The Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build IIT Delhi’s first campus in Abu Dhabi.
HE Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, were present for the signing. The MoU was signed by Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, HE Mubarak Hamad Al Mheiri, ADEK Under Secretary, Shri Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which complements the ongoing Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India, reflects the shared vision of both countries to prioritise excellence in education, innovation, knowledge sharing, and investments in human capital as the cornerstones of future prosperity and as facilitators of long-term economic growth and sustainable development.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, and according to union minister of education, skill development, and entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan, it opens a new chapter in the internationalisation of Indian higher education. The IIT Delhi campus in the UAE will stand as a symbol of India-UAE friendship and serve as an example of New India’s innovation and skill.
He added that the IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi will establish a revolutionary model for harnessing the power of knowledge for both individual and collective benefit. He continued, “It also opens a new chapter in the internationalisation of Indian education.”
Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, Chairman of the Federal Agency of Early Education, and Chairman of ADEK, spoke about how the MoU represents a significant step in Abu Dhabi’s commitment to accelerating the creation of a world-class education system that supports the priorities and goals of the country’s development. Our efforts to create a globally competitive education ecosystem have reached a significant turning point with the execution of this MoU. This MoU demonstrates our dedication to provide top-notch educational opportunities, which is consistent with our national goal.
We anticipate that the IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi partnership will support our transition towards fostering an environment that nurtures innovation and accelerates high-level research, stated HE Sara Musallam.
In collaboration with important players like the Technology Innovation Institute, Hub71, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi will complement the academic, research, and innovation ecosystem in Abu Dhabi by providing complementary programmes, conducting cutting-edge research, and advancing the regional startup ecosystem.
In addition to operating research centres for computer and data sciences, sustainable energy and climate studies, and a variety of bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programmes, the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus is anticipated to begin offering academic programmes in 2024. IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi is expected to offer a diverse range of programs covering Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Computing and other disciplines of engineering, sciences, and humanities.
IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi graduates will join an illustrious alumni network of graduates from 23 campuses across India. With outstanding credentials, IIT Delhi recently ranked among the world’s top 50 institutions for engineering and technology. It also scored a top 30 rank for global employability in the 2022 QS World University Rankings. IIT Delhi has been a frontline contributor to India’s R&D ecosystem in sectors ranging from defense, healthcare, and rural development, to transportation, IT, and software.
