Hyderabad, 24 March, 2021: TheKautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad, GITAM (Deemed to be University), hosted a team from the United States Consulate General Hyderabad for a stimulating session touching upon themes ranging from Indo-U.S. relations to the need for public diplomacy programs for next-generation leaders. The visit translated into a synergy of international relationship building between the U.S. Consulate team and the faculty members of the institute at the campus, in compliance with the Covid19 safety norms. 

The team from the U.S. Consulate constituted of Mr. David Moyer, Public Affairs Officer; Mr. Salil Kader, Cultural Affairs Advisor; and Mr. Senthil Kumar, Cultural Affairs Assistant. Various topics such as the new administration’s priorities, consulate operations and public diplomacy programs were brought to the forefront. 

Prof. Siva Prasad, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of GITAM and Sridhar Pabbisetty, Founding Director, Kautilya School of Public Policy spoke about different ways of collaborating in the coming years. Later in the event, the U.S. Consulate team interacted with the faculty and staff from Kautilya School of Public Policy and GITAM.

Speaking at the occasion, Public Affairs Officer David Moyer outlined his hope for continued collaboration between the Kautilya School of Public Policy and the U.S. Consulate General in Hyderabad. He spoke about the importance of partnerships between U.S. and Indian higher education institutions in all fields, including public policy. He said, “The strong ties between Telangana in particular and India in general and the United States can become even stronger through student and faculty connections. We hope more U.S. students will choose to study in India in addition to the large number of Indian students pursuing degrees in the United States. Our visit today to the campus is a testimony of our commitment to strengthening the relations of our two countries.”

Sridhar Pabbisetty, Founding Director, Kautilya School of Public Policy, said, ”Both India and U.S. are at pivotal moments in their respective journeys, and for both, decisive and well-informed policies will make the difference. At Kautilya, we recognize the importance this reality holds for both our countries and across regions where our respective influence extends. This visit by our friends from the U.S. Consulate is only the first step towards what I perceive as a strengthening of ties and a foregrounding of how our shared commitment to diplomacy, mutual enrichment through knowledge-based exchanges, and relevant research partnerships.”

Relations between India and the United States have seen an upward trajectory over the last two decades, and this trend is expected to continue further. With the U.S. continuing to remain India’s comprehensive ally and associate in the region, this event helped explore and build common ground on policy on the social, economic, and political fronts.