The Indo-U.S. agreement on educational exchange, signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and U.S. Ambassador Loy Henderson on February 2, 1950 in New Delhi, established the United States Educational Foundation in India to administer the Fulbright Program in India. On July 4, 2008 the Government of India (GOI) and the U.S. Government (USG) signed a new agreement to strengthen educational exchanges between the two countries. The Foundation was renamed as United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) awarding Fulbright-Nehru Scholarships and Grants. USG and GOI are now equal partners for implementing Fulbright Program in India. A 10-member Board of Directors, five Americans living in India nominated by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission and five Indians nominated by the Government of India, governs USIEF.
Since 1950, USIEF has awarded approximately 8,350 Fulbright Fellowships to Indians and Americans. In addition to these programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State www.state.gov, USIEF has also administered approximately 8,800 fellowships funded by the U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov, the East-West Center www.eastwestcenter.org and other entities.
USIEF's activities may be broadly categorized as follows:
Administration of Fulbright-Nehru and other fellowships for Indian and American students, faculty, researchers and professionals.
Promotion of dialogue among Fulbrighters and their communities as an outgrowth of educational exchange.
Educational Advising Services for Indian students interested in pursuing higher education in the U.S., and for U.S. students in India.
Serve as a clearinghouse for linkages between institutions of higher education in the U.S. and India through its office of U.S.-India Higher Education Cooperation (USIHEC).
Recognizing the value and potential of the Fulbright Program, several organizations have joined hands with USIEF to share the cost of Fulbright grants and support other activities. The U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Education, the Government of India, Confederation of Indian Industry, East-West Center, Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program, Friends of Fulbright to India, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and Pai Foundation are some of our valued partners.
