India and EU Expand Collaboration in Education and Skill Development

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accompanied by Minister of State Jayant Singh, engaged with Roxana Mînzatu, Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Skills, Education, Quality Jobs, and Social Rights, to strengthen cooperation between India and the European Union in education, skill enhancement, and research initiatives.

Pradhan highlighted the significant opportunities for collaborations in essential fields like sustainability, critical technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). The conversations also examined the development of a system for mutual acknowledgment of credentials, enhancement of reciprocal movement for students and faculty, collaborative and dual degree programs, as well as the potential for offshore branches of leading EU universities in India.

Mînzatu informed the Indian delegation about the EU’s prominent Erasmus and Horizon programmes, emphasizing the benefits for Indian students, researchers, and institutions. Both parties recognized the necessity to close learning and skill gaps and to enhance academic and skilling ecosystems by fostering greater collaboration.

A significant outcome of the meeting was the consensus to create a systematic framework for ongoing policy discussions, intended to promote enduring collaboration in education, skills enhancement, and research. The leaders voiced assurance that this collaboration would strengthen India-EU knowledge connections and open new avenues for students, educators, and professionals on both side.