Union Minister for Education, Government of India, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, met with H.E. Ms. Sara Musallam, Chairperson, ADEK, at the start of his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. Shri Pradhan thanked her and ADEK for all the cooperation extended in establishing IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi Campus and also for the support being extended to Indian curricula schools in the UAE.
Both the sides engaged in fruitful exchanges on mutual educational priorities. Shri Pradhan shared the success of Atal Tinkering Labs in fostering curiosity and creativity in schools across India as well as plans of Indian schools in the UAE for implementing Atal Incubation Labs. They also had productive conversations on further expanding cooperation in education, including opening more Indian curriculum-based schools in the UAE to meet the educational needs of the Indian diaspora and facilitating two-way student exchanges right from the school level, among others. Shri Pradhan appreciated H.E. Ms. Sara Musallam’s willingness to strengthen educational cooperation and to establish education as one of the strongest pillars of bilateral ties.
The Minister expressed delight at receiving a warm welcome at the IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi campus. He mentioned that it is his second visit to the institute and said he is glad to see it evolve from a concept to a full-fledged campus. He highlighted that, with the prestigious legacy of IIT Delhi, the institution served as a beacon of knowledge and research and a lighthouse of the India-UAE knowledge partnership. He also shared that going through the wall showcasing IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi’s journey from vision to reality is a personally satisfying moment for him.