Growing India-UAE Linkages in the Education Sector

The UAE has all the time been a favoured vacation spot for Indian immigrants attributable to historic linkages, the Gulf nation’s proximity to India and the massive expat group there. The full variety of Indians in UAE has been estimated at 3.5 million. Current years have witnessed a rise within the outflow of Excessive Networth People (HNI’s) in addition to professionals from India to UAE. 

Whereas earlier migration to UAE was from a number of states, particularly Kerala – that pattern has modified in recent times with a gradual rise in people migrating from different components of the nation. A robust reiteration of this level is the truth that earlier this 12 months, the UAE arrange a consulate in Hyderabad. This was its fourth diplomatic mission within the nation after the embassy in Delhi and consulates in Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. It could be pertinent to level out that India-UAE ties have turn into multi-layered and financial linkages between each nations have strengthened considerably. The Free Commerce Settlement (FTA) which got here into impact in Could 2022 – known as Complete Financial Partnership Settlement (CEPA) – has given a lift to bilateral commerce between each nations.

The financial profile of Indian migrants has additionally modified — the Gulf nation has additionally turn into a pretty vacation spot for Indian professionals. There was a rise in professionals relocating from the West to the UAE.

Altering financial panorama 

In a altering financial panorama, the UAE like different Gulf nations has sought to provide you with a brand new financial mannequin, the place it reduces its dependence upon oil, seeks to draw world expertise from completely different corners of the world and strengthen its Analysis and Improvement (R&D) capabilities and give attention to innovation. One of many key the explanation why UAE for very lengthy was by no means a primary alternative for professionals and college students, was the dearth of long-term visas. Even those that labored for a number of years in UAE needed to return or utilized for residency of western nations. In recent times, a number of nations – together with Portugal, Greece and Eire had launched visa by funding classes. The UAE has additionally begun such an association known as Golden and Inexperienced visas. Two factors have to be borne in thoughts. First, nations like Portugal and Eire which had been providing Residency by funding have withdrawn these programmes. Second, the UAE is focusing not simply on attracting entrepreneurs by way of the long-term visas, but in addition professionals, researchers and even artists.

Why UAE has the potential to emerge as an academic centre

In a altering financial surroundings the place a number of Western nations are tightening pupil visas in addition to employment, the UAE, given its geographical location may emerge as a wanted vacation spot not only for HNIs but in addition college students. Presently, there are nicely over 2,00,000 Indian college students enrolled in UAE universities. There may be additionally an increase in Indian college students enrolled in Western establishments which have campuses. The UAE authorities has additionally began offering scholarships for gifted college students. 

The Gulf nation is house to campuses of Western and Indian establishments. A few of the distinguished Indian establishments which have campuses in UAE are; SP Jain Enterprise Faculty and BITS Pilani. Western establishments which have campuses in UAE are; Rochester Institute of Know-how, College of Birmingham and Heriot Watt College. Australian Establishments which have campuses in UAE embrace; College of Wollongong, Murdoch College and Curtin College.

The governments of each nations are additionally making an attempt to boost linkages within the space of schooling, essential steps have been taken to strengthen linkages this contains the organising of an Indian Info for Know-how (IIT) in UAE. Discussions relating to organising of an Indian Institute of Administration (IIM) Ahmedabad campus in UAE are additionally on going.

India’s Training Minister and Minister of Ability Improvement and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan visited UAE (November 1-3, 2023). Throughout his go to, an MOU was signed between each nations for pupil and college exchanges, joint analysis programmes, designing programs, collaboration for conferences.

Throughout his UAE go to, the Indian Minister additionally visited Indian colleges and highlighted the truth that prime Indian universities and colleges had been already current within the Gulf nation and underscored the importance of the organising of the IIT Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi – which can provide its first course in January 2024. Stated Pradhan: “Extra universities can come within the close to future. Greater than 100 colleges of CBSE, India’s distinguished nationwide schooling board, are useful in UAE. We’re quickly going to open a CBSE workplace right here.”

The latest agreements signed throughout the Indian Training Minister’s UAE go to are an essential step in the direction of additional strengthening linkages between each nations within the academic sphere.

In a altering world order, there are immense prospects for larger cooperation between India and UAE within the sphere of schooling. Whereas UAE can profit from prime Indian establishments like IIT and IIM organising campuses, India can study from the analysis ecosystem within the UAE and the modifications which the Gulf nation is bringing about in its schooling system to stay in sync with the altering world panorama.

[Prime Minister’s Office, via Wikimedia Commons]

Opinions expressed on this article are these of the writer.

Tridivesh Singh Maini is a New Delhi primarily based analyst concerned with Punjab-Punjab linkages in addition to Partition Research. Maini co-authored ‘Humanity Amidst Madness: Hope Throughout and After the Indo-Pak Partition’ (New Delhi: UBSPD, 2008) with Tahir Malik and Ali Farooq Malik. He may be reached at [email protected].