Dharmendra Pradhan, UAE education minister sign agreement on research, student exchange programmes

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, met with UAE Minister of Education, H E Ahmad Al Falasi, in Abu Dhabi today. The Ministers signed an agreement to deepen current educational collaboration by enabling student and teacher mobility, among other objectives.

Pradhan also paid a visit to 42 Abu Dhabi, a disruptive learning school. The minister is in the UAE for three days. The visit will promote cooperation, involvement, and synergy in crucial areas of mutual interest in education and skill development.

During his discussion with his UAE minister, Pradhan stated that the UAE, as a global economic hotspot, and India, as a global talent hotspot, should collaborate to build a knowledge bridge to solidify our civilizational link.

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The ministers reviewed bilateral educational and skill-building initiatives, notably progress on topics raised at the discussion on the margins of the 4th EdWG as part of the G20 India. They expressed fulfillment with the progress made in terms of recognition of academic and skill qualifications, as well as recognition of Indian institutes in the UAE, and emphasised the need of continuing collaboration in this area.

The Ministers signed an agreement during the meeting. The agreement aims to strengthen existing collaboration in educational institutions in both countries by facilitating student as well as faculty mobility, joint research programmes, designing curriculum, and organising and participating in conferences, seminars, symposia, workshops, courses, scientific and educational exhibitions held in both countries in areas of shared interest.

It will also promote sharing of information in the following areas:

• In both nations, regulations, legal structures, and best practices in general and higher education.

• Frameworks and policies in general and higher education, including national qualification frameworks, are being developed in order to allow mutual recognition of qualifications between the two nations.

• Frameworks and strategies for the development of gifted and talented talents, as well as counselling and well-being.

• Academic partnership between higher education institutions in both countries for the purpose of delivering twinning, joint degree, and dual degree programmes.

• The agreement envisions collaboration in the field of Capacity Development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teaching personnel.

• The agreement will also open the door to the formation of a Joint Working Group led by a Ministry of Education from India and the UAE. The JWG will meet at least twice a year to examine the execution of this agreement.

Pradhan also paid a visit to 42 Abu Dhabi, a coding school that places a strong emphasis on promoting innovation, creativity, and peer-to-peer learning through project-based and gamified curriculum. Pradhan praised 42 Abu Dhabi, a first-of-its-kind school in the GCC, for its focus on reducing obstacles to education in order to realise the vision of a tech-enabled future.