India-Israel to strengthen cooperation in education sector

NEW DELHI: Alon Ushpiz, the ambassador of Israel to India met Smriti Irani, minister of Human Resource Development, on Thursday to discuss strengthening of educational relations between India and Israel.

Recalling the close ties in different fields like science and technology, education, culture, economic, commercial between India and Israel, the minister stressed that education is an engine of growth and collaborative knowledge creation is very important for building a better world.

During the discussion the new joint research programme between India and Israel was taken up in which both countries have pledged to take up joint research programmes amounting up to USD 5.0 million per year. It was highlighted that in the first round 66 joint research proposals have been received and the evaluation by the experts from both the sides will start today and will be completed by June, 2014.

Ushpiz informed that Israel offers 200 post doctoral fellowships of which about 80% are availed by the Indian students. He also highlighted that Nobel Laureate Ada E Yonath, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Dr V Ramakrishnan will be visiting India during March, 2015. Irani directed the officials that apart from academic conferences and seminars, India should facilitate meetings with young students who would be inspired and motivated towards research in basic sciences due to an interaction with Yonath. The ambassador invited Irani to visit Israel.