Quad Summit: India announces USD500,000 scholarship for Indo-Pacific students

Wilmington (Delaware) [US], September 22 (ANI): The Quad countries expressed their dedication to fostering people-to-people connections and strategic partnerships, strengthening the bonds between the nations. In view of this, India launched a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific.

This initiative will enable recipients to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

Notably, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joe Biden of the United States–met for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. Wilmington is Biden’s home town.

“The Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, and among our partners. Through the Quad Fellowship, we are building a network of the next generation of science, technology, and policy leaders,” read the Wilmington Declaration.

The declaration further said, “India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution..”

The Quad governments also welcomed the second cohort of Quad Fellows through the Institute of International Education, which leads the implementation of the Quad Fellowship. The Quad government also welcomed the expansion of the programme to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time.

“The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital,” the declaration said.

The sixth edition of the Quad Leaders’ Summit is a ‘farewell’ summit for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices.

Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden is the host of the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.