KT UniExpo: Thousands of students turn up for day one

Dubai - Overwhelmed by response, say exhibitors

Exhibitors participating in the third edition of the educational fair KT UniExpo, which opened in Dubai on Thursday, have reported an overwhelming response. Thousands of students turned up on the first day of the exhibition.

“The response has been amazing, and a lot of schools are coming from grade 12. They’re well educated about the exhibition. Students are mainly inquiring about scholarships and subjects such as engineering, architecture and design,” said Doa Qutifan, student recruitment coordinator, American University of Sharjah.

“We have seen a good turnout of school students. I am confident that it will be productive for all the universities here. A lot of students’ queries are about studying abroad and scholarships. They want to know what are the options they’ll have in terms of accommodation and how things will work for them if their parents lose jobs,” says Bhakti Reen, admission manager at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai Campus.

Hosting over 80 local and international higher education institutions and a live seminar area, KT UniExpo is the country’s leading event providing the best of higher education from around the world. The two-day exhibition is running at Conrad Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. Through the hybrid format of KT UniExpo, the UAE residents can have the option to attend a face-to-face exhibition or get a similar experience via the online platform.

“We don’t have a moment to breathe. It’s has been super busy, super fun and very energetic. The kids are so excited. Students are keen to know about scholarships, what programmes we are offering and special transfer to Canada as well,” says Greta Carlson, recruitment officer at the Canadian University of Dubai, said during an interview on the sidelines of the expo.

A good turnout was also witnessed at the RAK Medical and Health Sciences University stand during the exhibition.

“It has been a very good response from schools and students. They all are very delighted to get back to physical events. Students want to explore different options within the country, specifically after the pandemic, because they are a bit reluctant to go outside the country,” says Shaheryar Riaz, marketing manager at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University.

“The response has been fantastic. We didn’t expect schools will be there and it was a big surprise, so many schools have brought their students here to the exhibition, said Nahid Afshan, senior manager for admissions at BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus, said:

She pointed out that pupils are interested in technology education these days and this is growing by the day. “Interestingly, they’re looking at specialised fields such as astrophysics and nuclear medicines. Then there is plenty of demand for technology education, too.”

“The response has been amazing, there are a good number of students from schools. We are looking forward to the next couple of days,” said Yazan Shaikh, assistant marketing manager at Middlesex University Dubai.

Valeryia Atroshanka, student recruitment and admission advisor at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, says students are coming well prepared for the exhibition.

“We can feel that the students are very much interested to choose their career path in early years from grade 10.”

-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai