02 December 2007
The Indian Embassy celebrated Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program day last Tuesday. The party was attended by Yemeni government officials and Indian diplomats and Yemeni alumni from India.
The Indian ambassador, H.E. R M Aggarwal, talked about the history of the ITEC program, which started in 1964. "This year 50 scholarships were offered to Yemenis, and we received 200 applicants. We wish we could have given more," said Aggarwal. This occasion gives a chance for ITEC program alumni to get in touch with each other and with the host country.
It is also gives graduates an opportunity to recollect memories of India acquired during the training program and helps to establish a bond between the people and governments of the two countries to sustain and strengthen bilateral cooperation. ?
"The main aim of this gathering is to get feedback from students in Yemen that participated in ITEC programs to improve the program," said Aggarwal.
Mohammed Fakher, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his gratitude and spoke about the benefits that he had received from the course which advanced him in his career. "I participated in a three-month English for Professionals course. I found it extremely useful and it improved my English dramatically," he said.
Ebtisam al-Shuaibi, an employee in the Ministry of Industry and Trade is another female graduate of the ITEC program. She did an IT course in India, but was initially afraid to leave her home country and study abroad. "I felt really home when I arrived in India and never got the feeling of a stranger because Indian people were very peaceful. I wished I could have stayed there forever," al-Shuaibi said wistfully.
Many participants in the program went on stage to speak about their experiences. They were unanimous on how useful it was, showering it with praise.
Starting in 1990, more than 500 Yemenis have benefited from the training programs offered by the ITEC program.
ITEC is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, and is a bilateral assistance program.
Under ITEC and its corollary, the Special Commonwealth Assistance Program for Africa, 156 countries in Asia, East Europe, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America are invited to share in the Indian Developmental experience acquired over the last 60 years.
India spends about 500 million Indian Rupees on ITEC activities each year.
At present, about 4000 candidates from different countries are undergoing training every year, in some 200 training programs in various fields, conducted by over 40 ITEC training institutions, in various parts of India, under the ITEC Program.
Fields of study include IT, Accounting & Finance, Rural Development, Bank Management, Educational Planning & Administration, Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development and Promotion of Income Generation Activities, amongst others.
Fifty officials from various Yemeni Government Ministries, representatives of NGOs, banks, and academics from various universities are sent to India every year, for short-term mid-career training courses, on a wide variety of subjects, under the complete sponsorship of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The scholarship covers international airfares, tuition fees, accommodation, medical and health care and pocket expenses.
Since the unification of Yemen, over 560 officials have participated in training program under ITEC.
The function was attended by Yemeni dignitaries and officials, Diplomats from ITEC partner countries, senior academics, ITEC trainees who underwent training in India in the past years, and the press.
One of ITEC projects recently undertaken in Yemen is the supplying of tools and equipment to the Vocational Training Center, in Taiz, Republic of Yemen (2005-06)
The event was attended by Mr Iqbal Bahadar, Deputy Minister for Trade Affairs, Ministry of Industry & Trade, Dr. Dawood Al-Hidabi, University of Science & Technology, Mr. K. S. Sharma, World Bank Consultant for Water Resources and Irrigation Advisor to Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation, Government of Yemen.
The Indian Embassy celebrated Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program day last Tuesday. The party was attended by Yemeni government officials and Indian diplomats and Yemeni alumni from India.
The Indian ambassador, H.E. R M Aggarwal, talked about the history of the ITEC program, which started in 1964. "This year 50 scholarships were offered to Yemenis, and we received 200 applicants. We wish we could have given more," said Aggarwal. This occasion gives a chance for ITEC program alumni to get in touch with each other and with the host country.
It is also gives graduates an opportunity to recollect memories of India acquired during the training program and helps to establish a bond between the people and governments of the two countries to sustain and strengthen bilateral cooperation. ?
"The main aim of this gathering is to get feedback from students in Yemen that participated in ITEC programs to improve the program," said Aggarwal.
Mohammed Fakher, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his gratitude and spoke about the benefits that he had received from the course which advanced him in his career. "I participated in a three-month English for Professionals course. I found it extremely useful and it improved my English dramatically," he said.
Ebtisam al-Shuaibi, an employee in the Ministry of Industry and Trade is another female graduate of the ITEC program. She did an IT course in India, but was initially afraid to leave her home country and study abroad. "I felt really home when I arrived in India and never got the feeling of a stranger because Indian people were very peaceful. I wished I could have stayed there forever," al-Shuaibi said wistfully.
Many participants in the program went on stage to speak about their experiences. They were unanimous on how useful it was, showering it with praise.
Starting in 1990, more than 500 Yemenis have benefited from the training programs offered by the ITEC program.
ITEC is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, and is a bilateral assistance program.
Under ITEC and its corollary, the Special Commonwealth Assistance Program for Africa, 156 countries in Asia, East Europe, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America are invited to share in the Indian Developmental experience acquired over the last 60 years.
India spends about 500 million Indian Rupees on ITEC activities each year.
At present, about 4000 candidates from different countries are undergoing training every year, in some 200 training programs in various fields, conducted by over 40 ITEC training institutions, in various parts of India, under the ITEC Program.
Fields of study include IT, Accounting & Finance, Rural Development, Bank Management, Educational Planning & Administration, Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development and Promotion of Income Generation Activities, amongst others.
Fifty officials from various Yemeni Government Ministries, representatives of NGOs, banks, and academics from various universities are sent to India every year, for short-term mid-career training courses, on a wide variety of subjects, under the complete sponsorship of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The scholarship covers international airfares, tuition fees, accommodation, medical and health care and pocket expenses.
Since the unification of Yemen, over 560 officials have participated in training program under ITEC.
The function was attended by Yemeni dignitaries and officials, Diplomats from ITEC partner countries, senior academics, ITEC trainees who underwent training in India in the past years, and the press.
One of ITEC projects recently undertaken in Yemen is the supplying of tools and equipment to the Vocational Training Center, in Taiz, Republic of Yemen (2005-06)
The event was attended by Mr Iqbal Bahadar, Deputy Minister for Trade Affairs, Ministry of Industry & Trade, Dr. Dawood Al-Hidabi, University of Science & Technology, Mr. K. S. Sharma, World Bank Consultant for Water Resources and Irrigation Advisor to Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation, Government of Yemen.
© Yemen Observer 2007
