Agreement links UAE and Irish third level colleges

Notes and media contacts

The Higher Colleges of Technology were established in the United Arab Emirates in 1988 in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah.

The CERT group of companies began as the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE and has grown to be the largest private education provider in the Middle East. CERT is also the largest Middle East-North African (MENA) investor in the discovery and commercialisation of technology, investing US$35 million in 2006. CERT Technology Park in the UAE is home to international companies such as Intel, Honeywell and Lucent Technologies. The CERT IBM Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology is commercialising nanotechnology discoveries in desalination, alternative energy and bio-assay for life sciences.

CERT also leads human capital development by offering total education solutions to both corporate and individual customers. It is involved in strategic alliances with a number of large multinational organisations in developing a diverse range of business and technology solutions. CERT holds the MENA training rights for many 'best in class' programmes such as the American Management Association qualification and the Edward de Bono programme in strategic and lateral thinking. CERT is the exclusive health and environment educator for the General Health Authority. The CERT Institute for Languages offers instruction in several languages, and is also the sole provider of linguistic training to the UAE military. Postgraduate programmes offered include the University of Strathclyde MBA and the Deakin University Master of Education.

Athlone Institute of Technology is an Irish government higher education institute with 5,500 students. There are 150 non-EU and 220 EU students at the institute for the academic year 2006-07. AIT offers internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the fields of business, accounting, information technology, humanities, hospitality and tourism studies, engineering and science. Graduates from these disciplines have been very successful in progressing to further studies and in obtaining relevant employment. Researchers at AIT have established an international reputation in the areas of software and polymer engineering, ecotoxicology, environmental science, and cell and molecular toxicology.

Located in the centre of Ireland, Athlone has a population of 25,000 people and is 90 minutes journey time from the capital city, Dublin. It is a thriving urban centre and is well serviced by public transport. The town is situated on the River Shannon, the largest river in Ireland and Britain, and offers excellent sporting and leisure facilities. The economic boom of the past decade has seen a growth in quality, secure, student accommodation adjacent to the main campus. AIT has won awards for the quality of its student services and it has one of the highest rates of student retention in Ireland at 82%, with 99% of graduates securing employment or continuing their studies six months after finishing in AIT according to the latest graduate survey.

For further information contact:
United Arab Emirates
Dr Philip Quirke
Director
Madinat Zayed College, HCT
PO Box 58855
Tel: + 971 2 8943700
Fax: + 971 2 8849081

Ireland
Mary Simpson
International Student Manager
Athlone Institute of Technology
Tel + 353 90 642 4562
Fax + 353 90 642 4627