Tokyo/New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) In a message on Quad Fellowship launched on Tuesday in Tokyo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indian students to apply for the fellowship and called it "a wonderful and unique initiative".
"I encourage our students to apply for the Quad Fellowship programme and join the next generation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) leaders and innovators building a better future for humanity," the Modi said in a video shared by the MEA.
"This prestigious Fellowship programme will offer our students great opportunities to pursue graduate and doctorate programmes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," he said.
The Quad Fellowship will sponsor 100 students per year -- 25 from each Quad country-- to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at leading STEM graduate universities in the US.
"The Quad Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind scholarship program that will bring together the top minds of Australia, India, Japan, and the US in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
"The Quad Fellowship empowers exceptional STEM graduate students to advance research and innovation throughout their careers with a lens of positive social impact.
"It does so by providing scholarships, immersive and inspiring events at the nexus of STEM and society, mentorship and career-advancing programming, and cross-cultural exchange opportunities," a Fact Sheet on Quad Summit issued by the White House read.
The Quad Fellowship application is live and will remain open until June 30, 2022. The first class of Quad Fellows will arrive on campus in autumn 2023, it said.
The Quad Fellowship event's attendees also included Eric Braverman, CEO of Schmidt Futures; Amb Kazuyoshi Umemoto, President of Japan Foundation; and Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, science and technology adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan.
The leaders watched a launch video that included Schmidt and Braverman.
Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said they were hopeful their nations' students would "apply for this challenging but truly fascinating fellowship program".
"We conclude by wishing that this fellowship will become a bridge that connects our four nations," Kishida said.
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