India to Set Up it’s First IIT Outside the Country in UAE

The Indian Government has announced the setting up of a branch of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The initiative is a part of the India-UAE trade deal that both countries signed on February 18.

This will be for the first time when an IIT will be set up abroad and the plan was discussed by both the countries at the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is a trade agreement aiming to boost trade between India and UAE.

What is CEPA?

CEPA or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is a free trade agreement between two countries. The countries involved in the agreement can decide upon the objectives and terms which are formed with relaxations and restrictions that depend on the countries who are involved.

Notably, the objectives of CEPA can differ according to the countries which are involved in it, and precisely, it is supposed to liberalize and facilitate the trade of goods and services between the countries signing the agreement.

In this regard, a joint statement has been released by India-UAE that reads, 

“Confirming the historical relations existing between the two countries and realizing the need to establish world-class institutions that encourage and support innovation and technological progress, the leaders agreed to establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the United Arab Emirates.”

A bilateral meeting was held by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal who signed the CEPA agreement with the delegation from UAE led by Minister of Economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri & Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.

Piyush Goyal tweeted from his Twitter,

“Both nations are looking at mutual recognition of our professional bodies & educational institutions. UAE has shown interest to engage with IITs to see if they can set up a campus in their country. Student exchange programs are also a part of our discussions.”

In the CEPA both the countries also decided that an India-UAE cultural council will be built in order to facilitate and promote cultural projects, cross-cultural exchanges, exhibitions, etc.

“Recognizing shared cultural heritage and strong ties rooted in history, the Leaders agreed to set up an India – UAE Cultural Council to facilitate and promote cross-cultural exchanges, cultural projects, exhibitions, and dialogue between thought leaders of the two countries. The initiative will be coordinated by the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, UAE, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR),” the joint statement reads.

Indian Institutes of Technology

Governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 Indian Institutes of Technology or IITs are autonomous public technical and research institutes which are located in different cities across India. Interestingly, each IIT is an autonomous institution liked with others via a common council named IIT Council. The IIT council oversees the administration of each of them. There were a total of 16, of 234 seats for undergraduate programs in the IITs until 2021.

Considered premier institutes, right now there are 23 IITs in India among them IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Madras are the top ones, offering degrees ranging from BTech to doctoral programs.