UAE Minister of Education inaugurates Education Show at Expo Centre Sharjah

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah, directors of various government departments, and members of the diplomatic corps and trade associations.

The Education Show is a joint initiative of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Expo Centre Sharjah and is sponsored by the Emirates Nationals Development Programme (ENDP) with the support of the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (TANMIA) and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

'The higher education sector in the Middle East, particularly the GCC region, is currently undergoing rapid expansion and is set for even stronger growth in the coming period,' said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of SCCI, after the inauguration ceremony.

'The GCC States had realised the importance of higher education decades back and had accordingly placed the sector on the top of their priority list for development. In the UAE, the need for providing quality education to the youth was taken up as a strategic challenge several years ago. Today, the UAE, with advanced institutes of higher learning, highly experienced faculties, and some of the most talented students, is considered to be the region's education hub,' he added.

Mr. Midfa also said: 'The Education Show is the UAE's most comprehensive and premier education platform for higher studies. I am confident that following on the footsteps of the previous editions, this year's Education Show will throw open a window of opportunities for UAE-based students wishing to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational courses in some of the leading educational institutes, both foreign as well as UAE-based.'

This year's Education Show is occupying a total exhibition area of 4,000 sq. m. and hosting more than 70 UAE-based and foreign institutions of higher education. On offer are a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and other higher study options. Exhibitors include universities, colleges, polytechnics, IT institutes, business schools, technical management training centers, medical schools, hotel management institutes, fine art schools, language centers, aviation colleges, distance learning institutes, and other tertiary institutions.

Besides institutes of higher learning, the Education Show is also showcasing student publications, banks engaged in providing loans for educational purposes, professional examination bodies, and immigration consultants.

A majority of the participating institutes are from UK, Malaysia, Germany, Oman, Russia, India and the UAE.

The third Education Show holds several key attractions for the UAE student community. Among them are the country pavilions from India, Germany, and Russia, which are primarily intended at providing easy access to a wide range of higher education opportunities from their respective countries under one roof.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), a part of the German pavilion, is once again making its presence felt at the Show this year. Its services at the venue include counseling for students who are keen to take up tertiary education in German institutions. It is also a source of information on higher education in Germany for UAE-based university faculties, government offices, and research institutes.

DAAD is an association of higher education institutions and student bodies in the Federal Republic of Germany. DAAD promotes international academic exchange and acts as an intermediary organisation in the field of foreign, cultural, science and education policy. Since 1950, the organization has enabled 610,000 foreigners to study in Germany, as well as a similar number of Germans to gain academic experience abroad.

Education Show 2007 is bound to be great interest not just to students but also to working executives who are keen to pursue higher education and advance their careers. Several participating institutes are showcasing courses specifically customised for working professionals.

Besides the wide range of accredited higher study options by the country's private and public education sector and foreign-based institutes, another highlight of the current edition of the Education Show is the daily free seminar on Professional Project Management that has been organized on the sidelines.

'The UAE has always focused on a sound and strong education policy that will equip the country's graduates to enter the workforce and encourage them to assist in nation building,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa, Director General of Expo Centre Sharjah.

'The Education Show is basically an endeavour in that direction,' he added.

The UAE Government has already outlined a strategy for educational development in the country up to the year 2020 based on several five-year plans. The strategy deals with issues like introduction of the latest information technologies in the sector, trainning of teachers, cooperation between private and public sector in the field, establishment of a council for educational development, raising funds for development of infrastructure in the sector, and emiratisation of the teaching profession among others.

Currently, the private education sector in the UAE accounts for approximately 40 percent of the country's student population while the rest is catered to by the public education sector.

The importance of quality education in the UAE can be gauged from the fact the UAE federal budget for 2007 allocated Dhs 7.11 billion or 25 per cent of total expenditure to the education sector.

'The Education Show will not only help UAE-based students opt for the right course as per his aptitude and aspirations but also facilitate his selection of the right institute taking in to consideration his budget, eligibility, course of study, campus facilities and college environment among other factors. In other words, the event will promote face to face interaction between the student community of the country and representatives of the participating educational institutes, enabling the former to make the correct choice with regard to his course of study and enrollment in the institute of his desire and allowing the later to recruit the most talented and deserving students,' said Mr. Saif Al Midfa.

Education Show 2007, considering its profile, will attract visitors in large numbers, particularly those associated with the country's education sector. Among those who are expected to visit the event are students, parents, student counselors, higher education policy makers, researchers, teachers, working professionals and executives, officials from local universities and agencies.

The Education Show is on till November 15, 2007. Admission is open to the public from 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. There are no entrance fees.