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Last modified: Tuesday, June 12, 2012

IU President McRobbie participating in U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue in Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie will participate in the U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue at the State Department today in Washington, D.C. The Dialogue is designed to identify future research and innovation partnerships between universities and institutes in the two countries.

Michael McRobbie

Michael A. McRobbie

Print-Quality Photo

McRobbie will speak in a session on university research collaboration based on information technology and high-speed international networks in areas such as public health, food security and climate change.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Indian Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal and Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will address the Dialogue.

The Dialogue provides U.S. and Indian government leaders with an opportunity to meet and help identify key areas of educational cooperation, shared goals and best practices in the areas of research and innovation, and will help frame their international higher education priorities for the year ahead.

The meeting is part of a four-day visit by an Indian delegation that includes a half dozen cabinet ministers, which has been national news in India. Today's event is a follow-up to last fall's higher education summit between the two countries and is expected to result in the announcement of several joint partnership projects.

"Universities, whether they be in India or the United States, can be research engines that fuel innovation that often leads to breathtaking advances in knowledge or new products," McRobbie said. "This includes finding new ways in which information technology can facilitate our shared teaching and research missions to help society and leading to further collaboration between our academic and business communities.

"We are honored to have been invited to participate in the Dialogue, given our strong relationships with some of the leading universities and other institutions across India," McRobbie added.

In August, McRobbie made the first official visit to India by a sitting IU president in at least 40 years. He met with leading university officials, business executives, political leaders -- including the vice president of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari -- and alumni in four cities. During the trip, McRobbie signed a formal agreement with the Confederation of India Industry, the country's largest business trade group.