Networks (GIAN) under which various institutions could invite foreign scholars
to teach in their campuses.
"Over 380 scholars from across the world have decided to teach in India
and we have already started the process in IIT Kharagpur and IIT Gandhinagar
and we see that these academics coming to Indian public institutions to teach
those students that are facilitated by education that is subsidised don't feel
short-changed because academics of repute land up straight at their doorstep at
no extra cost," she said.
"The other benefit that we have seen when Indian faculty teaches with
foreign faculty that new knowledge is exchanged with joint projects getting an
added push. If we get more academicians even through ICCR who are interested in
ensuring that our public sector institutions engage with foreign academicians,
that is an engagement that we seek to also sponsor and support.
"
The minister said that in the area of research, for the first time, 10
goalposts have been earmarked for research which vary from defence to
sustainable living to water resources to holistic health, affordable housing
under a programme called Impacting Research Innovation and Technology
(IMPRINT).
ICCR president Lokesh Chandra said that more than 6,000 students from around
120 countries are on the rolls of ICCR almost at any given point of time.
"We are happy to count proudly many eminent persons including cabinet
ministers and the secretary general of Asean (Association of South East Asian
Nations) and distinguished ambassadors," he said.
ICCR Director General C. Rajasekhar said that hosting foreign students has
many benefits for the nation as they "can be bridges between India and
their respective countries in promoting mutual understanding and goodwill"
while adding to "our socio-cultural diversity" and "bring new
perspectives".