Bidaya starts mentorship programme with industry leader support

The corporates and associations that have come together for the Bidaya mentor programme include, Hadef Dhahiri & Associates, Khansaheb Engineering, Sama Dubai, Gulf Fund Management, the Ministry of Health (MoH), Well Woman's Clinic, Logicom, Tamdeen, Al Gurg Group of Companies, Du, General Motors, Nakheel, Dubai Properties, EC Harris, Dubai Holding and the Dubai Healthy Authority (DHA).

"The Bidaya mentor programme is the first formal, structured one of its type in the region. The mentors are high profile industry leaders, and we've made sure that they are paired with a student that will match their personality, to ensure that both student and mentor get the best out of the relationship. We've been incredibly lucky to attract the mentors we have and everyone at Bidaya is thankful for their time and commitment. We hope that the high calibre of the mentors will attract even more students to apply to be part of the Bidaya programme in 2008" said Manal Shaheen, VIP Sales Manager, Nakheel

All 20 UAE students have now been paired and introduced to a professional mentor who will provide guidance and support on a minimum monthly basis as they continue their university study. This relationship will allow the students to learn by example, outside the usual academic spectrum, from someone who can provide practical advice on situations or scenarios. The students will receive the benefit of wisdom, experience and reassurance, all which will play an important role in developing their decision and opinion making skills from a young age.

Dr. Houriya Kazim, a specialist surgeon at the Well Woman's Clinic in Dubai is paired with a Bidaya student studying Health Science. Dr. Kazim said: "As an Arab woman, I remember when I was pursuing my studies; I had no one to look up to. For this reason I am pleased to be a mentor for Bidaya, to be a real motivation and aspiration to my student, who is a gem of a girl and I know I am going to learn from her as much as she may gain from knowing me. I consider mentoring my way of giving back to my community and my country."

Bidaya is a one of its kind educational and leadership programme which gives UAE public high school students the opportunity to pursue the degree of their choice. Students participating in the programme benefit from private university education, career advice, training, work experience and the newly launched mentor programme; all of which will prepare them for real life challenges outside of the classroom.

Selection into the Bidaya programme is based on several factors which include: demonstrated leadership, academic performance, financial situation and future potential. 20 students will be selected each year following recommendations from public schools across the UAE. The panel responsible for selecting these students includes representatives from Zabeel Investments, Nakheel, community leaders, along with academic partners including the University of Sharjah, the American University in Dubai and the American University of Sharjah.

The 2008 deadline for applications to be part of Bidaya is on 6 June.