Edu Minister Pokhriyal holds virtual bilateral meeting with UAE Minister of Education

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 9

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ held a virtual meeting with Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the United Arab Emirates Minister of Education, on Wednesday, according to an official statement.

Al Hammadi appreciated the National Education Policy-2020.

He said the policy was a visionary document as it lays emphasis on holistic development of students and that the education sector had the potential to take mutual cooperation to new heights.

Both countries should work to increase long-term cooperation in the field of education, the statement added.

Speaking on the occasion, Pokhriyal said India and the UAE shared a very strong and deep bilateral relationship and both sides had been working together to strengthen educational cooperation and collaboration.

“This meeting is being held with a view to further deepen our relations, especially in the field of education, by way of continuous dialogue and by enhancing active, interactive and long-term collaborations at various levels,” he added.

Held a virtual bilateral meeting with His Excellency Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, #UAE Minister of Education today. pic.twitter.com/LUerFbrdrk

— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) December 9, 2020

The Minister invited students from the UAE to India under the Study in India Programme and invited more number of faculties to India for taking short-term courses in Indian universities under the GIAN programme.

Highlighting the National Education Policy, the Minister said it was a very forward-looking policy which would change the entire education landscape of the country, making it more aligned to global systems.

It keeps choice of the student at centre and had recommended flexibility in choice of subjects and fluidity between different streams, Pokhriyal added.

The Minister stated that the NEP was built on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.

“It will ensure inclusive and equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning for all, so that critical targets and SDG goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved,” he added.

Pokhriyal further highlighted that there was a lot of focus on internationalisation of education.

For giving impetus to internationalisation, following are being planned — foreign students’ office in each HEI hosting foreign students, quality residential facilities, improve overall quality of education, reforms will make Indian systems aligned to international curricula, regulations being put in place to allow Joint Degrees, twinning arrangements and dual degrees between Indian and foreign institutions, etc.

He also said a common portal for admission to Indian universities with details of all courses was also being contemplated of.

The Minister hoped for an enhanced, deeper and more meaningful academic cooperation between educational institutions in both countries under the new policy.

Pokhriyal informed that an MoU on cooperation in the field of education between India and the UAE was at an advanced stage of finalisation. He hoped that it would enhance academic collaboration between the higher educational institutions of both countries.