European Commission-India Policy Dialogue on Education

Jan Figel, the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth visited India from 10-12 November 2008 and signed a Joint Declaration with his ministerial counterpart in India, in the field of education. The declaration reinforces their cooperation in a policy dialogue on key issues in education. Commissioner Figel underlined the importance of furthering cooperation on education and culture between the EU and India: “In the context of the India-EU strategic partnership, a reinforced dialogue with an exchange on policy issues will be mutually beneficial. It can provide both sides a new stimulus for the formulation of the strategies needed to respond to the challenges of the contemporary world, in particular against the backdrop of increasing globalisation. Here, India and the EU can build on a number of successful joint initiatives, which include, for example, the increasingly popular Erasmus Mundus programme. India has been at the forefront of this programme, with 1,103 Indian students (out of 6,181 in total) and 90 scholars (out of 1,125 in total) who have benefited from Erasmus Mundus scholarships for study and research in Europe.”

Among the areas that could be covered by the policy dialogue on education are a modernisation agenda for higher and vocational education, quality assurance mechanisms as well as the promotion of academic excellence and innovation. On the occasion of his visit, the Commissioner paid a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi and attended the India-EU Higher Education Cooperation Symposium as well as the European Higher Education Fair, financed by the European Commission under the new EU-Asia Higher Education Platform.



Visit of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss to Stockholm

India’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss visited Sweden from 18-20 November 2008 at the invitation of his Swedish counterpart Ms. Maria Larsson. During the visit, Dr. Ramadoss held discussions with the Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs Göran Hägglund and the Swedish Minister for Elderly Care and Public Health Ms. Maria Larsson on increasing cooperation between the two countries in the health sector. Both sides discussed future co-operation in the field of health systems, public health and non-communicable diseases as well as communicable diseases. They discussed joint research projects between Sweden and India in the field of health.

Dr. Ramadoss visited Karolinska Institute, an EU Centre of Medical Excellence. During his visit to Karolinska Institute, Dr. Ramadoss reviewed the existing cooperation and discussed new areas of cooperation especially between the Karolinska Institute and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Multilingualism and Intercultural Dialogue in Globalization

The “Multilingualism and Intercultural Dialogue in Globalisation” Conference held in New Delhi on the 11th and 12th December 2008, at the Vice Regal Lodge Hall, University of Delhi. The Conference was organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the French Embassy, in its role as President of the Council of the European Union, the National Knowledge Commission, the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC-India Cluster) and the University of Delhi where the event took place. The Conference was the first EU-India platform for discussion and exchange between high level scholars and intellectuals on the issue of multilingualism and its implications in the field of business, politics, identity, intercultural dialogue and education. Four thematic panels looked at the aspects of languages as an instrument to access other cultures: Multilingualism, Translation and Dialogue; Language: a Key Factor for Identity and Intercultural Understanding; Linguistic Diversity in Contemporary Societies: a Modern Challenge for Economics, Politics and the State and Promotion of Adoptive Languages to Strengthen Multilingualism and Intercultural Dialogue. The EU wants to learn from India and share its vast linguistic diversity. The EU wishes to share its experience of promoting cultural diversity and development of language skills in support of social cohesion and economic development.

Danish Business Delegation in Agrotech 2008

With the aim of assisting Danish companies to exploit the business opportunities in the Indian market, Trade Council of Denmark in India (TDC-India) and Danish Industries, a Danish business delegation visited India from 27 November to 2 December 2008. The Danish delegation participated in Agrotech 2008 with a joint Danish pavilion. After the fair, the delegation participated in a one-day programme of company visits i.e. to a dairy plant, chicken farm, abattoir or processing unit for fruits & vegetables. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised this 8th Agrotech - India’s Premier Biennial Agro Technology Fair – from Friday, 28 November – Monday, 1 December 2008 in Chandigarh. Agro Tech 2008 was designed to carry forward the legacy of the previous shows as India’s premier international Agro Technology fair. It not only showcased the latest and most effective agriculture and food processing trends worldwide, but also doubled up as the medium of effective interaction between agri- and food processing technology and its potential consumers. The last Agrotech Fair in 2006 had more than 200, 000 visitors and 250 exhibitors from India and 11 western and Asian countries.

Polish Cultural delegation in India

Tomasz Merta, Poland’s Deputy Minister of Culture paid a three-day visit to India from 1 December 2008. The visit marked the Polish representation in the regional conference organized by the Indian Foundation for Culture and Cultural Heritage. He was accompanied by a Polish delegation that attended the inaugural conference. Minister Merta met Ambika Soni, the Indian Minister of Culture and Tourism and interfaced with several Indian cultural institutes. The overarching goal of the visit was to solidify and intensify the possibilities for cultural exchange between the two countries. As part of the trip, the Polish delegation visited the state of Rajasthan and met with Polish specialists who are doing conservation work in the area at the Maharajah Palace in Jodhpur, the capital of the state. They are working on paintings by the Polish artist Stefan Norblin who moved to India in the 1940s.

Tobias Billström of Sweden visits India

Tobias Billström Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy of Sweden visited India. The visit from 3-6 November 2008, presented Sweden’s new rules on labour immigration to the Indian Government, business organisations and Swedish and Indian companies in India. Billström studied how the new rules will affect the work of processing visa and permit applications at the Swedish Embassy. “Labour immigration is a key future issue for Sweden. With an ageing population, both business and public sector actors must be able to recruit the labour they need. The current meltdown in the economy emphasises the importance of preparing Sweden for the future. We are doing this by means of the new rules for labour immigration that the Government and the Green Party have proposed,” said Billström.

The delegation included Ulf Bengtsson, Chairman of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers, Annica Magnusson, head of the Swedish Migration Board’s unit for work permit review, Hans-Olov Olsson, Vice Chairman of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and Christer Wallberg, CEO of the IT company Tacton. The delegation met several representatives of the Government and opposition and Indian business organisations and companies. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India and representatives of Swedish companies had long interactions with the delegation.