New Delhi: India’s education diplomacy over the years has gained momentum and has become an effective method to strengthen and bolster ties with nations across the globe.
Bringing world-class education and providing educational opportunities to international students, educational exchanges are playing a pivotal role in promoting India’s soft image in addition to culture and history to the foreign audience.
In recent years, India has been forging ahead to increase its engagement with African countries and education has become one of the important components to maintaining ties in the changing geopolitical scenario with these small countries on the continent.
Talks are currently underway between India and Tanzania for the establishment of the first foreign campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the East African country. It is expected that the campus will start its classes by the end of this year.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Jitendra Tripathi, who has served in various capacities in Indian missions in Africa, Middle East, and Europe, said, “India'a education diplomacy in Africa is not new. In 2008, the India-Africa friendship forum was launched, which emphasized e-education, e-Health, and e-governance. Through e-education, India connected all 52 heads of state in Africa. Through e-medical, the Govt of India connected eminent hospitals in India with the premium hospitals of African countries for real-time suggestions and education of local doctors, especially in surgery."
"For the last 60 years, ICCR has been inviting students from African countries to study at Indian universities, and under that, more than 50,000 African students have benefitted. The education standard in Africa was quite low and therefore, it required to be raised since India's education standard was better and cheaper, why not ask Africans to come and study here and open up institutions for them to study there (Africa)? India is now gearing up in an intense way to spread its education program under its diplomacy, in Africa, so that we can have a better bond and relation”, added Tripathi.
He noted that China too is trying to flex its muscles through education diplomacy and has got its own ulterior motive adding, "India's policy has been selfless and an attempt to create goodwill in the relationship, that we have been enjoying with Africa for years now, especially Eastern coast".
Relations between India and Africa go back a long way and the two share a unique bond due to their shared colonial experience in the past. In recent times, New Delhi's ties with Africa have become more strategic and India is making all possible efforts to bolster its ties with countries on the continent, especially, in the face of China's growing belligerence in the region and the fact that the South Asian giant, has emerged as Africa's largest trading partner.
Moreover, India has been one of the top destinations for higher studies for African students in the past, and the establishment of foreign campuses for top Indian universities and technical institutes in Africa is expected to further strengthen educational ties between the two sides. It is pertinent to note, the country remains among the top five destinations for African students traveling abroad for higher education.
Last week. External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar was on an official visit to Mozambique and Uganda. During his visit, EAM inaugurated the overseas campus of India’s National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Jinja, Uganda.
During the inauguration, Jaishankar highlighted the high demand for forensic science courses from students in Africa under various scholarships provided by the Government of India. He pointed out that one of the reasons for establishing the NFSU campus in Uganda was the high acceptance of the university among students from Africa.
The NFSU campus in Uganda is partnering with the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces and will offer courses in forensic sciences, behavioral sciences, cyber security, digital forensics, and allied sciences. This is the first such university opened by the Government of India in a foreign country.
The establishment of NFSU and the IIT, which is on the card, will further strengthen cooperation between India and Africa and is helping to ensure that Africa has full access to quality education, thereby paving the way for a brighter future for the youths across the continents.
