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Thank you Nidhi Razdan of
NDTV.
Before I begin, I also want to thank Delhi
University Vice Chancellor Deepek Pantel
and St. Stephen’s College Acting Principal
Jacob Cherian for hosting this innovative
event. It is great to be here with so many
university students.
This university in Delhi is a strong partner
in our goal of increasing international
education opportunities for both Indian
and American students and I want to personally
thank them for that support. Currently about
a dozen American students are studying here
at St. Stephen’s.
I have come to India with Under Secretary
of State Karen Hughes and a special delegation
of American higher education leaders to
encourage more students from India to come
study in the United States. If I had to
sum up our trip in one word, it would be:
Welcome. We want to welcome you to America.
India is already our number one source of
international students and we want to build
on this great tradition.
We also want to work with your universities
here in India and encourage more American
students to come to India to learn from
you and with you. The futures of our two
countries are becoming more inter-connected
every day. American companies including
Microsoft, Cisco and Citibank have planted
roots here and Indian companies like Infosys
have offices in the United States. Our economic
destinies are increasingly linked -- and
we are increasingly enriched by each other’s
cultures. Many book clubs in the United
States have read a recent novel by a prize-winning
Indian writer. Several of my friends have
recently seen the Indian film “The
Namesake,” Indian music and food are
increasingly popular in America –
we now even have a “Bollywood”
channel on American cable television. And
American television shows are on many times
a week in India because of high demand.
Our two melting pot countries have many
important things in common. We are both
great democracies, America the world’s
oldest, India the world’s largest.
We each have highly diverse, multi ethnic
and multi faith populations which are united
by core values: freedom of speech and press
and political participation, freedom to
worship as your conscience dictates, respect
for the rule of law – and importantly,
we share the conviction that education is
the best vehicle for individual advancement
and broad social progress.
Education IS your passport to broader opportunity
in today’s increasingly global world.
I am honored to be here with a distinguished
group of University Presidents who represent
the great quality and diversity of the more
than 4000 institutions of higher education
in America –– large, small,
private, public, technical schools, community
colleges and high level research institutions.
Their presence here is evidence of America’s
commitment to international education and
especially to India. American university
doors are already open to you – these
university leaders are here to open them
even wider.
You may have heard that getting visas to
study in the United States became more difficult
after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks –
and that was true for a couple years, but
I am pleased to be able to tell you today
that we recognized the seriousness of that
problem, and have worked hard to overcome
it – we want to be a secure country
for our citizens and visitors –we
also want to be a welcoming country. We
added more consular staff to process visas,
we streamlined procedures, we put students
at the front of the line – and as
a result, we have raised student visa numbers
back up to pre 911 levels. In fact, last
year, the number of U.S. student and exchange
visas issued reached an all-time high of
more than 590,000. Student visas to the
U.S. were up 15 percent worldwide –
and up more than 30 percent in India. I’d
like to see that figure go even higher.
We want you on our campuses because of
your intellectual talent, your creativity
and innovation, and because of the personal
ties you would reinforce between our countries.
India will gain because India’s phenomenal
economic growth means that ever-greater
numbers of students with higher education
are needed. And you will gain a competitive
advantage on your resume, as well as the
experience of a lifetime. Just as previous
generations needed basic literacy in reading,
writing and mathematics, the next generation
will need technological and global literacy
skills to be competitive in our increasingly
diverse and interdependent world –
study abroad has become the foundation of
global literacy.
Study abroad is also at the core of global
understanding. I view my job overseeing
America’s public diplomacy as reaching
out to the world in a spirit of respect
and partnership – and I believe that
our exchanges of students and visitors are
the single most effective way to foster
understanding and better relationships with
the people and nations of the world. We
are increasing funding to expand exchanges
and we have increased the number of education
and exchange participants from 31,000 to
nearly 39,000 this year alone.
I want more Americans to travel abroad
to learn the languages, the history, the
rich culture of other countries –
and I want more students from India to come
to America so they can see for themselves
that we have so much in common as human
beings: love for our families, dreams for
our children – I know Indian parents
and American parents want our children to
be educated and have the opportunity to
have a better life – I know Indian
and American citizens want our countries
to be secure and our world to be more prosperous
and peaceful. I meet with exchange students
and they all tell me the same thing, even
using the same words – they describe
themselves as forever changed, and say:
“It changed my life.”
We are working hard to boost the number
of Americans studying abroad ---- in the
past 10 years, the number of American studying
overseas has increased an average of 10
percent a year. The number of U.S. institutions
offering study abroad programs has gone
up steadily. They are recognizing that for
American students to become global citizens,
study abroad is a “must,” not
a “maybe.”
That’s why we are expanding exchanges
in new ways --
• Our new Fulbright MTV University
initiative allows American Fulbright students
overseas to study music and related fields,
such as music therapy. The students will
share what they learn about the country
and culture they are studying through our
MTV U network, broadcast on American campuses.
• We’ve created the “Fusion
Arts Exchange” to bring together American
and international students in different
fields of arts and culture. This summer,
a group of student musicians from the U.S.
and India, as well as Brazil, South Africa,
Mali and Ireland, will join together on
an American campus to study musical composition
and performance. This blend of talented
young people from unique and rich musical
traditions promises to be a dynamic combination.
We also offer a full range of Fullbright,
Humphrey and other academic exchange opportunities
to Indian undergraduate and graduate students,
teachers, professionals and scholars. Through
Fulbright, we fund American students and
schools to come to India – and through
President’s new National Security
language initiative we are providing scholarships
for Americans to study abroad in India and
other countries to learn local languages.
Last year we created the Fulbright International
Science and Technology Award, to attract
top international students to the U.S. for
Ph.D. study in science and technology. We
want to attract and invite the best in the
world to come to America’s top research
institutions.
The internationalization of education means
increasing collaboration, sharing best practices,
fostering innovation and promoting greater
international understanding. Just last spring,
the State Department organized the first-ever
seminar in Silicon Valley for Fulbright
students in science and business who were
from India and other countries. The theme
was developing “lab to market”
relationships. The Fulbright students met
with venture capitalists, management experts
and women business leaders to learn how
to translate their scientific knowledge
into economic development back home. We
will host the seminar again this spring
for a new group of Fulbright students –
and who knows, it might be the beginning
of a new Microsoft or Infosys.
International students make a great contribution
to our universities and from their feedback,
we know they gain a great deal as well.
Before I left for this trip, I asked for
input from Indian alumni of our exchange
programs . They said they enjoyed the diversity,
excellent research opportunities and the
open, welcoming atmosphere in America. One
wrote, “I am woman journalist who
does number crunching and data analysis,
something totally not associated with women.
Women are not supposed to be good at numbers.
Well, here I am proving them wrong, thanks
to my training in the United States. My
stint in the U.S. ensured a new job, a promotion,
hike in salary and an enhanced job profile.
The U.S. has also taught me to be assertive,
to say NO when I wanted to and also that
if you want something ASK FOR IT, because
no one can help you otherwise.”
We are committed to making sure that the
same kind of personal and academic growth,
the same opportunity, is available to students
like you. And in the spirit of asking –
I’ve brought with me some of the best
experts on American higher education.
How often do you get the opportunity to
ask a President or Chancellor what are the
best opportunities on his or her campus
– what scholarships might be available
– what does he or she think is the
real field of the future. This is your opportunity.
Dr. Mark Emmert is President of the University
of Washington – this is a research
institute attracting graduate students in
medicine, engineering, computer science
and biomedical research. You might ask him
about strong linkages his institution has
with leading businesses in these fields
here in India – and what that might
mean for job possibilities.
Dr. John Bowen is President of Johnson
and Wales, a private university offering
baccleaureate to doctorate degrees and specializing
in culinary, hospitality and business education.
You might ask him about gaining practical,
job-oriented skills through higher education
and his close inter-action with leading
private sector companies.
Dr. Peg Lee of Oakton community college
which specializes in the new health and
technology fields. You might not be as familiar
with community colleges but they are increasingly
popular with Americans of all ages –
they offer two year degrees and are especially
attractive as affordable alternatives or
entry to higher education. You might want
to ask her about the advantages of community
colleges for those needing to improve English
for higher education – and for those
with a first degree wanting to switch careers
or update their skills.
Dr. Jim Oblinger is Chancellor of North
Carolina State University, a research extensive
land grant institution which specializes
in science, engineering, agriculture and
technology, including textiles and design,
as well as the full complement of humanities
and social sciences. America’s land
grant institutions were first developed
in the mid 1800s to improve access to higher
education. You might want to ask him about
how the university works with business and
industry to foster economic development
– generating spinoff companies such
as Red Hat and SAS both of which have offices
in India.
Dr. Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran is President
of Kalamazoo College, a small liberal arts
school primarily serving four year degree
students in the fine arts, humanities and
social sciences. You might want to ask her
about the advantages of attending a small
institution and how liberal arts colleges
prepare you for professional life in fields
from medicine to law.
Dr. John Lilly is President of Baylor University,
a private research university founded by
the Baptist Church. Baylor University describes
its mission as preparing young people for
service and leadership worldwide –
as a result, it emphasizes international
education and outreach to economically disadvantaged
populations. You might ask Dr. Lilly about
his students, who are doing work and research
in about 80 countries across the world and
are looking at opportunities in India.
Our entire delegation is here today because
we know there is a world of talent here
in India. But no matter what country we
call home, all of us share the same belief
in the transformative power of education
and international exchanges. They build
self-confidence, leadership ability, empathy
for people in other countries, and a lifelong
interest in world affairs. They are –
I strongly believe – the foundation
for a better, more peaceful and more prosperous,
world. America wants to be your partner
– a partner for peace, a partner for
progress and a partner for a better life
for all the world’s citizens. Thank
you – and I urge you to take this
opportunity to learn from the leaders of
American higher education.
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