SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL AT THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CITY

Dubai, UAE, 24th November, 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to be able to meet scholars and faculty from not one, but four Indian Institutes, brought together under the umbrella of the Dubai International Academic City. I am happy to note the presence of Principals and faculty members from the over fifty Indian schools in the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE is part of our extended neighborhood. There has been regular exchange of ideas and knowledge between our communities on either side of the Arabian Sea over centuries. When the contribution of Indian community to the growth of UAE is appreciated, we should remember that India has made rapid strides in the field of human resource development, because of the importance we attach to the acquisition of knowledge.

I am aware of the primacy accorded to the education sector by the UAE in the Vision Document 2020. The clustering mode followed initially by the Knowledge Village, and now by the Dubai International Academic City has ensured that the best talent from all over the world is attracted. I am also aware of the focus on quality in education, the emphasis on students and parents making informed choices, and the efforts to ensure affordability of education. We in India empathize with these missions and goals. I wish to felicitate the visionary leadership of the UAE for the successes in their endeavours, and assure them of India's continued support and interest in their initiatives.

Historically, Arabia and India have been recognized as the sources, receptors and repositories of knowledge from the early days of our contacts. We have shared the conviction, since as early as the days of Nalanda, that knowledge is the one treasure that increases manifold by sharing. According to different etymological constructions, Nalanda means "giver of knowledge". Nalanda was a residential university which attracted students and travelers from all over the world, including from the Arabian Peninsula. Subjects ranging from science, astronomy, medicine and logic to meta-physics, philosophy and scriptures were pursued. The Nalanda University Bill of 2010, and the efforts being made in cooperation with our friends in Asia, are a reaffirmation of our commitment to "borderless knowledge".

We recognize that education is the fastest vehicle for enabling socio-economic mobility and change. India seeks to realize its demographic dividend in a scenario where young persons will outnumber the old for many years to come. To optimize this human resources advantage, India's systems of teaching and learning have also been undergoing rapid changes. The Right to Education Bill seeks to ensure that every child between the age of 6 and 14 has access to free education. We are also expanding our higher education infrastructure. We are confident that the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, which has recently entered project mode, will bridge the gaps between urban, mofussil and rural India ensuring that every scholar, irrespective of location will be able to access the best academic resources available in India.

We are also aligning our syllabi to globally accepted standards. Teaching methodologies that promote active learning are being encouraged. The accent of our education system has two deliverables - preparing students to become productive forces in the economy, whilst pursuing the quest for pure knowledge. This trend will ensure that the growth of social capital will keep pace with growth of human capital.

Not long ago, it was the brilliance of only some individual Indians which attracted global interest. Thereafter, premier institutes of higher learning like the IITs and the IIMs emerged, and soon became regular by-words for excellence across boardrooms and R&D labs in all continents. I am heartened that such globally recognized Indian brands of education are increasingly venturing outside and setting up bases abroad in clusters like the Dubai International Academic City. Brand India has been served well by our world recognized educational institutes.

The Indian student community in the UAE has the unique privilege of being recipients of knowledge transferred in the Indian way, even as they are exposed to a global milieu. Your campuses undoubtedly pulsate with the intellectual ferment characteristic of multi-cultural and multi-linguistic settings, which makes learning enjoyable. In the coming millennia, the world will see a lot more of India and through your work and conduct, you can contribute to its visibility and growth. Hence, you should aim to be not merely symbols of the success of individuals and institutions, but represent the strengths, potential and future of a resurgent India on the world stage.

Wishing you all well and lots of good wishes!

JAI HIND!