Dharmendra Pradhan meets with counterparts for a series of bilateral meetings to further their cooperation in the areas of education and skilling

On November 24, 2022, Union Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan met with education ministers from Mauritius, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ghana in New Delhi.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated that, “India and Mauritius have a particular relationship and are connected by history, culture, language, and the Indian Ocean”, at the meeting with the Vice PM and Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, and Technology, Mauritius, HE Mrs. Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun. He emphasised that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the further strengthening of the bilateral relationship with Mauritius high priority. He asserted India’s commitment to collaborating with Mauritius and offering support for capacity-building in all areas of education and skill development. Shri Pradhan added that, “It will be an honour for India to collaborate with Mauritius to make it a knowledge and skills hub for Southeast Asia and Africa”. Both nations have agreed to work together to strengthen their collaboration and develop their intellectual engagement.

Shri Pradhan stated that India is pleased to support Tanzania with the IIT project while speaking with Ms. Lela Muhamed Mussa, Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Zanzibar. Africa’s hub for technology education may be IIT in Tanzania. He proposed the support needed for the project’s implementation and expressed India’s commitment to creating a 21st-century skill centre in Zanzibar. He added that NEP-2020 is opening up new educational opportunities in India. Students were invited from Tanzania to study in India by Shri Pradhan. Ms. Leela Muhamad Musa guaranteed that Tanzania and Zanzibar will have all the necessary support to make collaboration in education and skills more vibrant. The two ministers had in-depth discussions about strengthening our traditionally cordial relations and making knowledge and skill partnerships a key component of our bilateral relations.

Shri Pradhan met with Mr. Raymore Machingura, Deputy Minister of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science, and Technology Development. They had valuable discussions about expanding our collaborations in skill development and education. India and Africa both share similar goals and perspectives. A collaborative working group between India and Zimbabwe on capacity building, skill development, and education was proposed by Dharmendra Pradhan. Additionally, Mr. Machingura expressed his willingness to form a collaborative working group. Both ministers concurred that expanding our collaborations from academia to research will promote our mutual prosperity and development. India is proud to be a trusted partner in Africa and Zimbabwe.

During his discussion with Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. John Ntim Fordjour, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan proposed the formation of institutional structures and collaborative working groups between Ghana and India, from pre-school to research, to achieve shared goals. Mr. John voiced his support for the notion and pledged to cooperate to increase academic participation. The Ministers had productive discussions about fostering the strength of our warm and friendly relations and enhancing bilateral engagements in the fields of education and skill development.

Also read: Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal co-chaired the first Virtual Global Skill Summit https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/dharmendra-pradhan-and-piyush-goyal-co-chaired-the-first-virtual-global-skill-summit/

According to AISHE data (2019-20), 11083 African students study in India. Ministers from Mauritius, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ghana visited to participate in the UNESCO India Africa Hackathon.