Dharmendar Pradhan discusses opening of more Indian schools in UAE, visits IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi campus

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday met Sara Musallam, chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, and discussed opening of more Indian curriculum-based schools in the UAE to meet the educational needs of the Indian diaspora.

Dharmendra Pradhan , who is on a two-day visit to the UAE, also visited Abu Dhabi campus of IIT Delhi . He also inaugurated Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) on the IIT Delhi -Abu Dhabi campus, a first-ever AIC hosted in an Indian institution overseas.

"Both sides engaged in fruitful exchanges on mutual educational priorities. Pradhan shared the success of Atal Tinkering Labs in fostering curiosity and creativity in schools across India as well as plans of Indian schools in the UAE for implementing Atal Innovation Labs.

"They also had productive conversations on further expanding cooperation in education, including opening more Indian curriculum-based schools in the UAE to meet the educational needs of the Indian diaspora and facilitating two-way student exchanges right from the school level, among others," the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

At IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi , Pradhan recalled that it is his second visit to the institute and said he is glad to see it evolve from a concept to a full-fledged campus. "He highlighted that with the prestigious legacy of IIT Delhi, the institution served as a beacon of knowledge and research and a lighthouse of the India-UAE knowledge partnership. He also shared that going through the digital wall showcasing IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi's journey from vision to reality is a personally satisfying moment for him," the statement said.

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IIM Ahmedabad's Dubai campus

Pradhan said that the AIC at IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi will nurture joint start-ups and research-led ventures by both Indian and UAE innovators and also promote bilateral collaboration in deep tech, AI, clean energy, healthcare and other sectors of mutual importance. The AIC providing world-class incubation facilities will also act as a gateway to the Middle East markets for Indian start-ups and innovators, he added.

"Pradhan launched B.Tech and Ph.D programs in Chemical Engineering and Energy and Sustainability at IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi. He expressed his confidence that the students at IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi will leave a trail and also create new milestones for global prosperity and well-being. The minister appreciated the colourful and creative 'rangoli' made by the students at the campus," the statement said.

Pradhan's UAE visit is aimed at exploring collaborations in the field of education, fostering academic excellence and innovations and new avenues of partnership to meet the aspirations of the students and youths of both countries. He will also inaugurate IIM Ahmedabad's Dubai campus.

During the visit, Pradhan will engage with key UAE leaders, ministers, policymakers, academicians, and representatives from Indian and UAE institutions to advance the partnership in education, innovation and knowledge exchange.