The U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad and Andhra University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an American Corner on its campus in Visakhapatnam.
Consul-General Joel Reifman from the U.S. Consulate, Hyderabad, Minister of Education Adimulapu Suresh and Andhra University Vice-Chancellor P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy were present during the event.
Mr. Reifman and Prof. Reddy exchanged the MoU virtually, which governs the establishment and functioning of the American Corner.
In addition to four U.S. government-owned American Centres in India, this will be the third American Corner in India, and the second under the Hyderabad Consulate, which caters to the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha.
American Corners are partnership between the U.S. Embassy or Consulate and an Indian institution. The corner that would open in summer 2021, would provide educational and cultural programmes for the people of Andhra Pradesh, especially the youth.
It would also provide access to materials and conversations on aspects of life and culture in the U.S. It will act as the first place to visit for accurate and up-to-date information about political, economic, cultural, educational and social trends in the U.S.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Reifman said that American Corner programme would focus on English language learning, STEM Education, women’s empowerment, American culture and higher education in the U.S.
“We hope that this will be a fun and energetic meeting place where our two cultures and countries can blend together, and where we will welcome youth and people from underserved communities to learn more about the United States,” he said.
Mr. Suresh said: “The American Corner will contribute to strengthening the relationship between Andhra Pradesh and the United States.”
The event was attended by Mark Burrell, Regional Public Engagement Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi; Satish Chandra, Special Chief Secretary to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (Higher Education); Hari Krishna, Adviser to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Overseas Affairs; Kumar Annavarapu, Special Officer to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister on Overseas Education; Krishna Mohan, Registrar of Andhra University; and Hema Chandra Reddy, Chairperson of Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education.
