The offshore units of certain Indian higher educational institutions in war-hit UAE have either switched to the online mode or allowed students to return home and attend classes on the main campuses.
Leading Indian institutions like the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad have campuses in the UAE.
BITS Pilani’s Dubai campus, the first offshore wing of any Indian institution, has allowed students to return home and attend classes in the virtual mode.
The campus, which has 2,300 Indian students, has also postponed exams and other evaluation activities, said Prof. Souri Banerjee, the director of BITS Pilani, Dubai.
“In light of the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region, the university has been closely monitoring the situation and prioritising the safety and well-being of all students. As a precautionary measure, students have been advised to stay indoors and follow safety guidance issued by the local and institute authorities,” Banerjee said.
“The university also understands the concerns of parents in India regarding the safety of their children. To address these concerns, the institution has facilitated remote learning options, allowing students who wish to travel back to India to do so without interruption to their academic progress. Classes are held virtually and students are
attending lectures from their respective locations and academic continuity is maintained. All the evaluation components and assessments have been postponed for
now. Those will be rescheduled as normality returns,” he added.
Banerjee said the Indian students who are still in Dubai are being kept informed about flight status through airline updates. Airlines are advising passengers to come to the airport only after receiving confirmation from them, helping avoid unnecessary inconvenience.
Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest, have had to be closed off and on because of projectile attacks.
“Overall, the situation on campus is well-managed and under control with the university maintaining regular communication with students and parents and ensuring
that appropriate academic and logistical support is available during this period,” Banerjee said.
The 35 Indian students enrolled at IIM Ahmedabad’s Dubai campus, all of whom had gone to Europe for an international immersion programme when the war began, have been flown back to India by the institute. They are now attending classes on the main campus in Ahmedabad.
“Some of our faculty and staff members are present at the IIMA Dubai campus. This is a temporary arrangement to ensure continuity of their academic activities until the condition stabilises,” the institute added.
IIT Delhi’s Abu Dhabi campus, opened in 2023, is currently closed for the Ramzan holidays. The institution is to open on March 21, after which it will take a decision on the mode of classes. The campus’s Ramzan holidays were brought forward from March 14 to March 7 because of the war.
The campus has around 200 students, nearly 80 per cent of whom, along with some faculty members, have returned to India. The campus is functional as some faculty members and students are still there.