InFocus | Getex
For those who yearn to learn
As record numbers of exhibitors turn up for the show, this Getex promises to be a huge success. While countries such as Ireland, Italy, Malta and South Africa debuted at the 2005 exhibition, this year will also see the arrival of several new exhibitors and segments on the block.
- By Neesha C. Salian, Staff Writer
- Published: 00:00 April 11, 2006
As record numbers of exhibitors turn up for the show, this Getex promises to be a huge success.
Circa 1971: Less than 28,000 students were part of the education system in the newly established UAE. Schools and higher education institutions were limited to towns.
Circa 2006: More than 290,000 students attend government schools all over the UAE. At the higher education level around 10,000 students attended the academic year 2004-'05, 62 per cent of whom were women. The government is also aiming at achieving 100 per cent literacy in a scenario where the country already boasts around 90 per cent literacy among the age group of 15-24.
Figures such as these are undeniable proof that education has been given due priority by the nation's leaders. Excellent local universities, colleges and institutes of technology have burgeoned here since 1971, providing free education and vocational training for nationals. According to the Dubai-based Madar Research Group, GCC governments including the UAE increased their expenditure in the education sector to about $26 billion (about Dh96 billion) during 2005. The UAE raised its budget from 17.08 per cent in 2004 to 17.20 per cent in 2005. The high allocation of funding for the education sector in this year's budget also marks the emphasis on public and higher education.
International academic institutions are increasingly setting up campuses in different locations in the UAE including the Knowledge Village and Academic City in Dubai. The growing demand posed by the thriving expatriate community also provides the requisite motivation. All these factors make the annual Gulf Education and Training Exhibition ( Getex) relevant and a huge success.
This exhibition, considered the largest in the Middle East and Asia, is significant because it targets more than a million students under the age of 18 and another two million people aged between 18 and 40 which, incidentally, comprises about three-quarters of the UAE's five million residents. According to Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions, which organises Getex, "More than 10,000 pupils graduate each year in the UAE from more than 3,000 schools. A vast number of them seek tertiary education. Though local avenues for quality higher education are growing, a high proportion of students still study in institutions of international repute in countries such as Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, the UK and the US."
Getex, in such a scenario, provides a platform where 'demand meets supply.' Academic institutions both international and local have turned up in full force since the inaugural show of Getex in 1984, as has an eager audience comprising students, parents, professionals and members of the academic community from the UAE, GCC, Indian subcontinent, Iran and other countries in the Middle East. "These institutions come together to showcase the latest in academic programmes and educational services. The show provides a host of options for national and expatriate students in the Middle East. By providing a platform for the world's universities and education providers, Getex also promotes interaction and networking among regional and international educational entities, providing the ground for alliances," says Godinho.
The fair has also dedicated sections to areas such as technology and equipment and corporate training and human resource development to add more value to its offerings, as the Middle East is fast becoming conscious of the need for advanced education technologies that train and prepare students and professionals for their career choices.
The exhibition, which is also held in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Hyderabad in India, enjoys the support of the UAE Ministry of Education. "The show is held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It enjoys the support of Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai eGovernment, Tanmia, the British Council, Agence Edu France, Italian Embassy, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), OSEC (Business Network of Switzerland), the South African Embassy in the UAE, Qatar Foundation, the Worlddidac Association and Able UAE (for our special needs workshop programme)," says Goudinho.
Last year, the show brought in more than 27,000 visitors. This year - the 18th Getex fair - promises to bring a lot more to the platform in terms of exhibitors and visitors. According to the organisers, the show, which is being held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, has grown by 30 per cent. It also features more than 450 exhibitors from about 38 countries.
"This year," according to Simone Jucker, Trade Commissioner, Education and Training, Embassy of Canada, "we have 23 Canadian institutions participating in the event. All levels of education are being represented including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, bachelor, master and Ph.D degree programmes at universities. The visiting Canadian institutions come from both rural and urban communities within the country."
According to Jucker, the exhibitors who attended the fair in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2005 were very pleased with the organisation of the event and the quality of the students who visited them. This year, institutions including the University of Windsor, Seneca College, Columbia College, Cape Breton University, George Brown College, University of New Brunswick, Humber College, Niagara College and LaSalle College, will showcase their programmes.
Several Swiss academic institutions will also be part of the show in a delegation led by the OSEC Business Network, Switzerland. Some of these schools include Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, European University, Global Education in Switzerland and the IMI-International Hotel Management Institute of Switzerland. Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, which was part of the show last year, is also thrilled with the positive feedback they received. According to Annick Barbezat, public relations officer, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, " Dubai's hospitality industry is growing very fast and the demand for graduates from the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne will definitely be high here."
International presence
The US also has a presence at the event. According to Peter Neisuler, Branch Public Affairs Officer, AmConGen, Dubai, Public Affairs Office, US Embassy, "We have three universities at Getex this year: Pace University, Grambling State University, and Boston School of Modern Languages."
With an increasing number of students from the Middle East choosing the UK as a destination for higher education, more than 40 of the UK's reputed universities, consultants, and education technology and service providers have opted to showcase their offerings. According to Pat Baxter, International Officer at the University of Leicester, "There has been an increase in students choosing to study in the UK recently. We expect to recruit a good number of students, particularly from the GCC states and Jordan, for our full-time degree courses, which are shorter and, therefore, less expensive than those in the US or Australia."
Several academic institutions based in the region will also be at the event. The American University in Sharjah (AUS) will be one of them. "AUS has a strong presence at Getex because we believe that this event provides an important forum for students and educational institutions to interact with each other. It enables institutions from around the world to exhibit their wares in the increasingly competitive and dynamic education sector in this region, and allows students to explore the options available both locally and globally," says Dr. Thompson, Chancellor of AUS.
Skyline College, which offers courses in international business and travel and tourism studies, is also participating, as is the SAE Institute, which is considered the largest audio and film and multimedia college worldwide. "SAE rates Getex as the premier educational event on our calendar. The institute participates in a number of educational events throughout Asia and the Middle East, but it is Getex that offers some very unique opportunities for us. The sheer size and scope of this event means there will be a large number of visitors not just from Dubai but from neigbouring regions, too. We also look at Getex as being an ideal event to broaden our links with other organisations and form partnerships, or other business relationships," says Jason de Wilde, College Manager, SAE Institute, Dubai.
According De Wilde, visitors who come to their stand will see an interactive one. "We will, as usual, be demonstrating how a recording studio functions, so visitors can get some hands-on experience. There will be cameras and an animated display, plus staff on hand will assist with questions about our programmes. SAE Institute will also be giving visitors the chance to win a short course programme in either 3D animation, or Digital Video Production at the event. Candidates will need to submit a short 3D Animation, or film with the topic, 'Protecting the environment.' Entries will need to be submitted at the SAE stand."
New entrants
Gems Education, which employs a team of multi-skilled education professionals, specialists and advisors from more than 67 countries, will also be at the event. Located in Dubai, the UK, the US and India, Gems Education offers specialised services that include setting up schools as well as managing them, among others.
While countries such as Ireland, Italy, Malta and South Africa debuted at the 2005 exhibition, this year will also see the arrival of several new exhibitors and segments on the block. One of these is the Scholar Ship.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, this unique academic programme, modelled on the concept of trans-national education, promises to be a crowd-puller. This semester-long academic programme is held aboard a specially equipped cruise ship that will travel twice a year from Athens in Greece to Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, South India and Cyprus, before returning to Athens.
"The Scholar Ship strives to prepare young people to live and work in an increasingly inter-dependent global environment. Our students will be exposed not only to a range of historically rich and compelling destinations, but as importantly, to other students who collectively form a colourful quilt of foreign cultures, languages and experiences," says Dr Joseph D Olander, President, The Scholar Ship.
"We are targeting both undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Middle East. Through Getex, The Scholar Ship hopes to build awareness and recruit students from the region for our novel programme," says Thijs van Vugt, The Scholar Ship's Deputy Regional Director for the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Another new entrant is the historic University Paris-Sorbonne. Considered Europe's oldest university, it will showcase programmes in areas including humanities and arts. The university is at Getex to promote the opening of the first French-speaking higher education university in the region. The university will open in October; its teachings will be identical to those of the Paris-based university, and will deliver the University Paris-Sorbonne Bachelor's Degree. This diploma will be recognised not only in all of the French universities but also in any European university member of the European Higher Education Area.
The growing market and importance of advanced education technologies in the Middle East have also prompted Switzerland-based Worlddidac, a global non-profit trade association, to participate in Getex for the first time. The association represents more than 300 companies that provide products, services and solutions for education and training at all levels.
Other segments
While schools and universities exhibiting at the event may prove to be the main draw, other segments at the event will also receive their fair share of attention due to their relevance. One of these is related to education technologies.
According to Goudinho, exhibitors in the special segment on 'Education Technology and Equipment' will display the latest innovations in educational technologies, allowing students and professionals to improve their performance, acquire the latest skills and become competitive in the job market. Institutions will also be able to upgrade their infrastructure, administrative systems and academic programmes, thus attracting more students in the competitive world of global education.
"The corporate training and human resource development segment, on the other hand, will feature exhibitors offering MBA and postgraduate programmes, as well as standard and customised and short and long-term programmes for professionals in UAE's sophisticated corporate community," says Goudinho.
This year, Getex will also bring together a panel of regional and international experts for discussions fosucing on topics such as learning technology, development of tertiary education and human resource training through three conferences. The Middle East Forum on Learning Technology; the Middle East Forum for Academic Research and Reflection; and the Global Training and Human Resource Development Forum will be held concurrently with the main event, from 11 am to 8 pm on April 10, 12 and 13.
"In keeping with our stature as the region's premier education event, it is our responsibility to provide interactive forums at Getex, where the region's education planners, management and practitioners can come together to deliberate on important issues and gain new perspectives," says Goudinho.
The fair will also feature workshops focusing on special needs. According to the organisers, these will cover discussions and talks in both Arabic and English, and will target parents and educators with the objective of spreading awareness about disorders such as ADD, ADHD and autism, among others. This will help facilitate early intervention and equip mainstream schools to take necessary steps to educate and train special needs individuals.
The Academic and Life Choices counselling forum has also been extended to include special needs individuals who are expecting to start higher education.
The conferences and forums will add value to the exhibition, which promises visiting and local schools the opportunity to interact with potential students and vice versa.
The chance to learn about new technologies, interesting offers from different institutes as well as the prospect of being part of one of the biggest education-related events in the region will also prove invaluable.
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