CHENNAI: With India becoming an increasingly attractive destination for American students studying Abroad, Cultural Vistas – a not for profit organization based in the United States – conducted one-day ‘Educating for Exchange’ workshop in Chennai on Tuesday, March 11th, 2014.
As India continues to accommodate more young leaders from the United States, Indian and American higher education institutions will need to work together to provide programs that not only meet students’ needs, but also contribute to diplomacy and the building of positive relations between the two countries.
With these goals in mind, Cultural Vistas facilitated “Educating for Exchange: Opportunities for India-U.S. Diplomacy,” a one-day workshop funded by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate, General in Chennai.
More than 40 international affairs officers from Indian universities and institutions explored models of international exchange that will better prepare them to engage with U.S. universities and students for academic and work-based exchanges, both inbound and outbound.
These models included internships, study tours, fellowships, professional institutes and seminars, research, work abroad, language immersion, and multi-faceted programs.
The workshop included a virtual component enabling international education professionals representing the University of Tulsa, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and The Alliance for Global Education to provide best practices in program development and offer perspectives on the importance of internationalization.
American-based professionals who have experienced India via study or work abroad programs – including alumni of the University of Rochester, Tulane University, Goucher College, and University of California, Santa Barbara – also provided testimonials about the impact of their programs.
About Cultural Vistas
A nonprofit organization, Cultural Vistas annually serves more than 5,000 students, professionals, and emerging leaders through career-focused international internships, educational study tours, language immersion and cultural exchange programs in the United States and around the world. – Learn more at culturalvistas.org; Follow @CulturalVistas on Twitter
