India and the UAE are moving toward a highly enhanced level of cooperation. The 2023 G20 New Delhi summit has taken the India-Middle East bilateral relationship to a whole new level with the announcement of the ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. India, the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union (EU) signed this ambitious plan to reshape the trade route between the Gulf, Europe, and South Asia by connecting them by rail and sea. The UAE has played a key role in making this happen.

However, the India-UAE relationship is not just confined

to trade. India and the UAE have signed an agreement to set up a campus of IIT-Delhi in Abu Dhabi during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. Now, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has clarified that the upcoming campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi will offer its first course in January 2024.

Dharmendra added, “The IIT Delhi-Abu Dhabi campus marks a significant stride in our efforts to internationalize India’s education. It will open up a plethora of opportunities for leveraging the power of knowledge for mutual prosperity and global well-being.” The campus will offer a postgraduate program in energy transition and sustainability as its first course.

Established as the College of Engineering in 1961, around 56,000 students have graduated from IIT-Delhi in various disciplines since its inception, including Engineering, Physical Sciences, Management, and Humanities and Social Sciences. The institute is also well known for its robust alumni network that comprises scientists, technologists, business managers, entrepreneurs, and whatnot. This special issue is dedicated to them.