IIE Hosts Roundtable on Passport to India Initiative, Launches BRITE India Program to Place American Students in Internships in India

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The Institute of International Education hosted a roundtable discussion on the U.S. Department of State’s Passport to India Initiative. Hosted by IIE President and CEO Allan E. Goodman, the event featured remarks by two speakers from the U.S. Department of State: Robert O. Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, and Molly Maguire Teas, Senior Advisor for Education, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. The Passport to India Initiative promotes internships for American high school and college students in India, allowing them to gain an understanding of the country’s people, history, culture, and rapidly developing infrastructure. With private funding, the effort encourages businesses to partner with U.S. schools, colleges, foundations, or international organizations to commit to sponsoring American students to intern in their India-based offices and factories.

During the event, IIE announced a new internship program in support of the Passport to India Initiative. The new IIE program, BRITE India – IIE Business and Research Internships for Technology and Education – is a private sector effort that is aligned with the Obama administration goals to improve U.S. students and young professionals' understanding of India. Currently, fewer than 3,000 U.S. students study in India annually. In contrast, more than 100,000 students from India study in the United States each year, helping to foster knowledge of U.S. cities, culture and business among young people in India.

BRITE India will help to provide international opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students in India. Given India’s political and economic role in the global market, and its multitude of cultures and languages, U.S. students must have more exposure to India in both educational and business contexts. As a host to numerous rapidly growing businesses and research centers, India is an ideal location for internship programs focusing on business, entrepreneurship and technology, with myriad internship opportunities in India’s booming private sector. IIE will secure private support from corporations with an interest in promoting economic cooperation with India and developing a generation of Americans with the skills to think, work, and act globally.

IIE's BRITE India aims to achieve the following goals:

• Strengthen ties between the U.S. and Indian business communities and future leaders in the two countries; 
•  Enable participating students to gain new skills to become more competitive in the global economy and expose them to the opportunities of working with one of the world’s key emerging markets; 
•  Promote international understanding and develop the next generation of global innovators, leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

IIE is currently seeking sponsorship between $25K-$100K from potential partners for BRITE India. To learn more and become a sponsor of BRITE India, contact Jonah Kokodyniak, Deputy Vice President, Strategic Development, at jkokodyniak@iie.org.

For more information about the BRITE India program, please visit www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-10-11-IIE-BRITE-India-Initiative