UAE, India sign agreement for IIT campus in Abu Dhabi

It's all systems go for the establishment of an off-shore campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Abu Dhabi — with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between UAE and Indian authorities on Saturday.

The President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the exchange of MoU between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), the Indian Ministry of Education, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Delhi.

Earlier this year, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir confirmed that the renowned IIT was expected to open its campus in Abu Dhabi in 2024, with details being finalised among the authorities.

The MoU marked an important step for the UAE Capital's commitment to driving a world-class education system, said Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, Chairman of the Federal Agency of Early Education, and Chairman of Adek.

"In line with our national strategy, this MoU reflects our commitment to providing world-class educational experiences. We anticipate that the IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi partnership will support our transition towards fostering an environment that nurtures innovation and accelerates high-level research,” Musallam said during the signing of the agreement.

The IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi campus is set to launch its academic programmes in January 2024 with a host of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes, and operate research centres related to sustainable energy and climate studies, as well as computing and data sciences.

It will offer a diverse range of programmes covering energy and sustainability, artificial intelligence, computer science and engineering, mathematics and computing and other disciplines of engineering, sciences and humanities.

IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi will complement the academic, research and innovation ecosystem in Abu Dhabi through collaboration with key players such as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Technology Innovation Institute, and Hub71 to offer complimentary programs, conduct cutting edge research, and advance the local startup ecosystem.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Cabinet Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the Government of India, hailed the agreement as a major development that will strengthen the long-standing bilateral ties between the UAE and India, and further enrich the Emirates' higher education landscape.

“The MoU to establish the IIT-Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi unfolds a new chapter in the internationalisation of India’s education. An exemplar of new India’s innovation and expertise, the IIT Delhi campus in UAE will be an edifice of friendship. It will set a brand-new template for leveraging the power of knowledge for both mutual prosperity and global good as envisioned in NEP.”

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