New Delhi: Presidents and Deans of many US Universities met Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today at Washington DC and expressed their desire to set up higher education institutions in India. They also appreciated the process of academic reforms initiated in India and said that they would like to be active partners in the growth story of Indian education.

Dr. Charles Steger, President of Virginia Tech.,alongwith senior academics of Virginia Tech met HRM and informed that they wish to set up facility near Chennai for research in three broad areas, namely Bio-informatics, Nanosciences and Transportation studies. They also want to start select masters' and Doctoral degree programmes. The team of Virginia Tech, an important technical institution in USA, appeared enthused by the recent introduction of the legislation on Foreign Education Providers in the Parliament and said that apart from starting own institution in India, they would also like to have collaboration with Indian institutions in other fields including medical education. Shri Kapil Sibal satisfied their many queries on accreditation and other regulatory requirements and suggested that with India's sustained growth rate of 8 to 9%, there is tremendous scope of development in urban studies, urban housing and transportation, architecture and planning and sustainable development. The challenge is to find solutions for problems in India which can be replicated globally.

Dr Spiros Demolitsas, Senior Vice President and CEO of Georgetown University alongwith his team, met HRM Shri Kapil Sibal and briefed HRM about the progress made since the last visit of Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal in end Oct 2009. Dr Demolitsas informed that they are looking at institutions and projects aiming at social science research and suggested two areas- professional and executive development for policy makers and business leaders as also research in emerging areas of climate change, sustainability etc. requiring inter-disciplinary approach. Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal asked them to send a concept note so that areas of mutual interest are identified

Dr Louis Goodman, Dean School of International Service, American University met HRM and informed that their School of International Studies(SIS) has already signed a MoU with Manipal University to develop a program in national security studies. School of International Studies (SIS), which is the largest school of international studies in the world with over 3000 students and 200 faculty, also expressed keen interest in establishment of an Indian Institute at American University which will be dedicated to Indian Studies. As per their proposal, this institute will inter- disciplinary in approach focussing on such areas as foreign policy and national security, science and technology policy, sustainable development, etc.

A number of other academics also met HRM and expressed their desire to participate in India's growth story.