Sonipat, Feb 10 : Two leading education, research and capacity building institutions in India and the United Arab Emirates have decided to strengthen academic cooperation and establish a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MoU was signed between Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) in Abu Dhabi, UAE and O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Sonipat, India. The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy was represented by Nickolay Mladenov, Director General and the O.P. Jindal Global University was represented by Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor. To support the mission of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) was launched in 2014 and has become the driving force in the Ministry's efforts to educate, inform and qualify the UAE's current and future diplomats and government leaders to represent the country on the global stage. The MoU recognizes the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship between Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and O.P. Jindal Global University. It underlines the need to enhance cooperation between Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and JGU with a view to making a difference between educational, policy-building and strategic cooperation between India and the United Arab Emirates. The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University Professor (Dr) C. Raj Kumar said, "This is a historic occasion for an intellectually engaging and mutually beneficial partnership between Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), a leading educational institution in Abu Dhabi and O.P. Jindal Global University, India's Number One Private University. The AGDA is a unique centre of excellence combining aspects of training, capacity building and mentoring role for diplomats and government leaders of UAE and having all the attributes of a university that offers degree, diploma and certificate programmes, undertakes teaching and engages in research. The MoU offers an opportunity for high-level cooperation between the two institutions in mutually agreed areas. I look forward to working with the outstanding team of the Diplomatic Academy led by its Director General Nickolay Mladenov." Professor Raj Kumar further observed, "O.P. Jindal Global University has strong ties with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, New Delhi. This MoU that we signed with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Abu Dhabi was facilitated by the UAE Embassy in India under the leadership and support of Dr. Abdulnasser Alshaali. We deeply appreciate his commitment and dedication to institution building for fostering stronger ties between India and the UAE." Professor (Dr.) Mohan Kumar, Dean, International Office & Director, Jindal Global Centre for G20 Studies, JGU lauded the new partnership and said, "The UAE and India currently enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership that extends to areas such as people to people ties in general and education, in particular. I have every confidence that this MOU will make a substantive contribution to enhancing this important partnership between India and the UAE." The MoU, inter alia, will involve joint research papers and initiating studies in mutually identified areas subject to the institutional strengths of the Diplomatic Academy and JGU. In doing so, it will seek to explore coordination and joint cooperation in training programs. Finally, the MoU will also explore the possibility of exchanging faculty even while focusing on student mobility involving short term study, internships and dual degree pathways. This MOU has the potential to become a pioneering effort and a role model for educational cooperation between India and the UAE. /IANS