Dr. Joti Sekhon
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has been named one of ten colleges selected to participate in an international studies pilot group to build study abroad bridges with institutions in India.
At its 5th Annual Best Practices Conference in New York recently, the Institute of International Education (IIE) announced the selection of pilot group participants for the International Academic Partnerships Program (IAPP) from a pool of over 70 applicants. The new initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), and is one of the first major programs of IIE’s new Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education.
Over the course of the next year, the ten institutions will participate in a number of training activities and webinars focused on implementing and sustaining partnerships, and will join a study tour to India in the fall to meet with potential Indian partner campuses. Each participant has committed to forming a campus task force to work on prospective partnerships, conducting an institution-wide inventory of activities pertaining to India, and developing a strategic plan focused on partnership with India.
The other selected institutions were: California State University – San Bernardino, College of William and Mary, Florida Atlantic University, Oakland Community College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Spelman College, St. Cloud State University, The University of Tulsa and University of South Carolina
“I am delighted that WSSU has been selected to participate in IIE’s pilot program for developing linkages with institutions in India,” said Dr. Joti Sekhon, WSSU’s international programs director. “The leadership, mentoring and capacity-building core services provided by IIE will enable WSSU to identify suitable institutions in India for partnering with respect to academic programs, research collaboration, faculty and student exchanges, and study abroad programs.”
The size, diversity and complexity of India present a significant challenge in terms of identifying highly accredited and academically compatible higher education institutions for effective partnering. However, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the world’s largest democracy, and a strategic player in international affairs. India is also poised to overtake China as the most populous country, so it is imperative that WSSU enhance the skills and capacities of its faculty and students throughout the curriculum to engage with India. Participating in the IAPP program will enable WSSU to develop a coordinated and integrated strategy to move to the next level in terms of campus-wide and strategic engagement with India, Sekhon noted.
Sekhon collaborated on developing the proposal with Dr. Suresh Gopalan, WSSU assistant dean of graduate programs in the School of Business and Economics, and Dr. Vanessa Durren-Winfield, WSSU director of research, School of Health Sciences.
India has been the leading place of origin for international students in the United States since 2001/02. There were more than 103,000 international students from India studying in the U.S. in 2008/09, an increase of nine percent from the previous year.
Since 1950, more than 5,000 Indian students and scholars have come to the U.S. and more than 3,100 American teachers, scholars, and students have gone to India through the Fulbright program. The U.S. and Indian Governments recently signed a historic new Fulbright agreement, effectively doubling the number of Fulbright-Nehru grants for American and Indian students and scholars.
Given this dramatic growth in exchanges and the increasing priority both countries have placed on internationalization of higher education and expanded academic collaboration, higher education institutions are increasingly seeking out partnerships with counterparts. These efforts will enhance the study-abroad opportunities for students, expand curricular offerings, advance joint research, and prepare students with the international experiences and cross-cultural tools needed in their careers. However, many institutions face significant challenges in navigating education systems in other countries, identifying appropriate partners and developing effective institutional partnership strategies.
