To strengthen knowledge partnerships and align with India's New Education Policy (NEP), the US Department of State (US) has launched an innovative education program.
This initiative is intended to provide Indian students with a unique opportunity to pursue a year-long professional master's degree with a focus on industrial specialization at US universities.
This move holds a lot of promise, not only for Indian students but also to strengthen ties between the two countries and promote development and cooperation progress.
THE BRAIN AFTER PROGRAM
Akhilesh Lakhtakia, a Jefferson scientific fellow in the State Department's South and Central Asia (SCA) office, was tasked with designing this pioneering program.
Lakhtakia, who had temporarily left her position as a professor of engineering and mechanical sciences at Penn State University, was given a simple but important task: to create a program that would benefit both the U.S. government and the U.S. government. India, as well as for US universities and Indian students. In an interview, Lakhtakia expressed his enthusiasm for India's NEP, which he sees as a break from the traditional Indian education system, which is based on the pedagogical model of American universities.
The student-centered, flexible, multidisciplinary, futuristic, and international approach proposed by NEP appealed to him. He believes that its successful implementation will revolutionize education at schools and higher levels.
Lakhtakia's role is to explore ways in which the two countries can work together in line with the NEP, with a particular focus on the interests of Indian students.
The emphasis on knowledge partnership between the United States and India was evident during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States. His first involvement in Washington was at the National Science Foundation, where he interacted with students and university administrators, emphasizing the importance of the educational relationship between the two countries.
The creation of the Task Force on Skills Education and Training in April 2022, initiated by Secretary of State S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, further underscores the commitment to strengthen cooperation in the education Department.
This working group established four committees, two headed by each country. Among them, the US-India partnership committee on higher education, headed by Lakhtakia on the US side, plays a key role.
THIS WAY WILL HELP INDIAN STUDENTS
The structure and services of the program have been carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of Indian students. Of the 280,000 Indian students studying in the United States, the majority are pursuing master's degrees in STEM subjects.
"Education trends for Indian students in the US have shown a consistent trend. In the 2020-2021 school year, 78% of Indian students in the US study STEM subjects," said Amit Singh, Founder of UniScholars.
He added that the areas that are attracting the most interest are business and management, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
Recognizing this trend, Lakhtakia has partnered with US universities to develop a range of specialized courses covering a wide range of fields, including wireless technology, artificial intelligence (AI), engineering quantum, cybersecurity, etc. Unlike traditional two-year master's programs, Lakhtakia's initiative focuses on delivering a comprehensive master's degree with 30 credits over 12 months. This condensed format allows students to quickly transition into industry and become effective contributors.
