Quad Leaders Announce New Scholarships for Indo-Pacific Students
The Quad countries, which include Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, have announced a new initiative to award fifty scholarships worth USD 500,000 to students from the Indo-Pacific region. These scholarships will enable students to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.
The announcement was made during the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. Wilmington is Biden’s hometown. The summit was attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joe Biden of the United States.
According to the Wilmington Declaration, the Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between their people and partners. The Quad Fellowship aims to build a network of the next generation of leaders in science, technology, and policy.
The Quad governments also welcomed the second cohort of Quad Fellows through the Institute of International Education, which leads the implementation of the Quad Fellowship. For the first time, the program will include students from ASEAN countries. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. Private sector partners like Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital are also providing generous support for the next cohort of fellows.
This summit is a ‘farewell’ event for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices. The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
Doubts Revealed
Quad -: The Quad is a group of four countries: Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. They work together on different projects and issues.
Indo-Pacific -: The Indo-Pacific is a region that includes countries around the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It covers parts of Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
USD 500,000 -: USD 500,000 means five hundred thousand US dollars. It’s a lot of money, and it will be used to help students with their education.
undergraduate engineering program -: An undergraduate engineering program is a course of study at a college or university. It usually takes four years to complete and teaches students about engineering.
Quad Leaders Summit -: The Quad Leaders Summit is a meeting where the leaders of the Quad countries get together to discuss important topics and make decisions.
Wilmington, Delaware -: Wilmington is a city in the state of Delaware in the United States. It’s where the Quad Leaders Summit was held.
US President Joe Biden -: Joe Biden is the President of the United States. He hosted the Quad Leaders Summit.
Quad Fellows -: Quad Fellows are students who are part of a special program supported by the Quad countries. They get opportunities to study and learn new things.
ASEAN countries -: ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It’s a group of countries in Southeast Asia that work together on different issues.