In a significant step toward deepening educational collaboration, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Madam Sajidha Mohamed visited the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Headquarters and ITE College Central today, during their state visit to Singapore. The high-profile delegation included the Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr. Ali Haidar Ahmed.
— The President’s Office (@presidencymv) July 1, 2025
Welcomed by Dr. Goh Mong Song, Deputy CEO of ITE, the Maldivian delegation was briefed on ITE’s comprehensive vocational training framework, managed through its subsidiary, ITE Education Services (ITEES). The briefing highlighted ITE’s dual focus on technical expertise and soft skills, with curricula shaped by industry consultation.
This visit followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between ITE and the Maldives Ministry, formalizing cooperation in higher education, technical and vocational training, educational policy, and research . Under the agreement, both nations will engage in joint curriculum development, professional exchanges, faculty and student attachments, and capacity building.
President Muizzu expressed gratitude for ITE’s commitment, underlining Maldives’ desire to develop vocational streams tailored to national strengths. He stressed that the collaboration will be reciprocal and responsive to Maldives’ developmental goals.
The delegation toured ITE’s flagship learning spaces, including the User Experience Hub at the School of Design and Media, InvITE at the School of Business Services, and the Aerospace Hub at the School of Engineering, gaining firsthand insight into Singapore’s integrated, industry-aligned approach to skills training.
The ITE visit forms part of a broader agenda underlining capacity building and sustainability themes during the state visit, which marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between the Maldives and Singapore. Earlier engagements included rounds of high-level dialogues, investment discussions, a state banquet, and cultural visits — including a ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, where an orchid hybrid was named after the presidential couple.
With its emphasis on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), the MoU aligns with Singapore’s broader cooperation in capacity development. Maldives officials are eligible for Singapore Cooperation Programme schemes, which have trained over 1,600 Maldivian civil servants since the 1990s.
