The Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Delegation Will Convene 100+ Higher Education Leaders and Senior Officials from Both Countries.
NEW YORK, NY, February 21, 2024 — Seventeen United States colleges and universities will embark on a seven-day, three-city visit to India to explore and expand bilateral partnerships with higher education institutions in the country. The IIE Leadership Delegation—held February 25 through March 2—is part of the Center for International Partnership’s 2023–24 IIE Country Spotlight Series: India, which aims to support broader bi-national efforts to increase U.S.-India collaboration and student and scholar mobility in higher education.
The delegation builds on recent years of U.S. and Indian government-led efforts to partner in pursuit of mutually beneficial strategies. Last year, the president and prime minister from each country embarked on state visits to the other, affirming the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Through the Quad diplomatic coalition, India and the U.S. helped to create the Quad Fellowship program in 2021; the program sponsors exceptional master’s and doctoral students from Quad member countries—Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S.—to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the United States. At a White House event in January, IIE CEO Allan Goodman announced that IIE will serve as the program’s new implementing partner. In 2020, India’s Ministry of Education issued a National Education Policy, which is expected to usher in reform and new internationalization projects.
There has never been a more opportune time for higher education leaders in both India and the United States to join forces. We look forward to building on IIE’s 60-year history in the region and leveraging our deep ties in the public and private sectors to build and strengthen partnerships, help increase student and faculty mobility both ways, and contribute to research collaborations.”
Jason Czyz and A. Sarah Ilchman, IIE Co-Presidents
IIE Co-Presidents, Jason Czyz and A. Sarah Ilchman will represent IIE in the delegation. IIE India Director Vivek Mansukhani, Senior Vice President Jonah Kokodyniak, and Sylvia Jons, Lead of the IIE Center for International Partnerships, will attend as well.
More than 40% of India’s 1.4 billion population is under the age of 25, and demand for education exceeds in-country supply. Newly released Open Doors® data show record-high Indian student and scholar enrollment on U.S. campuses. More than 265,000 Indian students came to the United States to pursue higher education in the 2022–23 academic year, an all-time high for the world’s fifth-largest economy and now the most populous country. With more than 16,000 Indian scholars in the U.S. in 2022–23, they are second only to their counterparts from China.
Thirty-one provosts, vice provosts, deans, and other leaders from the following U.S. institutions are scheduled to attend:
- California State University, Long Beach
- University of California, Berkeley
- DePaul University
- University of California, Davis
- East Tennessee State University
- University of Houston
- Florida International University
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Michigan State University
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Mississippi State University
- University of Missouri
- Montclair State University
- University of Rochester
- Oklahoma State University
- University of Tulsa
- Rutgers University
Senior officials from the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India, the Government of India, and higher education institutions in India will deliver remarks and participate in panels. The robust itinerary starts and ends in New Delhi, with the delegation splitting between Mumbai and Hyderabad mid-week. Delegates will visit U.S. consulates, the Indian School of Business, IIT Hyderabad, Mahindra University, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), and Somaiya Vidyavihar University. Topics to be discussed include Setting Up International Branch Campuses in India, The Impact of EdTech in Indian Higher Education, and The Higher Education – Business Landscape.
The discussions will focus on the intersection of higher education, business, and government, offering participants an exploration of India’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape and collaboration opportunities. In addition, the delegation provides a face-to-face forum for U.S. and Indian leaders to interact, create meaningful relationships, and consolidate their strategies.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 16 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. IIE has been engaged with higher education in India for more than 60 years and has had an office in New Delhi since 2005. Visit iie.org.