At the Institute of International Education’s awards gala in New York City on September 21, IIE presented Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development in India, with its Stephen P. Duggan Award for Mutual Understanding, named for the Institute’s founder. The award is given to outstanding individuals who further IIE’s work in international exchange. In presenting the award, IIE trustee and dinner co-chair S.A. Ibrahim praised Minister Sibal for his “vision of global education and commitment to internationalizing Indian higher education, especially through partnerships with U.S. institutions, promises to provide greater higher education access across India and open India’s doors to increased global collaboration.” Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, joined Mr. Ibrahim in presenting the award.
In accepting the award Minister Sibal said he was “indeed honored to have been conferred this very prestigious award...We are confronting enormous challenges that afflict the global community for which we will need solutions and the only way that that can happen is through empowerment through education. There is no other way that we can combat the challenges of the 21st century."
"The challenges are truly global, the challenges of hunger, poverty, of global warming and climate change, of energy, of the way we deal with nature. And all of those challenges cannot be confronted by nations acting on their own. They'll have to be confronted by the global community working together. Education is about intense collaboration in an environment of competitiveness. The environment must be competitive, but the exercise must be collaborative. And it is in this spirit that we in India approach education. It is in this spirit that I come here this evening to reach out to you and to say that it is time for us to hold each other's hands to confront the challenges of tomorrow."
IIE’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education is working on a special partnership initiative this year between U.S. and Indian higher education institutions, and the Institute published a book in 2010 on educational exchange between the United States and India.
A Member of Indian Parliament for over 10 years, Minister Sibal previously served as Union Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences in the First Manmohan Singh Cabinet. Among his many initiatives, Minister Sibal is committed to providing greater access to higher education across India, in particular through internationalization and partnerships with U.S. institutions. He has pioneered efforts to open India’s doors to increased global collaboration, competence and understanding. As Minister for Science, Technology, and Earth Sciences, Minister Sibal supported advances in Indian science and technology as the foundation for building a more modern, globally competitive India.
Born in Jalandhar, Punjab, Minister Sibal received his MA in History from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and a law degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. In 1977, he received an LLM from Harvard Law School.
Minister Sibal is a published author and poet. He and his wife Nina have two sons, Amit and Akhil. In 2006, the Government of India honored him with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award for his distinguished services in the field of Public Affairs.