During a visit to Abu Dhabi, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H.E. Ahmad Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Education. This Memorandum of Understanding aims to strengthen ongoing educational collaboration, making it easier for students and faculty to exchange ideas and resources and promote other educational initiatives.
Dharmendra Pradhan also took advantage of the opportunity to visit 42 Abu Dhabi schools for disruptive learning. According to an official announcement, his three-day visit to the UAE is aimed at bolstering cooperation, enhancing engagement, and building synergies in critical areas of shared interest, such as education and skill development.
The primary aim of the MoU is to enhance the existing partnership between educational institutions in both countries. An official statement further mentioned this enhancement will be achieved through a variety of means, including enabling the movement of students and faculty, fostering joint research programmes, developing courses, and coordinating and participating in conferences, lectures, symposia, courses, scientific and educational exhibitions that pertain to mutual areas of interest and are hosted in both nations.
The ministers conducted a comprehensive review of their bilateral collaborations in education and skill development. They specifically assessed the advancements related to the topics discussed during their meeting on the sidelines of the 4th Education Working Group (EdWG) as part of the G20 India initiative. Both ministers expressed contentment with the headway made in areas such as the mutual recognition of academic and skill qualifications and the recognition of Indian educational institutions in the UAE, among other achievements.
Speaking about the initiative, Dharmendra Pradhan said:
A first-of-its-kind school in the GCC, 42 Abu Dhabi’s thrust on removing barriers to education for realising the vision of a tech-enabled future is laudatory. Open 24/7 throughout the year, it provides perfect flexibility for learners to learn and earn as per their schedules. Flexibility and learning while earning is also key recommendation of NEP 2020. Incorporating such progressive pathways is a way forward to empower India’s talented youth and workforce.
The MoU hopes to facilitate the formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG), which will be headed by a representation from the Ministries of Education in both India and the UAE. This JWG is scheduled to convene at least once a year, with meetings occurring alternately in each country. During these meetings, the JWG will assess and oversee the implementation of the MoU’s provisions.
