Sponsored by private donors, 25 students from each of the four countries will be selected to pursue master’s and post-doctoral degrees in STEM fields at leading US universities every year.
In what comes as a highly-anticipated announcement for students of the Quad member countries, US President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a new “fellowship” that would let them pursue higher studies and advanced degrees in “STEM programmes” in the United States. The announcement was made on Friday during the much-touted first in-person meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
“Today, we are also launching a new Quad fellowship for students from each of our Quad countries to pursue advanced degrees in leading stem programs here in the United States, representing an investment in the leaders, innovators, and pioneers of tomorrow,” Biden said in his remarks at the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Washington.
The Quad member countries – in addition to the US – are India, Japan, and Australia. Students from these countries will now have better opportunities to pursue their dream careers in the United States in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Sponsored by private donors, 25 students from each of the four countries will be selected to pursue master’s and post-doctoral degrees in STEM fields at leading US universities every year.
“When we met six months ago, we made concrete commitments to shared and positive agenda for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US president was quoted as saying news agency ANI. “Today I am proud to say that we are making excellent progress,” Biden said. He added that the four world premiers share a common worldview and an outlook for the future – coming together to “take on key challenges of our age”.
Biden hosted the leaders of the four countries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the White House. Along with Modi, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and Japan’s Yoshihide Suga were also present at the meeting. Earlier in the day, PM Modi held his first bilateral meeting with Biden since the Democrat leader assumed office and discussed pressing issues, including trade, Covid-19, climate challenges, and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
