U.S.-India Educational Ties: Record Student Exchanges, Women in STEMM Fellowship, New Collaborative Initiatives Launched

The United States and India have been collaborating in education and continue to strengthen their partnership through various initiatives, from early childhood education to fostering two-way student mobility at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The "Women in STEMM Fellowship" (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) programme is now being launched in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Gupta-Klinsky India Institute and the U.S.-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment. The programme is being introduced to empower early-career women scientists and researchers in India to become leaders in their STEMM fields.

With the release of the latest Open Doors Report, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti announced that, for the first time since 2009, India has surpassed all other countries with the highest number of students studying in the United States. Over 330,000 Indian students pursued higher education in the U.S. during the 2023-2024 academic year, marking a 23% increase from the previous year.

The Open Doors report highlights significant growth across various levels: 

Graduate Enrollment: India retained its position as the top sender of international graduate students for the second year, with nearly 197,000 students—a 19% increase from last year. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT): The number of Indian students in OPT programs surged by 41 per cent to 97,556, reinforcing India’s role as a leading source of skilled professionals in the United States. 

Undergraduate Enrollment: Undergraduate numbers from India rose by 13 per cent, reaching over 36,000 students. 

Open Doors 2024 Report also shows a 300% increase in American students choosing India as a study-abroad destination.  The number of Americans studying in India rose from 300 to 1,300 in 2022-2023.  

Academic Level Break-up of Students in the United States

US Ambassador Garcetti, when speaking at the STEMM launch event, stated that the event is a reminder of the global importance of education, collaboration, and gender equity in shaping the future of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM).  He further added that the launch of the “Women in STEMM Fellowship” coinciding with International Education Week makes this moment particularly meaningful and more special.  Today marks the celebration of the shared belief that education is not confined by borders, and that collaboration between our countries and institutions is the key to solving global challenges, he states. 

Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels added that the University believes that empowering women in STEMM is essential for advancing global innovation. The “Women in STEMM Fellowship”, launched in partnership with the U.S. State Department, is designed to help Indian women scientists gain critical research skills, access mentors, and connect with global networks. He also mentioned that the fellowship addresses the barriers that often limit women’s progress in these fields by providing the support, training, and resources they need to start and sustain their research careers.

The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai and the University of Denver will soon be launching a free “Digital Guide on Internationalization: Simplifying U.S.-India Higher Education Institution (HEI) Collaboration and Partnerships.”  This will provide Indian colleges and universities with information about the U.S. educational system, resources for internationalizing their campuses by partnering with U.S. colleges and universities, practices for successful collaborations, the importance of DEIA in recruitment, and ways to build different types of partnerships in areas like student and faculty exchanges, curriculum development, research and data sharing, and more.   

International Education Week with Learn Play Grow

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is also celebrating International Education Week with the launch of “Learn Play Grow”, a new partnership with Sesame Workshop India Trust to enhance foundational learning and safe hygiene practices for children and families in Rajasthan’s Baran and Telangana’s Bhupalapally districts.  The initiative will engage 20,000-25,000 children at Anganwadi Centres and reach 7.6 million people nationwide via social media.  

The programme builds on the U.S. government’s longstanding commitment to quality primary education in India, aligning with the Government of India’s National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat mission for universal foundational literacy, inclusive school access, and gender-equitable education. 

EducationUSA, a U.S. Department of State-funded programme, promotes access to U.S. higher education for students around the world, including in India, through a range of tailored initiatives and resources.  The recently launched EducationUSA India website is part of ongoing efforts to make it easier for students across India to explore the possibilities of studying in the United States. 

Students can download the EducationUSA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices, for the latest information about the college application process. It is a quick and easy first step to planning higher education in the United States. Or visit educationusa.in for further details.

Also Read: US Open Doors 2024 Report: India Top-Sending Country For The First Time Since 2009