India proposes to host Indo-German higher education summit

India today proposed to host an Indo-German higher education summit this year to explore issues like mutual recognition of qualification and joint research programmes.

The proposal was discussed at length during a meeting between HRD minister Kapil Sibal and visiting German minister of education and research Annettee Schavan here.

The education summit, which could be held between November and December this year, will also explore possibilities of development of junior faculty, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes, said a statement issued by the HRD ministry.

The move to hold such a summit between the two countries comes close on the heels of both India and USA also agreeing to host an Indo-US summit this year.

Sibal and his German counterpart also discussed a consortia approach of "twinning between universities" of both the countries where two to three Indian Universities could partner with two to three German Universities for conducing degree-level courses.

They felt setting up of such 'meta' universities would lead to further collaboration in higher education sector between the two countries, the statement said.

Sibal said mutual recognition of degrees and diplomas awarded by the educational institutions of both the countries will be extremely helpful to enhance the mobility of the students, said a statement issued by the HRD ministry.