The Indian government has launched 50 Quad scholarships, totaling $500,000, aimed at students from the Indo-Pacific region to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a government-funded technical institution in India. This announcement followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the recent Quad Summit in Clayton, Delaware, alongside US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
During the summit, PM Modi emphasized that the Quad is “not against anybody and is here to stay.” He highlighted the group’s commitment to a rules-based international order and peaceful conflict resolution, reiterating the importance of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Biden described the Quad as a coalition of democracies that effectively delivers on its commitments. PM Albanese noted the Quad’s dedication to impactful outcomes in critical areas such as clean energy, technology, and counter-terrorism.
The leaders also participated in the Cancer Moonshot Event, where they announced initiatives to support cancer patients in the Indo-Pacific. PM Modi committed to providing 40 million vaccine doses to Indo-Pacific nations through the GAVI and Quad initiatives.
In related news, the Institute of International Education has announced its second cohort of Quad Fellows, expanding the program to include students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Typically, Quad Fellows are chosen from Australia, India, Japan, the United States, and the ten ASEAN nations, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Prospective fellows are expected to demonstrate academic excellence, exceptional achievements in their fields, and a commitment to using their talents for the collective good.
