Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister for Education and Skill Development, and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Al Falasi, Education Minister, signed an MoU in Abu Dhabi to enhance educational cooperation, encouraging student and faculty mobility along with other initiatives. This partnership aims to foster collaboration, participation, and synergy in crucial areas of mutual interest within the education and skill sectors.
During his meeting with his UAE counterpart, Pradhan said that UAE being a Global Economic hotspot and India being a Global Talent hotspot, both sides should work together to build a knowledge bridge to cement our civilizational connect.
The Ministers assessed the bilateral involvements in education and skill development, focusing on the advancements made on the agenda outlined during the discussion at the 4th Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting, held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India.
They expressed contentment with the advancements in mutual recognition of academic and skill qualifications, along with the recognition of Indian institutes in the UAE, among other achievements. They emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts in this area. The Ministers affirmed their dedication to reinforcing institutional mechanisms and expediting procedures to ensure seamless mobility for students and the workforce.
Dharmendra Pradhan expressed gratitude to H.E Dr. Ahmed Belhoul for supporting schools following the Indian curriculum in the UAE. Additionally, they discussed methods to facilitate student exchange programs between India and the UAE.
The MoU is designed to enhance the current cooperation between educational institutions in both countries. It will facilitate student and faculty mobility, joint research programs, course development, and participation in conferences, lectures, symposia, as well as scientific and educational exhibitions in areas of mutual interest, held in both nations.
It will also facilitate in exchange of information in the following areas:
- Regulations, legal structures and best practices in general and higher education in both countries.
- Framework and policies in general and higher education including national qualifications frameworks in order to facilitate mutual recognition of qualifications between both the countries.
- Frameworks, policies in the areas of gifted and talented skills development and counselling and well-being.
- Facilitation of academic collaboration between Higher Education Institutions in both the countries for offering Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes.
- Cooperation in the field of Capacity Development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teaching staff has been envisaged under this MoU.
MoU will facilitate creation of a Joint Working Group is chaired by a representative of the Ministry of Education from India and UAE. The JWG shall meet at least once a year alternately to review the implementation of this memorandum.
