Thank You, Dr. Sridharan, Head – Department of International Business and coordinator of today’s event. Ms. Andie De Arment, I am extremely happy and thankful for your visit to our campus. I am hopeful that this visit will serve to further our University’s relationship with United States’ educational system. We have had Fulbright and other scholars from our University visit US and gain cherished learning and life experience in the US. About a few years ago, one of the Fulbright scholar attending a program in the US, was instrumental in a visit by US delegation of students and faculty to India. I was then, as Head of Department of Management Studies, tasked with mapping out their Pondicherry program. It is by learning and sharing expertise that progress can be made together. Much discourse these days is shaping up in the context of collaborative-competition. There are a certain research studies dwelling on the need for a diverse and even at times differing group of people / institutions to get together to come up with paradigm changing results. If I may propose a thesis from my own ongoing research work – I feel innovation is driven most often by collaborators. There is a greater need for fostering collaboration and understanding among people and Education is certainly an area where US – India have been known to be collaborative partners.

Without much adieu, I would like to handover the podium to Ms. Andie De Arment as I am sure many of us are eager to listen and interact with her about the many opportunities that she will enlist.

Thank You and I look forward to actively pursuing the various opportunities to the benefit of our faculty, research scholars and students.