Indian university campuses in the UAE: Classrooms in the conflict zone

Prof Shantanu Roy, Executive Director, IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi:

Throughout the conflict period, we saw first-hand the strength of the systems and support already in place across Abu Dhabi. UAE authorities provided clear guidance and regular updates, and institutions across the emirate worked closely together to ensure the wellbeing of residents, students and families. The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi also remained in regular contact with IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi and provided valuable support as required. This coordinated approach helped maintain continuity and reinforced the sense of confidence and stability.

At IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi, our focus was on student safety, wellbeing, and academic continuity. When teaching moved online, faculty adapted quickly, and students remained fully engaged in their courses. We stayed in close contact with students and parents, provided regular updates and access to wellbeing support, and worked hard to maintain the sense of community that is so important on a university campus.

What impressed us most was how students responded. They adapted quickly, supported one another and remained focused on their learning and development. Faculty and staff showed the same commitment, working together to ensure students continued to receive the support and guidance they needed throughout.

For many students, Abu Dhabi offers the chance to study and build a career in a city that is looking firmly to the future as a global hub for capital, technology, and innovation. Significant investment is creating new opportunities for students to learn, collaborate and work in emerging industries.

Those opportunities have continued to expand across the campus in recent weeks, with students undertaking academic, research and industry placements as planned – including 100% of our MTech students undertaking a summer internship. Students and researchers have worked closely with academic and industry partners in Abu Dhabi on projects spanning artificial intelligence, sustainability, climate technologies and advanced materials.

As IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi continues to grow, we are excited about the role the campus can play in helping students build the skills, networks and experiences needed to succeed in a dynamic city and rapidly changing global economy.

Amity University Dubai: Leveraging pandemic resilience for seamless transition

Atul Chauhan, Chancellor of Amity University:

Academic continuity remained our highest priority throughout the period of distance learning. In addition to delivering a full schedule of online classes, faculty members conducted daily check-ins with students to monitor progress, provide academic support, and maintain engagement. Faculty and staff were present on campus throughout this period, ensuring operational continuity and providing immediate support where required. For programmes requiring practical components, once it was allowed, students were granted controlled access to campus facilities, including laboratories, through carefully scheduled small-group sessions that complied with all safety requirements. This ensured that learning outcomes were achieved without compromising student wellbeing.

Student safety remained our foremost concern. Residential students continued to stay on campus, where comprehensive safety protocols were implemented and closely monitored. Housing directors remained on-site throughout the period, supported by additional staff members who were deployed to strengthen supervision and student support. Resident students were counselled regularly by trained staff and wellbeing teams to ensure emotional reassurance and psychological support during this period. Students who had immediate family residing nearby and wished to stay with them temporarily were permitted to do so; however, the majority remained on campus, where they were supported around the clock in a secure and well-managed environment.

The experience ultimately strengthened our resilience as an institution. The lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled us to transition smoothly and effectively to distance learning with minimal disruption. Prior to returning to full on-campus operations, we conducted an extensive review of our safety, security, and operational procedures, introducing additional safeguards and protocols.

Our Campus Counselling Centre remained actively engaged with students, providing mental health support, counselling sessions, and wellbeing resources to help them navigate the emotional impact of the situation. As a result, the university emerged stronger, more prepared, and better equipped to respond to future challenges.

The university maintained close communication with relevant authorities throughout the period. Senior leadership remained in contact with officials from the Indian Consulate and other key stakeholders to ensure that developments were monitored closely and that accurate information could be shared when required. Our CEO was also in direct contact with representatives from the Indian Embassy and participated in embassy briefings, enabling the university to stay informed of the latest developments and guidance. This collaborative approach helped reinforce confidence among students, families, and the wider university community.

We maintained communication with students and their families, providing updates and reassurance regarding safety measures and operational decisions. While a small number of students who were residing on campus chose to return home during this period, we maintained regular communication with the parents of our resident students, providing updates to support them during a particularly challenging and uncertain period. Throughout the situation, our focus remained on transparency, responsiveness, and ensuring that parents felt informed and supported.

Yes, the university has fully resumed normal on-campus operations. Thanks to the effectiveness of our distance learning programme, students and faculty experienced minimal disruption to teaching and learning. Any minor gaps that emerged during the period have since been addressed, and academic activities are fully back on track. The experience has also reinforced our community’s adaptability, preparedness, and commitment to delivering an uninterrupted, high-quality educational experience.

BITS Pilani Dubai: Preserving progress with flexible learning

BITS Pilani Dubai campus spokesperson:

All the classes were conducted online. Faculty collaborated closely to align assessments, maintain curriculum pacing, and provide targeted intervention sessions where needed. As a result, we were able to preserve academic progress and avoid significant disruption to learning outcomes. For laboratory-based modules, we reorganized activities into three categories: simulations and virtual labs that could be completed remotely, design and analysis work that students could perform independently, and essential hands-on experiments that were deferred until students returned to campus.

Once on-site learning resumed, we implemented extended lab hours and carefully scheduled catch-up sessions so students could complete all required practical competencies without compromising safety or academic standards. This approach ensured that engineering students maintained both theoretical progress and the practical experience required by the curriculum. Also we rescheduled the exams and all the exams were conducted physically on campus from 11 May.

Make-up examinations were provided to the students who had difficulties in planning their travel. A onetime provision for opting for a “Cleared” grade was provided if the student has performed above a minimum performance threshold in terms of performance in the course. This provision provides a greater flexibility to the faculty in awarding the grades to students under the challenges posed by the current geo-political situation.

Safe zones and shelter in places were identified. Training sessions were conducted and safety guidelines were circulated to all. Periodic communications were sent to the students and parents from the Director and Associate Deans. The Deans and Director made frequent visits to the hostels, had continuous interactions and provided necessary moral support and encouragement. Counselling secession was conducted virtually and physically also by our Counsellors.

SP Jain Dubai: Global network resilience and proactive communication

Christopher Abraham, Director – Executive Education, SP Jain School of Global Management:

At SP Jain Dubai, our priority was to ensure that learning continued with as little disruption as possible, while fully complying with UAE regulatory guidance. Because SP Jain already has strong digital-learning infrastructure, including Engaged Learning Online and Blackboard-based academic access, we were able to move classes, faculty consultations, assessments, group work and academic mentoring online quickly. Students continued to follow their regular academic timetables. Faculty remained available through virtual office hours, recorded learning resources, online tutorials and structured feedback sessions. Where courses involved applied work, simulations, datasets, business cases and virtual collaboration tools were used to keep the learning experiential.

For library access, students continued to have 24/7 online access to e-books, academic journals, our vast databases and digital resources through the advanced learning management system. The library is moving toward a predominantly electronic model and provides online access through Blackboard, including major e-book and database collections.

For lab-based or practical requirements, we followed UAE higher education guidance. Public reporting at the time noted that UAE higher education institutions moved temporarily to distance learning, while priority programmes requiring lab use, practical application, clinical training or in-person examinations could continue on campus under ministry guidance. Where physical access was not advisable, practical components were rescheduled, simulated, or delivered through controlled academic alternatives.

Student safety was our first priority. We activated our campus emergency response protocol, which included round-the-clock monitoring, communication with students in residence, coordination with hostel/residence teams, and clear instructions for students to remain indoors during alerts.

Students were advised to avoid non-essential movement at night, stay away from balconies and windows, follow UAE authority instructions, and rely only on official communication channels. Residence teams kept updated occupancy checks and ensured that students knew whom to contact at any time.

There was no blanket relocation of students from campus housing. Our approach was to keep students in a controlled, known, supervised environment rather than move them unnecessarily. Any relocation would only have been considered if directed by authorities or if a specific building-level risk assessment required it. The focus was on calm supervision, verified information, and quick communication.

One of the advantages of SP Jain is that we are not a single-city institution. We are part of a global academic network with campuses in Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney. SP Jain’s official website highlights this multi-city model and its global learning infrastructure.

During the distance-learning period, this network gave the Dubai campus added resilience. Academic teams across campuses supported continuity through shared faculty resources, coordinated course delivery, digital learning assets, student support systems, and timetable flexibility where needed.

Our other campuses also helped by sharing best practices from previous disruptions, supporting students who had mobility or travel concerns, and ensuring that the Dubai cohort did not feel academically isolated. In many ways, the situation showed the strength of SP Jain’s global model: when one campus faces disruption, the wider network can absorb pressure and support continuity.

We treated the advisories of the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General of India in Dubai as important reference points, especially because many of our students and parents are from India.

Our administration monitored official embassy, consulate, UAE government and education-regulator updates, and we shared relevant guidance with students where appropriate. The Indian Embassy had advised Indian nationals in the UAE to avoid unnecessary travel, remain vigilant, follow UAE authority guidelines, and use the official emergency contacts if needed.

We also made sure students understood that they should not rely on rumours or unofficial social media updates. Where required, students were directed to official helplines, embassy advisories and consular guidance. The Consulate General of India in Dubai also issued guidance during the period of airspace restrictions, including asking Indian nationals to avoid unnecessary travel and follow UAE and embassy instructions.

We recognised that parents in India were naturally anxious. Our response was built around transparency, frequency and reassurance.

We communicated proactively with students and families through official emails, student support channels, parent updates and direct outreach where needed. We explained what measures were in place on campus, how students in residence were being monitored, what students should do during alerts, and how the university was following UAE authority guidance.
We also made a conscious effort to separate facts from rumours. Parents were reassured that the Dubai campus was operating under official safety protocols, students were accounted for, learning was continuing, and the university had active escalation channels in place. Our message to parents was simple: students were not alone, the campus was monitoring the situation closely, and every decision was being made with student safety first.

Yes. Regular in-person classes have resumed in line with UAE authority guidance. Public reports noted that UAE universities resumed in-person learning from April 20, 2026, after the initial period of distance learning, with institutions required to maintain readiness and safety protocols. A further temporary remote-learning period occurred from May 5 to May 8, after which Dubai educational institutions resumed on-site learning from May 11 under safety protocols.

What has changed is not the academic ambition, but the level of preparedness. Students and faculty are now more comfortable moving between physical, hybrid and online learning when required. Faculty are better equipped to use digital tools, students are more disciplined in online collaboration, and the campus has strengthened its crisis communication and safety protocols.

The key lesson for us has been that resilience is not only about buildings staying open. It is about whether learning, care, communication and trust continue under pressure. On that measure, the Dubai campus remained strong.

Manipal University, Dubai Campus: A quarter-century of experience ensured stability

Col S Sudhindra, Pro Vice Chancellor, Manipal University, Dubai Campus:

At MAHE Dubai, the transition to distance learning was managed through a structured academic continuity framework that allowed teaching, assessments, faculty engagement and student support to continue with minimal disruption. Our focus was on ensuring continuity rather than creating new processes. Having operated in the UAE for almost 25 years, the campus has developed the academic systems, digital infrastructure and faculty readiness required to respond quickly to external disruptions while protecting learning outcomes.

We continued through digital access to e-resources, journals, databases and faculty-supported research guidance. For a multidisciplinary campus such as MAHE Dubai, resilience means being able to preserve academic rigour, student engagement and progression even when physical access to campus is temporarily restricted.

Student safety remained our primary consideration. We activated internal communication and emergency response protocols, with close coordination between campus administration, student services, security, hostel teams and academic leadership with the aim to ensure that students, particularly those in campus accommodation or away from their families, had clear guidance, access to support and reassurance during periods of concern.

There was no requirement for large-scale relocation of students. They were advised to follow official UAE safety guidance, remain indoors when required, avoid unnecessary movement during alerts, and stay connected to official university communication channels. Hostel and student services teams remained available to respond to student concerns, verify student well-being and provide guidance during late hours.

Every disruption feels different when you are responsible for the well-being of students and faculty. The pandemic challenged universities globally and forced a complete rethink of teaching and learning. The recent regional tensions presented a different challenge. The UAE remained stable, but the constant flow of news and speculation naturally created anxiety among students and parents, particularly those following developments from overseas. Our responsibility was therefore not only operational; it was also about maintaining confidence and providing clarity at a time when uncertainty often travels faster than facts.

We closely monitored official guidance issued by UAE authorities and remained prepared to engage with relevant diplomatic channels should the need arise. Throughout the period, our priority was to ensure that students and families relied on verified information from official sources rather than speculation or unverified reports.

As part of our ongoing commitment to student welfare, Dr. S. Sudhindra Shamanna, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE Dubai, visited the Indian Embassy in Dubai and met with the Education Counsellor to discuss matters related to student wellbeing and support.

As an Indian institution with a large Indian student community, maintaining awareness of updates from both UAE authorities and Indian diplomatic missions was an important part of our overall response.

Communication was critical. Families were naturally concerned, particularly when following developments from afar. We therefore focused on maintaining regular communication with students and ensuring they had access to academic, administrative and student support services throughout the period.

The message to parents was straightforward: students were safe, the university remained fully operational, and their academic progress would not be affected. Consistency and transparency were key to maintaining confidence during a period of uncertainty.

MAHE Dubai’s long-standing presence in the UAE also helped provide reassurance. Families recognise that the campus is part of an established educational ecosystem in Dubai, with experience in supporting a diverse student community and responding responsibly to changing circumstances.

Yes, regular classes have resumed in line with official guidance. While the disruption was temporary, it reinforced the importance of readiness and adaptability in higher education.

The experience prompted us to review and further strengthen areas such as communication protocols, digital learning readiness and student support mechanisms. More importantly, it reaffirmed that resilience is no longer optional for universities operating in an increasingly unpredictable world. Preparing for disruption has become part of preparing for excellence.