Promotion of Indian Higher Education Abroad (PIHEAD)

WHY YOU SHOULD STUDY IN INDIA

Dr. Duncan S. Ferguson, American Educator and Professor at Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida

My son enjoyed studying in India and spent two years teaching in Tamil Nadu. There are few places in the world that have the range of resources for learning as one finds in India. Let me mention just a few of these resources:

There is a rich and distinctive culture that invites students from Europe and America to learn how to be at be at ease and function in a different environment and develop the knowledge and skills to be a world citizen. And the people are friendly and welcoming as one learns how to live and move around in an "other" culture.

There is a growing economy based on the new knowledge that is part of the revolution in information technology. India is a commercial crossroads of East and West.

There is the world's largest democracy, based on the dramatic events of India's liberation in 1948 and the prophetic leadership of Gandhi. The governmental and political challenges and realities provide an extraordinary "political science laboratory."

India provides one of the best places in the world to learn about building a just and humane society. With its 1.1 billion people, the challenges of poverty, pollution, equality for women and minorities, and universal education and health care, India presents an ideal environment for learning how to address major social problems and use one's life to help solve the overwhelming problems of our world.

There are great treasures of art, dance, and literature. In addition, many of the world's great religions have their roots in India, and religion plays an active role in the life of the Indian people.

Finally, I would mention the great intellectual tradition India, going back 5000 years and now expressed in modern, world-class colleges and universities. These institutions are superior, affordable, safe, and the language medium is English.

Yes Europe, yes East Asia, yes, Latin America, yes the Middle East, yes Africa, all great places to study. But the combinations present in India provide a wealth of learning opportunities. I strongly recommend that you consider India as a place to study.