British Council marks 10 years in Sharjah with a special celebration ceremony

The British Council teaching centre in Sharjah operates under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The occasion was attended by senior representatives from the British Embassy and the British Council, as well as staff and students. Student awards and prizes were presented, as part of the occasion.

His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, who is also a distinguished UK alumnus, formally opened the Sharjah teaching centre in September 1998. This was the third centre to be opened by the British Council in the UAE, following the establishment of centres in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The British Council aims to complement and support the local education system and strives to make a contribution to the development of the community through its English language teaching, testing and examinations work in Sharjah.

The British Council has been present and active in Sharjah for 10 years, and has significantly increased the size of its teaching and support staff over this time, to meet local demand from an increasing number of students for English language courses, which is one of the main areas of focus.

Other areas of growing demand include 'young learners', exam preparation and business skills courses. In 2007 the Sharjah centre introduced new courses for 14-18 year olds to help them prepare for entry to college and university. The IELTS (International English Language Testing) preparation courses are normally over-subscribed with people attending from as far afield as Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

The British Council's teaching centre in Sharjah underwent an extensive refurbishment programme in 2003, and the newly upgraded facilities of the centre allowed the British Council to accommodate more students in greater comfort, and provide more convenient access to technology for students with its enlarged computer room. Earlier this year, in order to keep abreast with technological advances in ELT, all the classrooms were fitted with interactive whiteboards and British Council teachers have undergone extensive training in order to ensure they are able to incorporate them effectively into their teaching.

Paul Sellers, UAE Director of the British Council, commented:

"The British Council also helps connect young people in the UAE with those in the UK, and thousands more people are reached through our high profile events and activities which focus on Science, Society, School Education, Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, English Language Teaching, Arts and Culture. This broad range of projects, as well as the increasingly reached numbers, is a clear indication of the level of the British Council's involvement with the UAE community."

The British Council has had an unbroken presence in the UAE for almost 40 years and, in 2008, is celebrating its 75th anniversary.