Speeches & Articles

Remarks by
CONSUL GENERAL BETH A. PAYNE
XLRI, Jamshedpur
October 16, 2008

October 16, 2008

Father E. Abraham
Faculty members
Students
“Namastey”

I would like to thank Director Father E. Abraham and his colleagues for inviting us here today to visit the Xavier Labor Relations Institute, popularly known as XLRI.  I appreciate the opportunity to meet with all of you.  I am aware that in the past few decades, your institution, which will be turning 60 next year, has contributed enormously to the growth of a professional class here in Jamshedpur.

It is exciting to see that XLRI’s initiative to go global is already yielding results -- with 18 foreign students from 4 countries enrolled this year.  This is a good sign that XLRI will soon achieve its goal of becoming a global presence in education.

During my brief visit here in Jamshedpur, I have been impressed with the warmth of its people and the warm welcome I have received.  Before I arrived in India, I heard a lot about Jamshedpur’s potential as an investment destination and now I’ve seen why Jamshedpur is at the center of India’s economic partnership.

While Jharkhand has traditionally been a rural state with an industrial component based on its mining industry, recent development trends point to a new, diversified economy that is giving the people of this state more choice in how to pursue their dreams.  It is truly exciting to be here to witness this and I am already planning how I can come back soon in order to see more of this state and its people.

I am also delighted that I have arrived in India at a time when cooperation between our two countries is at an all-time high.  Our bilateral trade has already reached record levels.  While Fortune 500 companies often make the front pages of the newspapers, we all know that it’s the individual, people-to-people interactions that provide the backbone for our increasingly intertwined commercial and trade relationship.

An important component of this ever-closer relationship between India and the United States are you, the students of India.  Indian students are going to the U.S. to study in record numbers – today we have over 80,000 Indian students in the U.S.  They contribute greatly to America’s diversity, culture and economy.  And, Indian students are finding a warm welcome at colleges and universities throughout our country.

What attracts so many Indian students to the United States?  First and foremost is the quality of education:  American universities and colleges are known for their academic rigor and quality assurance.  A degree from an accredited U.S. university is sought after because it earns respect worldwide and gives a job-seeker an advantage when he or she approaches a prospective employer.

Long experience with international students means that most American universities have an office that deals effectively with foreign students and their issues, providing a variety of services such as campus orientation, personal and career counseling as well as advice on housing and cultural events.  The result is that students from anywhere on the globe can feel at home on or near an American campus.

For all of these reasons I encourage you to think about pursuing higher education in the United States.  Quality education, academic choice, and an international lifestyle – American universities and colleges have it all.  You can start by consulting with the United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF) office in the American Center in Kolkata, and we have some information for you on how you may contact their office.

USIEF can help you navigate your way through the student application process and it has a library with information on study in the U.S.  The USIEF staff in Kolkata looks forward to hearing from you and answering any questions that you may have about student life in the United States.   Thank you very much.  If we have time, I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.