Education

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai Campus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Odoo Middle East DMCC to enhance industry-focused education in open-source business software for engineering and information technology students.

The partnership formalises Odoo's Education Program at MAHE Dubai and aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry by providing students with hands-on experience in enterprise technologies while creating pathways to employment through Odoo's regional partner network.

Odoo develops a suite of more than 40 business applications, including customer relationship management (CRM), e-commerce, accounting, inventory management, point of sale, and project management solutions. The platform serves more than 13 million users globally and is supported by a community of over 8,000 contributors, who have created more than 30,000 additional applications.

Under the three-year agreement, MAHE Dubai will receive complimentary access to Odoo's source code, installation support, faculty and student workshops, and teaching resources. Students will also participate in Odoo Source Code Hackathons and Capstone Projects based on real-world business challenges developed by Odoo and its partner ecosystem.

The collaboration also introduces a Class to Career Programme, designed to connect students who demonstrate strong technical or functional expertise on the Odoo platform with Odoo's regional partners for potential employment opportunities. Odoo confirmed that all resources and services under the Education Program will be provided free of charge throughout the partnership.

The initiative will be integrated into coursework offered by MAHE Dubai's School of Engineering & IT, enabling students to work directly with enterprise software source code for educational purposes. This approach provides deeper technical exposure than is typically possible with proprietary software platforms and strengthens practical skills in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business application development.

Dr. Balamurugan Balusamy, Dean of the School of Engineering & IT at MAHE Dubai, said open-source platforms such as Odoo allow students to move beyond theoretical concepts by building, customising and troubleshooting enterprise applications similar to those used in industry.

He added that incorporating Odoo's source code and capstone projects into engineering and IT programmes equips students with practical skills while the Class to Career Programme creates direct employment opportunities through Odoo's partner network.

Shreya Ilango, Technical Education Consultant for the Middle East and North Africa at Odoo, said the partnership aligns with the company's mission of preparing future software developers before they begin their professional careers.

She noted that the Education Program provides students with free access to the same tools used by Odoo's partners and customers worldwide while supporting practical learning through workshops, industry projects and employment opportunities.

The partnership comes as the UAE continues to strengthen collaboration between universities and industry to develop a future-ready technology workforce. By combining academic learning with practical enterprise software experience, MAHE Dubai and Odoo aim to improve graduate employability while supporting the country's long-term digital transformation ambitions.

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