USA’s Lehigh University Strengthens Bilateral Ties with India; Interacts with Indian students at its inaugural Building Futures Workshop

• India is one of the leading countries of origin for enrolments in undergraduate and graduate courses at Lehigh University.
• Lehigh University looks to significantly increase Indian student enrolments this year
• The Building Futures Workshop shared tailored guidance with education counselors and students on admission process, and entrepreneurial journeys, respectively.
• Lehigh University has existing partnerships with prominent Indian universities including Ashoka University, SRM University, IIT Bombay, to name a few.

Strengthening its education relationship with India, Lehigh University, among USA’s most distinguished private research universities, hosted its first event in the country, Building Futures Workshop.

Underscoring the university vision of building an innovative mindset, skill set, and capacity for creative thinking, the Building Futures Workshop, held in Mumbai, hosted entrepreneurial activities for the student attendees. The sessions helped students approach real-world problems with creativity and generate bold new ideas to make an impact on the communities, and institutions.

The workshop was a step in the direction of the university’s commitment to India for driving student recruitment programs and newer university partnerships. Furthermore, it empowered and supported educators and students in navigating the complexities of the college admissions process and addressing the unique challenges they face in the dynamic international education sector.

The two-day workshop witnessed participation from select counselors and students across India, and featured comprehensive sessions led by Lehigh University’s senior leadership. The topics at the workshop ranged from writing effective letters of recommendation to identifying ways, supporting students’ mental health within educational settings, to fostering a pragmatic vision among students through entrepreneurial activities.

Speaking at the event Dr. Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs, Lehigh University said, “The United States and India have longstanding bilateral ties with education being a strong pillar. We, at Lehigh strive to build on to the ties through collaborations with premier Indian institutions and universities to encourage and promote student exchange programs and create cross-institutional research opportunities for faculty and students of both countries. We are looking to increase student enrolments from India this year. And Building Futures Workshop event marks a significant step in strengthening our global engagement and support for students and counselors. We believe that initiatives like these are crucial in helping students achieve their academic and personal goals.”

Dan Warner, Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid at Lehigh University added, “We are committed to fostering educational excellence, accessibility, and pragmatic vision. This workshop is an excellent opportunity for us to connect with students, counselors, and other stakeholders in India, offering them tailored guidance and support, and taking the first-hand feedback from them. By providing valuable insights and resources, we aim to make a meaningful impact on the educational journeys of the talented future makers.”

Lehigh University has partnered with premier Indian institutes and universities to encourage and promote student exchange programs and create cross-institutional research opportunities for faculty and students of both countries.

Current partnerships include Ashoka University for facilitating student exchange programs, cross institutional research, entrepreneurial opportunities; SRM University providing an opportunity to select students to perform experiential summer research at Lehigh University; IIT Kharagpur for projects related to Mountaintop/Creative Inquiry; and IIT Bombay for a bilateral student exchange program.