Iraq's resurgent education sector to be in focus at the 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition

According to International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of the event, there are strong indications that the participating institutes will target students from Iraq in the liberal post-war climate. On the other hand, Iraq's education sector, which has been in the doldrums since the Iraq-Kuwait war, is being reactivated with massive investments aimed at putting the education sector back on the rails. GETX 2004 is also expected to provide the forum for exploring opportunities for equipping and establishing educational institutes in the country.

"With the overhauling of Iraq's education system already underway, events like GETX will allow regional and international educational institutions to target Iraq," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of the show. "We have ensured that the best education providers are assembled at GETX to make it a one-point resource for selecting education options and packages. It will serve as a meeting ground for academic fraternity, educational institutions and the student community from the region."

"The Middle East governments have by and large given top priority to the education sector and we believe this is an investment that will pay off in the long run as the system produces young men and women who will be able to take charge with confidence," said Godinho. "GETX has been designed to bring under one roof different types of education providers and will help countries that have reached an advanced level as well as those like Iraq where the education infrastructure is badly in need of reconstruction."

Iraq's education system was among the best in the region, prior to the 1991 war. Public spending on the educational sector amounted to 5.1 per cent of its GDP. A report recently published by the Dubai-based Madar Research Group suggests that with expected increased PC penetration in schools within the next few months, projects to disseminate e-learning and introduce virtual universities will gain ground in the huge country spread across an area of 437,072 sq. km.

"GETX comes at a time when the entire region is launching world-scale educational projects," added Godinho. "Every major state in the GCC has announced ambitious projects to create excellent education opportunities for their people. It demonstrates the maturity and far-sightedness of the region's leaders. GETX will certainly help authorities and students to look at education from the global perspective and build relationships with some of the world's most prestigious institutions."

GETX 2004 will showcase educational courses, distance learning courses, language laboratories, turnkey educational & training systems, international study guides as well as a host of other options for students of all disciplines.

IC&E has been successfully conducting education shows in the region for the past 15 years. The last Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETX), which concluded on April 11, 2003, attracted more than 300 educational institutes and more than 20,000 visitors. GETX 2004 has already registered regional and global exhibitors from 24 countries and the list is growing.