Embassy of India, Bahrain held an Indian University Alumni and ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) Alumni meet on 04 December, 2022. Around 50 Bahraini dignitaries, who have studied in various Universities of India as well as attended short and medium term training courses in India over a period of time participated. They included former Ministers, current and former Members of Parliament, representatives from Government, private sector, businesses and academic and cultural institutions. Prominent dignitaries among them included H.E. Abdulnabi Al Shoala, former Minister & former Member of Shura Council; H.E. Ahmed Abdulwahad Al Qarata, Member of the Council of Representatives; H.E. Ahmed Mahdi Al Haddad, Former Member of Shura Council; H.E. Dr. Abdulhassan Al Dairi, Member of
Capital Municipality Council and Chairman of Bahrain Small & Medium Enterprises Society; and Ambassador H.E. Karim Al Shakar, former Undersecretary, MoFA Bahrain.
Welcoming the dignitaries, H.E. Ambassador Piyush Srivastava expressed happiness at being able to join the Indian Alumni for this meet and expressed hope that this grouping will come up with ideas for strengthening the bonds of the friendship between the people of two countries. Ambassador briefed about significant advances in higher education sector in India which has opened up opportunities for Bahraini students to pursue quality education in India. Indian Education sector has made tremendous advances in recent years in all fields including in high-tech areas, professional courses including engineering, medical, space, and cybersecurity as well as in professional courses. Ambassador added that Bahrain also has a highly developed educational infrastructure and that there are a lot of synergies and complementarities in pushing forward bilateral cooperation in education sector. Ambassador also thanked Indian University Alumni, the ITEC Alumni and Indian University Alumni Society for their active engagement.
H.E. Abdulnabi Al Shoala spoke during the event and praised the role of Indian Alumni as goodwill Ambassadors of India to Bahrain. He also spoke about strengthening the bonds of friendship between India & Bahrain. H.E. Dr. Abdulhassan Al Dairi spoke about the role played by Indian Alumni in Bahrain in all facets of Bahraini society. An Alumni from ITEC course also spoke on his experience of studying in India. Short presentations on Study in India and State of Maharashtra were also shown during the event, which was followed by a reception.
The meet up was also an occasion for furnishing new ideas, sharing experiences and discussing ways to further strengthen India – Bahrain collaboration in education sector by the collaboration of Universities, students and fraternity exchange, opening of university campuses from India in Bahrain as well as helping Bahraini students to access Indian Higher Education Sector. There are close to 80 people who have benefitted for Government of India’s scholarships including ITEC scholarship since 2009. This is in addition to a large number of Bahraini diaspora who have studied in Indian on self-financing basis for several decades.
