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In the next few months the United States and India are all set to take initiatives for increased collaboration in the field of higher education. This was announced when Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister visited the United States in November, 2009.

The country wants creation of theme based universities, teachers training and promotion of research. It also wants to set up a group of famous educational institutions known as the Indian Ivy league. This was announced under the knowledge program of Obama-Singh initiative, which was named under President Obama and Manmohan Singh.

On 15th to 16th June, Kapil Sibal, the human resource development minister will be meeting Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State. This meeting will also be attended by education experts, administrators and academicians from both the nations. This was reported in a note that was created by the human resource development ministry.

Before that 5 sub committees have been set up by the government which includes experts on education from both public as well as the private sector. These sub committees will be visiting the United States in the next month. Particular areas of special interest as well as fields of cooperation with the United States will be identified by them before the visit of Sibal.

These sub committees will be focusing on the system of faculty development, academic leadership, knowledge partnerships, collaboration in the academic industry, skill and vocational development and creating institutional partnership between the two countries.

Narayan Rangaswami, the executive director of the practice of education at KPMG said that the education system in the United States is well advanced while higher education in India is becoming better. According to him through this initiative both countries will learn from each other and work together in the areas of technology, science, skill education and research. This will be an excellent opportunity especially for India.

According to a senior official from the ministry, this initiative will help in attracting the well known universities in the United States to set up innovation universities along with their Indian partners. The government is planning to form fourteen research oriented institutions like this.

Each of these universities will focus on different areas such as science or sustainable development. However till now the Indian parliament did not clear a law which will allow the foreign universities in opening campuses in the country.

It was also revealed by the official that this initiative between President Obama and Prime Minister Singh will help India in meeting the deficiency of the trained teachers. According to a central government data the institutes of higher education in India including the elite IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) are going through a shortage of faculty.

There are more that 3,500 vacant posts in the twenty two top universities in the country. The newly formed IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) in Raipur, Ranchi and Rohtak depend largely on the visiting professors.

Till now there have been no steps taken for implementing the Obama-Singh initiative. However while visiting India last year Obama reiterated that he is committed to this program.