More than 30 universities and institutes of higher education from three European Union countries to participate in the 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition

The European Union (EU) pavilion, hosting these academic centres, will showcase various institutions within the EU to internationalise Higher Education, such as courses of study conducted in English in various European countries spread across the Continent.

"The European Union has emerged with a very strong presence on the global market, and has established a work ethos that is uniquely European. It has thus become increasingly important to study the European corporate model for success in the global markets," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of GETX. "European business and technology schools have also established a reputation for working closely with the industry and have leading in-house research and development facilities. This has further enhanced their lead position amongst global institutions as providers of specialised education."

With the introduction of important international standards of education, universities and academic centres across the EU now offer standardised Bachelors, Masters and PhD study programmes, with every country requiring the same number of years to complete a study course. With the added value of courses taught in English being offered in many universities, it will become easier for students completing one level of their studies at a university in one country, to move on to another university and country for the next level of their studies.

"The universities and specialised institutes in Europe are rooted in a centuries-old, rich academic tradition that has produced numerous excellent academics, industry leaders, scientists and doctors, as well as central figures in artistic and cultural life," said Dr. Georg Krawietz, Head of Section - Training and Consulting in DAAD Information Centres, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), the organisation coordinating the EU participation at GETX 2004. "With the introduction of a common, international standard of education, the much coveted European degrees have become more easily accessible to international students. The European pavilion at GETX, 2004 will seek to detail this through first-hand information offered by educational counsellors and professors, as well as a series of seminars held to provide in-depth information about specialised courses in these countries."

The Netherlands is known as a place where knowledge, skills, ideas and cultures from all over Europe come together. English is widely used, not only in everyday life, but also within the educational sector. Since the formal adoption of the Bachelor-Master system in the EU in 1999, the Netherlands has been one of the frontrunners in implementing the new system. There are now approximately 850 courses taught entirely in English and this number is growing rapidly. The Netherlands has also received international acclaim for its ground-breaking Problem-Based-Learning (PBL) system, which trains students to analyse and solve practical problems independently through an emphasis on self-study and self-discipline.

With more than 220,000 international students, France is one of the world's leading providers of international education. France is one of the few countries where admission and academic requirements are identical for French and international students. At the same time the awarded degrees and fee charges are the same for every student. Over the years, France has also consciously established Internationalisation as an important tenet of France's higher education policy of which the Agence EduFrance is an instrument. In fact, contrary to popular perception, French universities have been offering international courses for more than three decades. At the GETX 2004, the French representation will be lead by Agence EduFrance.

"In Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Syria, German education and professional training enjoy high reputation. In Egypt, for instance, several thousand people hold postgraduate degrees awarded by German Universities, including ministers, professors, businessmen and high-ranking officials," said Alexander Haridi, Director of DAAD's Cairo branch. "The situation varies in the Gulf countries, where German know-how appears mainly in the form of high-quality consumer goods. The educational system, however, which prepares such performances, is little known. Indeed, many perceive the German language as an obstacle. However, the intensive German language training programs offered all over the country on the one hand and the hundreds of international courses taught in English on the other hand, make a German degree easily accessible."