Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and discussed ways to boost bilateral cooperation in higher education.
Sibal is accompanying External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna for the India-US strategic dialogue that begins Thursday.

At his meeting with Clinton in Washington Wednesday, Sibal proposed the setting up an India-US Education Council which will have entrepreneurs and government representatives as members, an official statement here said.

Clinton welcomed the proposal and also expressed keen interest in India’s vision of building an educated and skilled society, it said.

She also suggested collaboration in areas of skill development, particularly through community colleges.

Sibal briefed Clinton on the 14 ‘innovation universities’ being set up in India, to focus on research and development in a large way, and sought US cooperation in some of them.

Some of the areas identified for research are health, environment and new technologies for power plants.

The statement added that one of these universities is likely to be announced during the proposed visit of US President Barack Obama to India later this year.

Sibal and Clinton also discussed the scope of information and communication technologies in enhancing teaching-learning capabilities and research collaboration in biosciences, nano-sciences and other sphere.

Sibal met US Education Secretary Arne Duncan separately Wednesday.

The meetings assumes importance as Sibal has been pitching for increasing foreign direct investment in education.

According to officials here, major American universities met Sibal Wednesday and voiced interest in venturing into higher education in India.

Besides Sibal, the Indian delegation for the strategic dialogue includes Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan.