Mangalore, Feb 28: To promote opportunities of higher education, travel and tourism and business investment among Indians in the United States, the U S Consulate General in Chennai will organise a unique 'Experience America' outreach programme spread over three days in Mangalore.
The outreach programme to woo young Indians to the United States will showcase several American companies, firms and food outlets, speech, quiz, music and debate contests, seminars on higher education in the US and catalogue display counters on US destinations such as Alaska, Louisiana, Virginia, New Orleans, Delaware and San Antonio by the US Commercial Service.
Addressing media persons at a press conference here on Thursday, Public Affairs Officer of the Chennai Consulate David Gainer said that such outreach programmes had been previously organised by the Consulate in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Thiruvananthapuram in collaboration with local educational institutions and cultural organisations.
During the 'Experience America' events in Mangalore, the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) will promote educational exchange opportunities for academic and professional growth in the US among Indian students and programmes such as Fulbright-Nehru fellowships and other fellowships and grants for Indian students and teachers to hone their skills. International education offers a great benefit and tremendous experience, and educational bridge is the key element in the Indo-US relationship. There has been an enormous growth of students from India studying in US in the past 15 years. From 30,000 Indian students 15 years ago, there are over one lakh students currently studying in the US, which is the largest number of foreign students from a particular country, he said.
US Commercial Service Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs Judy Reinke said that the outreach programme spread over three days, would enable people to experience America and it different faucets. The US Commercial Service hopes to build its local partnerships in emerging cities, and the 'Experience America' programme will provide a foothold for American businesses to explore partnerships in the southern part of India. Travel and tourism being the largest services sector in the US, the programme will also hope to encourage more travellers to the country. The setting up of an American Business Corner (ABC) in Mangalore will encourage Indo-US business partnerships and assist the growth of Indian businesses in the US, she said.
Schedule for March 1, 2
The 'Experience America' programme will be inaugurated at St Aloysius College, Mangalore on Friday at 9.30 a.m. followed by an inter-collegiate speech competition for college students on the topic 'India's emerging regional role in South and Central Asia' and InfoUSA Quiz for high school teams. There will be seminars on 'Higher Education in the US and student visas' at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. The US Commercial Service will inaugurate an American Business Corner in partnership with Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Mangalore at 5.30 p.m.
There will be a poetry slam contest, InfoUSA Quiz/Trivia contest, catalogue display of US educational institutions and universities and American Library services, provision of information on higher education in US and student visas and an ice-cream eating and tasting competition.
Vice Consul of the Chennai Consulate Thomas Montgomery and Director of USIEF-India Maya Sivakumar were present during the press conference.
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