Indo-US council on education soon; Sibal to visit US next week

Ahead of his visit to the US next week, HRD minister Kapil Sibal today said a number of American institutes are keen on investing in India and that both countries will set up a joint council to take forward bilateral cooperation in education.

Sibal held a meeting with visiting US under secretary for political affairs William J Burns and discussed the scope for
collaboration and investment by the American institutes in India.

The Indo-US Council will comprise industry leaders and academicians and will work on how to facilitate investment and collaborations of American institutions with Indian universities.

"We will set up Indo-US council on education. Burns said the universities in the US want that the roadmap for their entry to India be expedited and that they are ready to come. There is a lot of enthusiasm from private sector, government and universities in this direction," he said.

Sibal said he will lead a delegation of industry leaders and university people to the US on October 24. He is scheduled to visit a number of institutions, including Harvard University, Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and George Washington University.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit the US in November.