Higher Education: Weaving the Future of “Indispensable Partnership”

As India and Japan ink their relationship from a global partnership to an indispensable partnership, the people-to-people exchange gains momentum. Youth, a significant segment, play a vital role as they build and enhance the capacity of a nation and contribute to the future trajectory. Education can act as a catalyst for diplomatic relations by creating newer avenues for cooperation. The higher education demographic profile is that of a mature youth with a distinct focus and purpose, and encouraging student exchange of this group allows for upgrading skill, capacity, and competence. Further, it allows for deepening interest in each other's countries as it fosters cultural understanding. There is a plethora of complementarities between India and Japan in STEM and liberal arts. This chapter will focus on identifying and delineating the complementarities in higher education of these two nations and discuss the scope of this vertical in creating a long-lasting bond between India and Japan.