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Gulf education meet to be held as scheduled

DUBAI - Despite the prevailing circumstances in the region, the 15th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) will be held on schedule from April 8 to 11 at the Dubai World Trade Centre Exhibition Hall No 4.

Announcing this at a Press conference yesterday, David Domoney, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions and organiser of the show, said: "In view of the present circumstances, there has been tremendous international focus centred on the Gulf region. However, we would like to reiterate that the show will take place according to schedule."

He termed the move as a reflection of Dubai's international reputation as an oasis of peace and a city that has always displayed a strong commitment to education.

Mr Domoney said that the show is being organised under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Shaikh Nahyan will inaugurate the show, which will feature over 300 exhibitors from 30 countries showcasing a variety of educational diplomas, programmes and courses.

"In keeping with the success of last year's event, which attracted over 20,000 visitors, we aim to increase the impact of the exhibition this year, with added participation from Germany, Netherlands and national pavilions of UK, France and Malaysia."

Nevertheless, he agreed that there has been a drop in the number of American institutions at the fair. Three institutions from the US have confirmed their participation. The number of UK institutions have also declined, with 30 such institutions taking part in the show.

Stephanie Evans, UAE Education Promotion Manager at the British Council, said that the British Council's participation for the 15th consecutive year comprises a fairly large contingent of British institutions participating under the theme 'Accessibility' of UK education.

"Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on US cities, there has been a big increase in demand for British higher education institutions from the region and currently, out of the 24,000 international students in the UK, 2,500 come from the UAE," Stephanie said.

She pointed out that the British authorities have been working on simplifying the process of entrering the UK as a student.

She highlighted the introduction of the new 'UK4', the four-year bachelor degree programme as an innovation to facilitate access to UK under-graduate courses for students following a 12-year education system and leaving school at the age of 17. Some of the UK's leading universities are now offering the UK4 bachelor degree programme.

Stephanie also pointed out that the 'UK e-Universities Worldwide' initiative, which uses the Internet to make higher education more widely available than ever before, will also be a big attraction for visitors at the fair.

Saif Al Mazroui, Director of Educational Programmes and Degree Equivalencies at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said the ministry is looking forward to the show as it provides an opportunity to showcase a diverse range of programmes targeted at students who are on the look out for quality educational opportunities within the UAE.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director of Knowledge Village, described the event as an ideal platform to garner further awareness of Knowledge Village and attract a wider spectrum of students and educational institutes, who are looking to set up base in the country.

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