Several universities in the U.S., including UT-Austin, launched a higher education partnership on Wednesday with the government of India and AMRITA Vishwa Vidyapeetham, an Indian university. Under the five-year partnership, U.S. professors are encouraged to teach almost any subject in India, but the initial intention of the program focuses on computer sciences, engineering, and information and communication technologies, said Vijay K. Garg, a UT electrical and computer engineering professor. U.S. professors will travel to India to lecture through a national satellite system that will reach hundreds of Indian universities.
A total of 10 U.S. universities have joined the international initiative, according to the memorandum of understanding all parties signed last week. Garg traveled to New Delhi to sign on behalf of the University.
Uniform training across the world is a must, and the signing of the agreement is a step forward in that direction, said professor V.S. Ramamurthy, secretary of India's Department of Science and Technology.
Other major partners in the initiative include the Indian Space Research Organization and Microsoft Corp., which will provide financial assistance, such as covering professors' travel expenses.
Garg said U.S. professors are generally regarded as more qualified than professors in India, and a number of Indian engineering schools are experiencing a shortage of good faculty. Enrollment in engineering schools is also four times higher in India than in the U.S.
Eventually, the partnership will include research sharing and assistance.
Garg said professors will teach, short-term, at an Indian university through lectures that will then be broadcast over India's educational satellite system. The satellite network, known as EduSat, is operated by AMRITA and has an established connection with four campuses across India.
Publicity of the partnership is low, Garg said, so there has not been any notable faculty interest. Garg said he hopes to soon meet with UT System Provost Sheldon Ekland-Olson to discuss the University's role and under which department or office the initiative will operate. Because the University's electrical and computer engineering department has a significant number of Indian students and faculty, Garg said he thought that department would be a good candidate.
Arumugam Manthiram, a mechanical engineering professor at UT, said he received an e-mail about the partnership and supported the effort to bring the two countries together.
Manthiram said a need exists for high-quality technological education, but added that he would need more details before stating his interest in participating, such as how much time would be spent in India.
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