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Showing posts from March, 2014

Omanis look to strengthen higher education at home

Omani delegation at KTH Muscat: Tuesday’s visit to KTH Royal Institute of Technology by Oman’s Ministry of Higher Education was somewhat of a study in contrasts. Seeking to build up its relatively-young public university system, officials from the desert kingdom visited an institution with a two-century tradition of fostering successful companies and research. But for all their differences, the representatives of Oman’s university system and KTH quickly found common ground in their thirst for collaborations that further internationalise their respective institutions. For two hours, a delegation led by Oman’s Minister of Higher Education, Rawya Al-Busaidi, discussed possible areas of cooperation with KTH President Peter Gudmundson, Vice Dean of Faculty Per Berglund, Vice President of International Education Ramon Wyss and KTH Senior Advisor International Strategies Tina Murray. Al-Busaidi said one of the main purposes of the visit was to explore possibilities for exchanges that wo

GETEX Spring 2014 taking place from 09 – 11 April 2014

Dubai: GETEX Spring 2014 unveils 2500 educational programs serving UAE’s growing education market. First launched in 1983, the Gulf Education & Training Exhibition (GETEX) has made its mark as the leading education and training event in the Middle East and an integral part of the industry itself. The event’s main objective is to provide students with a singular, focused platform where they can compare various study options available in the market. Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research GETEX has a large following both from educators and industry professionals as well as learners. It attracts participation from international schools and colleges from all over the world, alongside the best of education providers in the region. The 26th edition of the fair will provide a perfect gateway for over 30,000 Arab and expat students to connect with more than 400 exhibitors from around 40 countries and seek detailed information about ove

Oman’s education minister to visit Karolinska Institutet

Oman's Minister of Higher Education, HE Dr. Rawya Al Busaidi at Karolinska Institutet Muscat: Oman’s Minister of Higher Education, Dr Rawya Al Busaidi, is due to visit Sweden in March to form an impression of the country as a study destination. During the visit, which will include Karolinska Institutet on the 26th, the Omani delegation hopes to learn more about the Swedish education system. Karolinska Institutet’s programme will be opened by the Pro-Vice Chancellor, after which the three deans will each present their boards. Last year, KI took part in a student recruitment fair in the Omani capital of Muskat and a modest delegation led by Dean of Doctoral Education Anders Gustafsson visited Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). Today, an exchange agreement is in place with the medical programme at SQU, and many Omani doctoral students at KI and PhD graduates from Oman are involved in projects with KI researchers. Collaborations with the country are underway in a number of fields,

122 Emiratis graduate at foreign universities

Abu Dhabi: Some 122 students recently graduated from universities in Canada, Australia and the UK, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced on Wednesday. The students gained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in more than 30 specialities in engineering, medicine, management, law, media, accounting and arts and education. “The ministry and its cultural attache offices within the embassies of the UAE abroad are responsible for serving students with services such as scholarship disbursement, academic monitoring and advice, as we ensure the welfare of the students while enrolled in their programmes of study. The cultural division has also played a vital role in introducing the UAE’s heritage and traditions throughout several activities and festivals held abroad,” Saif Al Mazroui, assistant undersecretary of institutional and support services at the ministry, said.

Carnegie Mellon Celebrates Decade of World-Class Education in Qatar

An inside view of Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar DOHA: Carnegie Mellon University celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its branch campus in Qatar this week. To mark this significant milestone, the university will be welcoming a number of distinguished international guests to its official anniversary ceremony on Tuesday, March 18. Key leadership from Carnegie Mellon and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) will gather at the university's campus in Education City, alongside alumni, students, faculty and staff. The celebrations will highlight key achievements from a successful decade in Qatar and renew the university's pledge to shape the country's future through nurturing the next generation of young leaders. Carnegie Mellon Qatar (CMU-Q) joined Education City in 2004 and began teaching 41 students in two academic programs. Today, it offers five top programs to 400 students from 42 countries in a truly multi-cultural environment. Su

Malaysia woos Dubai students

Idris Jusoh, Malaysian Education Minister Dubai: Parents in the Gulf who worry about sending their children to western universities may instead send them to Malaysia, which offers the same quality education but with a friendlier learning environment, a Malaysian education minister said. “The quality of education that we have in Malaysia and the kind of ecosystem that we have in Malaysia is more friendly to people here rather than in America and the UK. So the level of culture shock is going to be less,” Idris Jusoh, Malaysian Education Minister. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic society with three main ethnic groups, Malay, Indian, and Chinese. Some 100,000 higher education students in Malaysia come from about 100 countries. About 30,000 of these come from the Middle East and North Africa region. The Malaysian government is investing heavily in education to turn the country into a leading study destination in the southeast Asian region. A number of foreign-run universities have

MT Dubai Student Nominated “Leader of Tomorrow”

Sunidhi Agarwal Dubai: The Institute of Management Technology Dubai MBA student Sunidhi Agarwal will soon be off to Switzerland to participate as “Leader of Tomorrow” in the 44th St. Gallen Symposium. The St. Gallen Symposium is a global gathering of Leaders of Today and Tomorrow that takes place annually in May at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The young MBA student’s research paper on the theme “The Clash of Generations” was ranked in the top 100, which qualified her for her all-expenses-paid trip to Switzerland to attend the world renowned event. As a Leader of Tomorrow, Sunidhi will get the opportunity to discuss this year’s topic for the Symposium “The Clash of Generations” together with 600 top decision makers of today’s business, politics, academia and society, 100 media representatives and 200 of the brightest young minds from all over the world. The event will host a number of prestigious international speakers including; Paul Achleitner, Chairman of the S

S P Jain ranked #1 in the UAE

Students at S P Jain Dubai Dubai: S P Jain School of Global Management (S P Jain) continues its ride up in international university standings – most recently, the School was ranked #1 in the UAE by Nielsen in its Salary Audit Topline Report 2014, which indicates that S P Jain MBA graduates received the highest salaries in the UAE on graduation.  The findings were drawn from a salary audit conducted by Nielsen of fresh management graduates who have been placed within various companies in the UAE. Nielsen reported that S P Jain graduates enjoy starting salaries 45% higher than their peers from other UAE universities.  Professor Christopher Abraham, Head of Campus – Dubai and Senior Vice President, S P Jain, says that although the School is much younger than most local and international universities in the UAE, it stands tall thanks to the remarkable performance of its students and alumni. Professor John Davis, Dean – Global MBA & Master of Global Business, S P

UAE among emerging education hubs

Dubai: The UAE has been included among the world’s emerging education centres in a new book. Dr Warren Fox, head of higher education at Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority, has contributed to International Education Hubs: Student, Talent Knowledge-Innovation Models. “It’s good for the UAE to be included in this list of such countries, especially Dubai, which is known as a hub for branch campuses from around the world,” Dr Fox said. Dubai has more than 25 branch campuses, the highest number in the world. He said Abu Dhabi had campuses of institutions including New York University and the Paris-Sorbonne University, but Dubai led the way. It opened its first international university, the University of Wollongong from Australia, 20 years ago. Dr Fox said each emirate had its own policies for education. “Dubai has a more open strategy and the free zones for international campuses,” he said. “It’s different to the Abu Dh

Education UAE needs 75,000 teachers by 2015

Dubai: Around 75,000 educators need to be hired in the UAE by 2015 to fill the current manpower gap in the education sector, a study launched by Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and conducted by Deloitte revealed. “The study found that the education sector is expected to have a manpower gap of 200,000 by 2015 in the Gulf. The UAE requires more than a quarter of this, around 57,000 educators, and they include teachers and professors,” Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director of DIAC and Dubai Knowledge Village. The study’s findings were highlighted on the sidelines of the Gulf Educational Supplies and Solutions Exhibition and Gulf Education Forum that was inaugurated by Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education on Tuesday. The study, which included 2,415 respondents across 17 markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia found that the sector needs professors and lecturers in management, accounting and vocational training.

400 research papers presented at university congress

Dubai: Around 400 research papers by masters and PhD students were presented at the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Smart University’s annual congress in a move towards building a knowledge-based society in the UAE. Dr Mansour Al Awar, Chancellor of the university, said the university made it mandatory for its masters and PhD students to present their papers at the congress as it is vital to the growth of the UAE. A report announced during the 13th Ministers Responsible for Higher Education and Research in the Arab World conference in 2011 found that the UAE has one of the lowest expenditures in terms of scientific research. The report revealed that the UAE spends 0.03 per cent of its GDP on scientific research, which is significantly below the 0.2 average that Arab countries spend on scientific research.

Khalifa Foundation encourages paperless classrooms

Abu Dhabi: Around 2,000 students were provided with 95 iPads and 97 laptops at several universities to move towards paperless classrooms and learning environments across the UAE. The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zayed University, UAE University, and the Higher Colleges of Technology to provide the appropriate climate for students, whether a citizen or resident, to receive a high-quality education in a very comfortable atmosphere. “iPads can improve the standards of education, be a motivation and an incentive for students to complete their studies and overcome all obstacles. In addition to iPads, we have provided other humanitarian aids, which is considered the largest in the domestic arena, to alleviate the financial burdens on some families, who have low income and can’t afford the education tuition of their children,” Mohammad Hajji Al Khoury, director general of the Foundation, told to a famous News daily in UAE.