UAE: More Indian universities, CBSE office coming to the country, says minister

While the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi-Abu Dhabi will start operations in January, more top universities and colleges coming to the UAE and the opening of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) office are being planned, a minister said.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Indian Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, who is on a three-day official visit, noted that education and skills are among the key sectors of strategic partnership with the UAE.

“Today, the UAE-India has a very strong relationship. We are opening an IIT in UAE. Many prominent universities from India have already come here. More universities can come in the near future. More than 100 schools of CBSE are functional in UAE. We are soon going to open a CBSE office here,” he said in Abu Dhabi.

New opportunities for collaboration

Pradhan met Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council (EHRC). They exchanged views on the emerging landscape of the education sector and the opportunities for closer cooperation. The ministers reviewed the progress on the IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi campus, which will start the academic operation in January by offering with Master’s in Energy Transition and Sustainability programme.

Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the deep-rooted bilateral relations and their comprehensive strategic partnership in all sectors, underscoring the two countries’ keenness to strengthen and develop them sustainably.

Pradhan thanked the UAE leadership for its generosity and policies of harmony and tolerance, which have helped more than 3.5 million Indians make the UAE their second home.

Exchange programmes between schools

Separately, Pradhan met Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education. They discussed ongoing collaboration in the education sector and explored newer areas of cooperation, including exchange programmes between schools in two countries and the opening of campuses of elite Indian colleges and universities in the UAE.

“We expressed satisfaction on the progress made with respect to mutual recognition of academic and skill qualifications, recognition of Indian institutes in the UAE among others and underscored the need for continued work in this area,” Pradhan said and noted a shared view on speeding up processes for smooth student and workforce mobility.

MoU on student, faculty mobility

They signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of education, which will help streamline the India-UAE cooperation in the education sector besides facilitating collaboration in the newer areas.

“The MoU will enable India and the UAE to leverage their strengths for harnessing global opportunities and mutual prosperity. The MoU will pave the way for academic and research collaborations between higher-educational institutions of both our countries, facilitate capacity building in skilling, and encourage two-way student and faculty mobility,” Pradhan said.

Education and skills cooperation was a prominent part of the Vision Document unveiled by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February last year.

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