The United States and India Reach New Heights in Education Cooperation

New Delhi, November 18, 2024: 
The United States and India share a longstanding relationship in the field of education and continue to work together on a wide range of initiatives, from early childhood education to promoting two-way student mobility at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This ongoing collaboration is now expanding with the launch of the new “Women in STEMM Fellowship” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine), a partnership between John Hopkins University Gupta-Klinsky India Institute and the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment, aimed at supporting and empowering early-career women scientists and researchers in India to become leaders in their STEMM fields. 

This investment in education is yielding significant results. Highlighting the release of the latest Open Doors Report today, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti announced that for the first time since 2009, India sent more students to the United States than any other country! More than 330,000 Indians pursued higher education in the United States in 2023/2024, a 23 percent increase over the prior year. 

The Open Doors report highlights significant growth across various levels: 

Graduate Enrollment: India retained its position as the top sender of international graduate students for the second year, with nearly 197,000 students—a 19 percent increase from last year. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT): The number of Indian students in OPT programs surged by 41 percent to 97,556, reinforcing India’s role as a leading source of skilled professionals in the United States. 

Undergraduate Enrollment: Undergraduate numbers from India rose by 13 percent, reaching over 36,000 students. 
These increases underscore India’s upward trajectory in U.S. higher education over the past two years, fueled by a strong interest in advanced academic and professional opportunities. 

This year’s Open Doors Report also shows a 300 percent increase in American students choosing India as a study abroad destination. The number of Americans studying in India rose from 300 to 1,300 in 2022/2023. 

The release of the Open Doors Report marks the beginning of International Education Week (IEW) which celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. 

Speaking at the STEMM launch event, Ambassador Garcetti said, “Today we gather to launch the “Women in STEM Development and Medicine Fellowship” -- or the “Women in STEMM India Fellowship” -- an initiative of the U.S.- India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment led by the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute at Johns Hopkins University. This event is a reminder of the global importance of education, collaboration, and gender equity in shaping the future of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). The launch of the “Women in STEMM Fellowship” coinciding with International Education Week makes this moment particularly meaningful and more special. Today marks the celebration of the shared belief that education is not confined by borders, and that collaboration between our countries and institutions is the key to solving global challenges.” 

Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels added: “At Johns Hopkins University, we believe that empowering women in STEMM is essential for advancing global innovation. The “Women in STEMM Fellowship”, launched in partnership with the U.S. State Department, is designed to help Indian women scientists gain critical research skills, access mentors, and connect with global networks. This fellowship addresses the barriers that often limit women’s progress in these fields by providing the support, training, and resources they need to start and sustain their research careers. We are honored to support talented women as they shape a more impactful future leading the R&D ecosystem in India.” 

The U.S. Mission to India celebrates its support for U.S.-India education collaboration from primary school to careers, working to increase women’s formal inclusion in the workforce and formal economy. 

The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai and the University of Denver will soon launch a free “Digital Guide on Internationalization: Simplifying U.S.-India Higher Education Institution (HEI) Collaboration and Partnerships.” This guide will provide Indian colleges and universities with information about the U.S. educational system, resources for internationalizing their campuses by partnering with U.S. colleges and universities, best practices for successful collaborations, the importance of DEIA in recruitment, and ways to build different types of partnerships in areas like student and faculty exchanges, curriculum development, research and data sharing, and more. 

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is celebrating International Education Week with the launch of “Learn Play Grow”, a new partnership with Sesame Workshop India Trust to enhance foundational learning and safe hygiene practices for children and families in Rajasthan’s Baran and Telangana’s Bhupalapally districts. The initiative will directly engage 20,000-25,000 children at Anganwadi Centres and reach 7.6 million people nationwide via social media. This initiative builds on the U.S. government’s longstanding commitment to quality primary education in India, aligning with the Government of India's National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat mission for universal foundational literacy, inclusive school access, and gender-equitable education. 

EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State-funded program, promotes access to U.S. higher education for students around the world, including in India, through a range of tailored initiatives and resources. The recently launched EducationUSA India website (educationusa.in) is part of ongoing efforts to make it easier for students across India to explore the possibilities of studying in the United States. 

Students can download the EducationUSA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices, for the latest information about the college application process. It is a quick and easy first step to planning higher education in the United States. Or visit https://educationusa.in/ 

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