India, Germany plan joint working group on education
26 Jun 2009
India and Germany are proposing to set up a joint working group on education. This was discussed during a meeting between Kapil Sibal, union minister for human resource development and Max G Huber, vice president of the German Academic Exchange Service.
The working group, draft preparation for which will be undertaken immediately, will act as an umbrella organisation which will encompass all areas, including research, academic training programmes, setting up of chairs in each other's countries', academic and faculty exchange programmes etc.
Sibal said the area in which India and Germany could work together fruitfully was in skill development. The HRD ministry has proposed to set up community polytechnics, which will specialise in imparting skills.
He cited the example of the several German automobile units in India, for which skilled manpower could be generated through a focused programme in skill development between India and Germany, which will benefit both countries.
The German delegation expressed interest in imparting joint degrees by Germany and India. The HRD minister stated that the opening up of the education sector in India was proposed in the HRD ministry's 100-day plan.
