Education Minister opens International Education Show

It will run until Tuesday (October 6).

The show was opened by His Excellency Humaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education. Present at the ceremony were Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, Mr Fasahat Ali Khan, Adviser to the Chairman and Board of Directors of Expo Centre Sharjah, and officials of various government departments.

Speaking after the opening ceremony, Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa said the global financial downturn has thrown open enough opportunities to the higher education sector in the country.

"Employment opportunities are tough to come by these days. Students need to better equip themselves through higher education and acquire necessary skills to obtain a job in these prevailing circumstances. In this scenario, the higher education sector is set to feel an increase in demand for job-oriented courses as well as programmes that will help upgrade skills,"

said Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.

The show this year is featuring more than 70 acclaimed institutions of higher learning from Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Germany, Hungary, India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the UAE.

"The International Education Show will be a stepping stone to a rewarding career for students. I am sure the show will help national as well as expatriate students find the best institutions in world offering some of the most sought-after programmes to pursue their higher studies, either here itself or abroad," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

In view of the prevailing tough conditions the world over, students will also be looking to augment their qualifications before entering the job market.

"There has been a reduction in career opportunities. Fresh graduates are looking to use this period to pursue higher studies and add to their professional competence. They are aiming to achieve specialisation in emerging and high-potential domains," said Mr Fasahat Ali Khan.

"The economic woes will also affect educational choices as parents and students search for best value institutions," added Mr Khan.

The show will also offer students a chance to obtain scholarships to study in prestigious American universities. The International Education Show is hosting the American Pavilion, where participating universities are offering over a hundred thousand dollars in scholarships.

The American institutions taking part include Saginaw Valley State University, Iowa State University, Bellevue College, St Joseph's University, Wayne State University, Pittsburg State University, Portland State University, Middle Tennessee State University and Daemen College.

Some of the top names in higher education and professionals studies are showcasing their undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, vocational training programmes, short-term certificate courses, diplomas, professional development programmes and distance learning courses at the show.

The profile of exhibitors covers universities, colleges, polytechnics, IT institutes, business schools, technical management training centres, medical schools, hotel management institutes, fine art schools, language centres, aviation colleges, distance-learning institutes, and other tertiary institutions.

Apart from speaking directly to the representatives of these institutions, students and parents will be able to interact with banks engaged in providing education loans, professional examination bodies and immigration consultants.

Al Ghurair University, American University of RAK, American University of Sharjah, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, British Council, Cambridge College, Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia, Manipal University, Ministry of Education, New York University Abu Dhabi, RIT University in Dubai, Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah Institute of Technology, Skyline University College, The British University in Dubai, TANMIA, The Petroleum Institute, University of Bradford, University of Exeter, University of Jazeera, University of Sharjah, University of Wollongong in Dubai and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham are among the institutions that are taking part in the show.

The show will be open daily from 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm. The International Education Show is a joint initiative of the UAE Ministry of Education and Expo Centre Sharjah and is supported by the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (TANMIA) and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).