Richard Verma joins Georgetown University as its Centennial Fellow to support prestigious varsity's 'India Initiative'

Richard Verma, fFormer US Ambassador to India has joined Georgetown University as its Centennial Fellow to support varsity's 'India Initiative', a signature programme aimed at advancing research and teaching around India.

The Centennial Fellows programme at the School of Foreign Service brings distinguished practitioners and scholars to be resources for students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as the broader public, the varsity said yesterday.In this capacity at the School of Foreign Services

48-year-old Verma will help support Georgetown's India Initiative, a signature programme to advance research and teaching around India, world affairs and the United States, according to a media release.

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"I'm really honored to be a part of the School of Foreign Service and the Centennial Fellows program," Verma said.

"Georgetown has always been at the forefront of international relations scholarship, and I look forward to engaging with students, faculty and staff as we compare notes about developments in Asia, and in particular recent trends in India," he said.

During Verma's tenure as the top American diplomat from December 2014 to January 20, 2017, US-India relations experienced a significant resurgence with important gains made in defence, trade and clean energy.

He managed an unprecedented nine meetings and three summits between former US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to over 100 new initiatives and more than 40 government to government dialogues.

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"Ambassador Verma has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. He will bring to the School a unique perspective that will help all of us re-imagine our mission in a new and changing world," Senior Associate Dean Anthony Clark Arend said in a statement.

Verma previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, where he led the State Department's efforts on Capitol Hill. He worked in the Senate for many years, serving as Senior National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader, besides working in the House of Representatives.