The Hindu : National : Blair announces £10 million for exchange programmes

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Friday, Sep 09, 2005

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National

Blair announces £10 million for exchange programmes

Special Correspondent

Money to fund scholarships, short-term academic exchanges

NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Thursday announced that £10 million would be allocated by the British Government to promote academic and educational exchanges between the two countries. This announcement was made as a follow-up action on the joint declaration — India-UK: Towards a New and Dynamic Partnership — signed by the two countries during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the U.K. last year.

Billed as the U.K.-India Education Initiative, Mr. Blair unveiled the package at a function organised here by British Council India. Besides £10 million set aside by the British Government for this purpose, he said there were plans to involve the private sector in this initiative to generate more money.

This money will be used to fund scholarships and short-term academic exchanges to promote two-way movement of students, staff and researchers; provide awards for doctoral and post-doctoral research to encourage young Indians to come to Britain and young British researchers to spend time in Indian institutions; facilitate exchanges between faculties at a senior level; and encourage collaboration between centres of excellence in science and technology and other fields of study.

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