Uniplus to host career fair for students

In recent years, the UAE has witnessed a significant rise in its stature as a top source country for international students seeking higher education abroad. Simultaneously, the UAE has also emerged as a popular destination for overseas students. With this growing trend, the need for reliable career advisors has become crucial, especially for high school students looking to study in English-speaking countries such as the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.

While the UAE government offers various scholarship schemes to high-achieving local citizens, choosing the right university and navigating the complex admissions process can be overwhelming for students and their parents. Furthermore, the surge in the number of university agents operating in the country, particularly in the post-COVID era, has added to the confusion. Many of these agents operate virtually, lacking any physical presence or accountability in the UAE.

Recognising the challenges faced by parents in selecting trustworthy career advisors, Ravi Chand, chief academic advisor from Uniplus and a renowned international higher education expert, highlights the importance of making informed choices. He emphasises that while some international schools in the UAE employ university counsellors for senior students, the attrition rate for this role remains high, with only the top-tier schools managing to retain experienced advisors. Chand suggests that students shall approach advisors approved by KHDA and avoid any agencies which operate online having no office and registration in the UAE.

To ensure students receive accurate guidance and support, it is imperative for parents to choose reputable career advisor companies. Uniplus, under Chand's expertise, stands as a trusted name in the field. Uniplus offers comprehensive assistance to students, helping them navigate the intricacies of international higher education, from selecting the right university to securing scholarships and financial aid. Its counsellors have placed over 15,000 students from the UAE to universities abroad.

Realising the gap, Uniplus education is organising a career fair on May 28 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Metropolitan Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. This would be an opportunity for the students to meet university representatives from USA, UK, Australia, Canada, etc. and apply for application and scholarship on the spot. The event will be graced by an alumnus of Harvard University, Dr Sanjay Kumar, who is also the president at Harvard Club of India. Together with Chand, he will be guiding prospective students on profile building and essay writing to secure a place at Ivy League Universities.

The UAE high-school system is unique as it offers various curriculums such as American, British A levels, IB diploma, local UAE, Indian CBSE/ICSE, SABIS, Canadian, Australian, to name a few. According to Chand, this is where the challenge comes for institutions as well as career counsellors because the entry requirement for universities abroad are different for each curriculum. For an example, a local UAE or American school student needs to do a foundation or pathway programme if they want to study in UK or Australia, whereas British A level, IB and CBSE students can get direct entry. Considering the need of Emiratis and many of expat students, there are some pathway providers that have invested resources in UAE. One of them is Navitas group who is pioneer for university pathway innovation. “At Navitas, we not only believe in the transformative experience of education and indeed a high quality education, and keep this at the centre of all that we do; but additionally our model is designed to promote a democratised access — our pathway programmes across the world afford international students to enter world class education unhindered and nurtures students to perform as well as the students from the home country of their chosen university. We have proudly provided these services to hundreds of Emirati students and expats from the UAE and enjoyed watching them flourish," says Omid Honari who is the general manger for Navitas and noted higher education leader.

“INTO gives international students access to high ranked universities in the UK, USA and Australia including University of Manchester which is ranked top 30 in the world. INTO works closely with educational counsellors in the UAE to support their students to find the most suitable course for them so that they are equipped for future career success. INTO’s partner universities such as George Mason University work with students to get internships and jobs at 400+ companies including Amazon making a median annual salary of $70,000," says INTO’s vice-president Clinton Rae who was in the UAE recently to meet prospective students along with senior manager Randa Nasr.

This is one great opportunity for the students and parents to attend the fair and take advantage of the expertise of presenters. Uniplus is committed and will be able to provide on the spot scholarship and admission for the top universities. The admissions are open for September 2023 intake and January 24 intake.

• KT Network