Ambassador Jennifer Zimdahl Galt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, visited the U.S.-India Education Foundation (USIEF) this weekend to underline the importance the U.S. government places on promoting educational exchanges between the world’s two largest democracies. The meeting came at the start of Ambassador Galt’s week-long visit to India and Bhutan.
The Ambassador toured USIEF, saw firsthand the breadth and scale of its outreach initiatives, and met EducationUSA staff, who provide advice and information to Indian students looking to pursue a higher education in the U.S. EducationUSA services are in high demand as the United States remains the top international destination for Indian students, hosting over 186,000 – twice as many as a decade ago. Indians make up 17 percent of all international students in the U.S. today.
“The United States welcomes Indian students to take advantage of the diversity of higher education institutions, as well as the world class research at U.S. universities across the country,” Ambassador Galt said. “We encourage Indian students to be in touch with our EducationUSA advisors to find the U.S. college or university that meets their educational needs.”
Ambassador Galt also met with Fulbright Program students, including Americans studying in India as well as Indian alumni of U.S. colleges and universities. The Indian graduates shared their experiences studying abroad and discussed how they benefitted from a U.S. education.
EducationUSA advisers reported to the Ambassador that, contrary to some reports, the appetite for studying in the U.S. remains high among Indian students. Prospective applicants report that they are most attracted by high-quality of education, the international value placed on U.S. degrees, the opportunity to form a lifelong connection with the United States, and the personal and professional links offered by U.S. university and college alumni networks.
The EducationUSA advising center at USIEF, Delhi provides accurate, current, and comprehensive information on U.S. higher education through sessions online, at the center, and at schools and universities. The free sessions include information on admission requirements, application procedures, fields of study, standardized tests, and financial aid.
The Fulbright Program offers grants to qualified Indian graduate students to study at the graduate level in the United States. These fellowships enable the most outstanding students, academics, and professionals in India and the U.S. to study, research, and teach in each other’s countries.
For more information on these programs, please contact USIEF at 91-011-4209-0977 or on Facebook at EducationUSA India.
