Students in UAE eye Europe that teaches a third language
Dubai - The trend has shown increasing preference towards countries like France, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Netherlands.
Published: Sun 24 Apr 2016, 12:00 AM
Last updated: Sun 24 Apr 2016, 8:39 AM
Shying away from traditional education hubs like US, UK, and Singapore, more students - both Emirati and expatriates - are now opting for European destinations.
The trend has shown increasing preference towards countries like France, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Netherlands.
Hosted by BMI, several international universities made their presence at the Global Education Fair, which took place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from April 20 to 23.
The fair has seen 980 visitors in Abu Dhabi while around 1,800 visitors attended the Dubai fair on Friday and Saturday.
According to some university representatives at the fair, EU nations are becoming popular among students because they are increasingly open to learning a third language.
Yoann Le Bonhomme, the Head of North Africa and Middle-East Unit Marketing and Mobility Department of Campus France said: "There has been a 25 per cent growth in the number of students from UAE.
"For the 2014-15 intake, there were 253 Emirati's who enrolled in various courses in humanities, law, medical studies and economics, in that order."
Bonhomme added that students are more open to learning a new language and the cost of education in public universities in France is much less as compared to the US or UK for example.
Samir Zaveri, the President and CEO of BMI said: "There is a spike in student interest towards subjects EU nations and students are realising that they don't have to pay a heavy fee as well."
Nadian Ardyasa (16), an Indonesian student attending the fair said: "I would love to pursue my future education abroad as I think the opportunities are more there."
Another student Christin Jose (25), who was looking at Universities in Ireland, said: "Some of the courses of study are not available in India or the UAE. The experience of travelling abroad makes the overseas education worth it."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
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