Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative

Updated on: Monday, December 14, 2009

More than 50 years ago, India and the United States signed agreements to improve agricultural education and research in India. A key result of these initiatives was the establishment of five state agricultural universities in India with considerable advisory support from colleagues at American Land-Grant universities, says a press report on the United States- India Knowledge Initiative on Agricultural Education, Teaching, Research, Service and Commer-cial Linkages.

Taking off from this platform, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressing the Indian American community at a reception hosted by the Indian Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar said, “Our relationship will see a new emphasis on the five Es — economy, energy, environment, education and empowerment…”

The Prime Minister added, “We will also harness our natural synergies in science and technology, education and research to advance food security, improve healthcare, develop green technologies and create human resources for the future.” A day before India and the US unveiled an ambitious initiative on education as part of their next phase of strategic partnership, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for scaling up the cooperation between the Indian and American university systems reported IANS.

“We must work harder to strengthen the university system. We have plans to set up 40 new universities. I see enormous opportunities for the university systems of India and the US to work together,” Manmohan Singh said after addressing top Indian and American businessmen at the US Chamber of Commerce. IANS reports that the Prime Minister singled out the deficiency in the quality and quantity of teachers in India as a problem area where enhanced links with America could help.
According to IANS reports, a Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative -a partnership that will encompass university education, scholarship, technology and knowledge economy and enhanced education linkages - would be fleshed out.

Singh-Obama Knowledge Initiative

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