Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Strengthens India-Singapore Educational Ties in Key Meetings

Singapore: Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, met with the Prime Minister of Singapore, H.E. Lawrence Wong, to advance and expand bilateral cooperation in education. The discussions centered on strengthening ties in school education, vocational training, and research, with a focus on the three key pillars of ‘Talent, Resource & Market.’

During the meeting, Pradhan emphasized India’s view of Singapore as a trusted partner in advancing deep tech, startups, and innovation ecosystems. He highlighted how the strategic framework outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Wong has paved the way for elevating India-Singapore cooperation, particularly in emerging sectors.

Earlier, Pradhan also met with Singapore’s Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, to discuss expanding cooperation across educational fields. Pradhan underlined the significance of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in internationalizing the country’s education system. The two leaders explored opportunities for overseas internships, enabling Indian students to gain practical experience in Singaporean companies.

Both ministers also discussed fostering academic and research collaboration by twinning schools and universities in India and Singapore. Pradhan proposed potential partnerships between Singapore’s National Institute of Education and India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to enhance curriculum development, pedagogy, and teacher training.

Pradhan extended an invitation to Minister Chan to visit India, expressing his commitment to advancing shared educational goals and expanding the collaboration between the two nations.

In a separate meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, Pradhan discussed deepening the India-Singapore Knowledge Partnership. Both leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing educational cooperation to achieve mutual objectives.

The Union Minister also visited the National University of Singapore (NUS) and met with its President, Prof. Tan Eng Chye. The discussions focused on leveraging complementary strengths to build stronger academic and research collaborations between NUS and top Indian higher education institutions. Areas such as healthcare, advanced materials, digitalization, and sustainability were identified as key sectors for collaboration.

Pradhan highlighted that NEP 2020 aims to enhance access to quality higher education for Indian youth while fostering the internationalization of the country’s education system. He stressed that partnerships between NUS and Indian higher education institutions can contribute to creating value in the areas of deep startups, healthcare, and innovation.

Pradhan’s visit also included engagements with the Indian diaspora in Singapore, where he emphasized the role of NEP 2020 in upskilling India’s youth. His visit to Singapore, followed by a trip to Australia from October 20-26, 2024, aims to strengthen educational collaboration in areas of mutual interest between India and these nations.