IIT Delhi campus to come up in Abu Dhabi; MoU signed in PM Modi's presence

New Delhi: An MoU was signed on Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish an IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi.

According to the agreement, the campus will offer Masters-level programs starting from January 2024 and Bachelors-level courses beginning in September 2024.

IIT Delhi will provide academic programs, inputs, and pedagogy, with degrees conferred by IIT Delhi.

Speaking on the signing of the MoU, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said: "The MoU for establishment of IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi in the presence of PM Modi unfolds a new chapter in internationalisation of India's education."

He said the IIT Delhi campus in UAE as a symbol of friendship. "It will set a brand new template for leveraging the power of knowledge for both mutual prosperity and global good as envisioned in NEP," he added.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning, receiving a warm welcome from Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the airport.

A ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour were also accorded to the visiting Indian Prime Minister.

The Education Ministry said that MoU will further invigorate the India-UAE strategic partnership.

"It will make knowledge and skills a key pillar of cooperation, and also serve as an exemplar of Indian expertise and innovation," the Education Ministry official added.

This is the second campus of any IIT outside India. Earlier on July 6, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for setting up a campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar-Tanzania.

Zanzibar was the first and IIT Delhi's Abu Dhabi is the second campus on foreign land set up by any IIT in the country.

With inputs from agencies