IIM Ahmedabad's Dubai campus to be inaugurated on Thursday

As India and the United Arab Emirates strengthen their educational ties, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad's Dubai campus will be inaugurated on Thursday. It will be inaugurated by India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and his Emirati counterpart, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar. The Indian education minister is on a 2-day visit to the UAE, which aims to "deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of education, fostering academic excellence and Innovations, and exploring new avenues of partnership", an Indian government statement said.

The two countries have firmed up education links in a major way in the last few years. Last year, IIT Delhi's Abu Dhabi campus was inaugurated by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The same year saw the opening of the Symbiosis International University in Dubai.

In February 2024, during PM Modi’s visit to the UAE, the CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence were inaugurated in Dubai. This office supports over 100 Indian international schools in the UAE following CBSE and Kerala Board curricula, primarily serving the 3.5 million-strong Indian diaspora.

UAE, which has one of the largest Indian diaspora, anywhere on the planet, is increasingly positioning itself as an education hub. The increased engagement between the 2 countries is part of the broader Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2017, high-level engagements and a major trade pact, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2022.

Minister Pradhan's visit will see him engage with UAE leaders, Ministers, policy-makers, academicians, and representatives from Indian and UAE institutions. He will hold a meeting with the Chairperson, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), Sara Musallam and visit IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi Campus, where he will inaugurate the Atal Incubation Centre (First foreign Centre) and launch the PhD and B.Techprogrammes.

The minister is also expected to visit the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi and attend the 1st Anniversary of Symbiosis University, Dubai Campus. Other than that, he also attends a round table conference of Indian Higher Education institutions in the UAE and meets CBSE school principals.

But the significant aspect remains the opening of the IIM Ahmedabad Dubai campus. This is also part of Indian education institutions increasingly expanding their presence abroad, driven by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines to enhance India’s global educational influence. Africa has been another focus area of Indian institutes.

IIT Madras established its first offshore campus in Zanzibar in 2023, offering programs in data science, artificial intelligence, and other fields. National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) India-Africa Campus in Jinja, Uganda was opened in April 2023.