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Marie Royce who is the US assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs has said that United States welcomes more students from India for higher studies.

The US assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs has been in Delhi in order to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the prestigious Fullbright programme in India.

The Fullbright programme is one among the several United States Cultural Exchange Programs which are aiming to improve the intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy and the intercultural competence between the people of the United States and the people of the other countries. This is done with the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills.

Ms Royce has told the EconomicTimes on the sidelines of the U.S. India Educational Foundation (USIEF) event which was organized in order to celebrate the Fullbright anniversary in Delhi, that the students of India who are in search of information are being supported and are advised through the seven EducationUSA offices across the country which offer free services and also the free app by the United States of America.

Although the number of the students being graduated in the United States has decreased when compared to the graduated students in the year 2018, the difference in the graduated students from the United States in the year 2019 when compared to the year 2018 is said to be decreased by 5.6 per cent, as per the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange (IIE), Ms Royce who is the assistant secretary has felt that there still exist a great deal of interest in India to attain education in the United States.

Marie Royce has said that the optional practical training (OPT) after education is the option that attracts the students of Indian to pursue their studies in the United States.

She added saying that although the students of India are going to other countries in order to pursue their higher education, the US degree is still the most sought after in the world that consists of over 4700 universities which offer the degrees in several areas of study that includes science, technology, engineering and math put together as STEM, art, entrepreneurship and public administration.

Although there exists competition from the other countries, the research options that are provided by the United States are unmatched by another country for the Indians. She added saying that the STEM attracts the largest number of students from India where as the other sectors such as hospitality and tourism were also increasing.

By Shrithika Kushangi