UAE education sector poised for a giant leap

Oct. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- UAE education sector poised for a giant leap

Sharjah Education Show registers 15 per cent rise in visitor numbers

Sharjah

The education sector in the country is poised for a giant leap with the government laying extra emphasis through budgetary allocations and schools and colleges reporting double-digit growth in enrollments.

These positive indicators were clearly reflected in the just concluded International Education Show, which reported a nearly 15 per cent rise in visitor turnout.

The show was held at Expo Centre Sharjah from October 12 to 14, and recorded nearly 14,000 visitors during its three-day run.

“The response was excellent. There were students, their parents, teachers, and others involved in the sector taking keen interest in higher educational programmes on offer from scores of universities and other institutions,” said Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah.

In the federal budget for 2012, approved recently by the UAE Cabinet, out of the total Dhs. 41.4 billion, Dhs. 8.2 billion has been allocated for education, indicating the added emphasis the country’s leadership is placing on the sector.

“The government has been keen on improving the quality of education and encouraging students to pursue higher studies in order to mould them into responsible citizens and key contributors to the nation’s economy. The added focus to the education sector in every budget shows this eagerness,” he added.

Apart from government institutions, private universities, particularly in Dubai and Sharjah, have reported an overall increase of 15 per cent in their undergraduate student enrolment numbers at the start of the new 2011-12 academic year.

At the school level, recent developments include an announcement by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) that it has approved 47 private schools in the next two years. The council is also considering proposals for a further 57 private schools. ADEC has also announced plans to increase the capacity of existing private schools in the emirate to accommodate 150,000 additional students over the next 10 years.

These initiatives are among scores of other measures and programmes that are part of the strategy for developing and improving quality of education and providing equal opportunities for all students.

Exhibitors, including local, regional and international higher educational institutions, offered a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes, apart from career-oriented professional courses. They recorded positive response from visitors.

“It was not surprising that there were many enquiries for science subjects too, when management, economics and information technology were seen as favourites among students. We are expecting several students to join from the UAE. Apart from Indian expats, there were many from other parts of the sub-continent and the region who were keen to take up our programmes,” said
Mr. F. Samiullah Khan – Vice President, SRM University, India.

More than 60 higher education institutions from all over the world presented scores of programmes, ranging from traditional fields like medicine, engineering and management, to new age education programmes like abacus training, special hobby classes and language skills training, among others.

The programmes included under-graduate and post-graduate programmes, vocational training programmes, short-term certificate courses, diplomas, professional development programmes and distance learning courses.

The national pavilion of Malaysia, held for the first time alongside the show, featured 12 universities and drew good response for the international standard and high quality education, competitive course fees, twinning degrees, foreign branch campus universities and life in a multicultural society.

Besides, students had an opportunity to win free admissions and gifts worth Dhs. 100,000, courtesy the Mahatma Gandhi University - Meghalaya, India. Through raffle draws, two MBA admissions, a laptop and a mobile phone were given away on all the three days of the show to visitors.

Another attraction at the show was the seminar by marketing guru Dr. Mohan Agarwal, Professor of Marketing at Institute of Management Technology, Dubai, and an award-winning marketing professor, trainer and consultant.

During his seminar, Dr. Agarwal emphasized that a true marketing student can secure a job anytime and anywhere, while highlighting the new career opportunities in social media, NGOs, micro credit and education, among others.

The show also hosted several esteemed educational institutions like London School of Business and Finance, Living Arts College from the US, Monash University from Australia, Swiss Hotel Management School, Manipal, Paris Sorbonne, Abu Dhabi and New York universities, among others.

It was a joint initiative of the UAE Ministry of Education and Expo Centre Sharjah and is supported by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

For more information, please contact:

P. Ravi

Marketing Manager, Expo Centre Sharjah

Tel: 06-5991177. © Mobile: 050-6269781 © Email: p-ravi@expo-centre.ae