UMass Goes Abroad

On March 2, leaders from the UMass Amherst Foundation and UMass Amherst’s International Programs Office gathered with admitted students and their families, current parents, and alumni in New Delhi, India. The event fostered connections, celebrated UMass Amherst’s ties with India, and provided an opportunity for networking among parents and alumni.

Attendees enjoyed traditional Indian hors d’oeuvres and a buffet dinner at Imperial New Delhi Hotel’s elegant Daniell’s Tavern and heard remarks by IPO Vice Provost for Global Affairs Kalpen Trivedi and James Allan, associate dean at the Manning College of Information and Computer Science.

Trivedi’s remarks highlighted the support that IPO provides for international students and his gratitude to the families for entrusting their children to UMass Amherst. He mentioned that more than 40% of India’s 1.4 billion population is under the age of 25, and demand for education exceeds in-country supply. More than 265,000 Indian students came to the United States to pursue higher education in the 2022–23 academic year, an all-time high for the world’s fifth-largest economy and now the most populous country. One third of all UMass Amherst international students are from India. “Building strong education and research partnerships between the U.S. and India is in the vital interests of both nations,” said Trivedi.

Dean Allan provided information about UMass’s information and computer sciences programs, an area in which many Indian students are involved. Prospective parents had questions about the program, job prospects of graduates, UMass Amherst rankings, what the immediate area surrounding Amherst is like. Dean Allan said the current parents loved telling him stories of their children who are currently attending CICS.

The night concluded with great conversation and a hope that formal collaborations might be established between UMass Amherst and New Delhi University for the mutual benefit of students and faculty at both schools.