US universities are seeking to strengthen ties with counterparts across India, with a main focus on key areas like artificial intelligence, healthcare, and technology. The Task Force is committed to expanding United States-India University Partnerships, which are formed by the Association of American Universities.
Established in April 2023, the task force has been in constant touch through regular meetings to discuss challenges in strengthening higher education and increasing scientific research. The key points that are highlighted in the report include scaling up research collaboration and exchanges. Moreover, the aim is to scale up internships and apprenticeships too.
Furthermore, research collaboration is expected between India and the US in AI and its applications in the healthcare sector. Moreover, semiconductors also play an important role in these discussions. The creation of the task force took place last year in line with Biden’s administration. The main objective was to grow industrial and technological cooperation between India and the US.
The US consulates and IIE delegates will visit the IIT Hyderabad, Indian School of Business, Mahindra University, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management. According to IIE, the topics on which discussion will take place include the setting up of an international branch campus in India.
As per the reports, there are around 70 institutions researching on a large scale compared to the small-scale setup in India. As of now, India’s spending on R&D is only 0.7% of its GDP. However, AAU’s involvement will provide a boost to research in Indian academia. Over 265,000 Indian students came to the US to pursue higher education in the academic year 2022–23. Indian students in the US constitute 25% of the one million international students studying in the country.
