EU-India round table calls for increased student and worker mobility
Meeting in Jaipur, India at the beginning of February, the EU-India round table, which aims to enhance civil society relations between the two regions, called for both the EU and India to eliminate barriers to joint R&D (research and development) activities and to facilitate the mobility of skilled workers, particularly in the IT (information technology) field. The issues touched upon at the meeting, at which representatives from the European Economic and Social Committee (ESC) and Indian civil society, included technology transfer, grants, venture funding, barriers to foreign direct investment, mutual recognition of professional and academic qualifications, the promotion of student exchanges and collaboration between education institutions. 'The EU and India need to examine any barriers that hinder foreign direct investment and joint ventures, including research and development activity which enable European companies to benefit from using Indian human capital whilst allowing skilled IT workers, for example, to remain in India and to develop the country's own infrastructure,' state the round table recommendations. These recommendations will be discussed at the next India-EU summit, to take place in Copenhagen later this year.