New Delhi: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to establish 1st campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi.
The agreement was signed in presence of President of United Arab Emirate (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The MoU was signed by Mubarak Hamad Al Mheiri, ADEK Under Secretary, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE and Rangan Banerjee, director, IIT Delhi.
Complementing the ongoing UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the MoU reflects the shared vision of both nations to prioritize educational excellence, innovation, knowledge exchange, and investments in human capital as the foundations for future prosperity and enablers of long-term economic growth and sustainable development.
Expressing his happiness via social media, on the signing of MoU, Union education and skill development minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the establishment of IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi would unfolds a new chapter in internationalization of India’s education. An example of New India’s innovation and expertise, the IIT Delhi campus in UAE will be an edifice of India-UAE friendship.
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Pradhan further said that IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi will set a brand new template for leveraging the power of knowledge for both mutual prosperity and global good. It also unfolds a new chapter in internationalisation of India’s education, he added.
Sara Musallam, minister of state for early education, chairman of the Federal Agency of Early Education, and chairman of ADEK, commented on how the MoU represents an important step in Abu Dhabi’s commitment to accelerate a world-class education system that serves the national development goals and priorities. “The execution of this MoU marks a milestone in our plans towards actualizing a globally competitive education ecosystem. In line with our national strategy, this MoU reflects our commitment to providing world-class educational experiences. 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,” said Sara Musallam.
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IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi will complement the academic, research and innovation ecosystem in Abu Dhabi through collaboration with key players such as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Technology Innovation Institute, and Hub71 to offer complimentary programs, conduct cutting edge research, and advance the local startup ecosystem.
The IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi campus is expected to launch its academic programs in 2024 and a host of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD. programs, and operate research centers related to sustainable energy and climate studies, as well as computing and data sciences. 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.
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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.
