By IANS,
New Delhi: More foreign students can be attracted only after augmenting capacity in the Indian education sector, which could be achieved through private-public partnerships, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said Saturday.
“Education for foreigners can only take place…after additional capacity is generated,” Tharoor said at the valedictory session at the 2nd Education Summit, organised by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Institute of Marketing and Management.
Taking inspiration from the “Incredible India” campaign that brought foreign tourists here, Tharoor said it was perhaps time to launch a public-private partnership on the lines of “Learning in India” to achieve similar success.
He said that India has always been hospitable to foreign students, adding it was one of his greatest pleasures to meet foreign heads of states who had educational qualifications from India.
“The presidents of Afghanistan and Malawi hold degrees from India,” Tharoor pointed out.
At any time, he said that there no less than 10,000 African students, with another 7,000-8,000 students from Iran alone, studying in India.