| Saturday, January 05, 2008
SRM University’s ‘Semester Abroad Programme’
launched
Top rankers to spend a semester in prestigious institutions
in U.S., U.K., or France
Chit chat: U.S. Consul-General David T. Hopper interacting
with students at the launch of the Semester Abroad Programme
in SRM University, Kattankulathur, on Friday.
TAMBARAM: While describing India and the United States of America
as natural partners, the U.S. Consul-General in Chennai, David
T. Hopper, said that the countries needed more partners to combat
the negative forces in the world.
“Respect and support for democratic institutions, the
war on terrorism, the globalisation of supply and demand, communications
revolution and other trends have pushed us towards one another,”
he said, after launching the Semester Abroad Programme at SRM
University, Kattankulathur, on Friday.
The two countries were also brought together by dark forces
unleashed by globalisation, climate change, energy security,
international crime and drugs, trafficking in persons, terrorism
and weapons of mass destruction.
“Both India and the U.S. need partners to combat these
negative trends, as both countries are natural partners [when
it comes] to each of these issues,” Mr. David Hopper said.
Education also played a huge role in the relationship between
India and the U.S.
Indians comprised the biggest chunk of foreign students in the
U.S. From 37,000 in 1999 their number had risen to 83,833 now,
Mr. David Hopper said. At present, there are 2,115 American
students pursuing education in India, a number too small considering
that more than 2.2 lakh of their students studied abroad each
year.
Many top notch American companies were already well established
in India and much of the activity was in Tamil Nadu or elsewhere
in South India.
Speaking on the occasion, SRM University Vice-Chancellor P.
Sathyanarayanan said top ranking students would be spending
a semester in prestigious institutions, including the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and Carnegie Melon in the U.S. besides
those in the U.K. and France.
The university would be spending close to Rs. 50 lakh for each
batch of 50 students who would go abroad each semester. As many
as 100 students would be sent this year, and they planned to
extend it to about 300 in the years to come, Mr. Sathyanarayanan
added.
Courtesy: The Hindu
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