NEW DELHI: Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Thursday inaugurated the first international campus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), marking a major milestone in the expansion plan of India’s premier management institute. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UAE’s acting minister of higher education and scientific research Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar were present on the occasion.Sheikh Hamdan said the opening of IIM-A’s Dubai campus reflects the “deep-rooted ties and growing partnership” between the UAE and India. “The energy and ambition of our youth are the driving forces of Dubai’s future, and by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and values to succeed in a rapidly changing international environment, we are empowering them to lead with confidence,” he said. Pradhan called the event a “glorious leaf in India-UAE knowledge collaboration,” adding that it reflects P Modi’s vision of making Indian institutions “Indian in spirit, global in outlook.” The new campus will take the best of Indian education to the world while offering global opportunities to students, Pradhan said. On the sidelines of the event, he held talks with Al Awar, reviewing bilateral cooperation in higher education. Pradhan, on a two-day visit to the UAE, also met Sara Musallam, chairperson of the Abu Dhabi department of education and knowledge, to discuss opening more Indian curricula-based schools to serve the diaspora. Both sides explored facilitating student exchanges and introducing Atal Innovation Labs in Indian schools in the Emirates.tnn