The Maldives National University (MNU) has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development to launch a nationwide language training programme for young people. The initiative will provide free lessons in multiple foreign languages, aiming to strengthen communication skills and boost employment prospects for Maldivian youth.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), MNU will train 425 students in Mandarin, French, German, Japanese, Arabic and Italian. The government will cover all tuition fees, ensuring that students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds can take part without cost barriers. Officials say the programme supports a key presidential pledge to establish regional language centres in three parts of the Maldives, beyond the capital Malé. These centres are intended to make language education more accessible to communities across the country.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar Ahmed, Minister of State Ahmed Shafiu, MNU Vice-Chancellor Dr Aishath Shehenaz Adam and Islamic University of Maldives Vice-Chancellor Dr Ali Zahir, along with senior officials and representatives from various universities.
University representatives said the partnership would deliver long-term benefits for both education and the economy by equipping young people with multilingual skills relevant to the tourism industry and other expanding sectors. With millions of tourists visiting the Maldives each year—many from countries where languages such as Mandarin, Arabic, French, German, Russian and Korean are spoken—the programme is expected to particularly benefit resort employees, tour guides, airport workers and others in customer service roles.
MNU described the initiative as a milestone in national skill development, providing Maldivian youth with opportunities to build meaningful careers while contributing to sustainable economic growth.
