Study the options at Getex

The Global Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) began as a response to the growing population in the UAE and the resulting demand for information about higher education.

After the enormous success of Getex in Dubai, the event debuted in Abu Dhabi last year and has proven to be enormously beneficial to students, parents, the teaching profession and the education sector in general.

According to Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), the organisers of Getex Abu Dhabi, timing was an important reason for starting the Abu Dhabi show.

"Most international universities have more than one admission cycle within an academic year, with students either joining the autumn session (starting in September for which admissions begin in spring) or the spring session (starting in January for which admissions begin in autumn). The Dubai edition of the show held in April ties in with the autumn admissions cycle and the Abu Dhabi show ties in with the spring admissions cycle," he says.

Slated to be 30 per cent bigger than last year, Getex Abu Dhabi will be held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and will feature free academic, life choices and career counselling workshops for the local and expatriate student communities in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Growing numbers

Though the number of institutes offering higher education courses in the UAE is growing, most students choose to study in countries such as Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, the UK and the US. Figures from the British Council show that about 1,300 students from the UAE are currently studying in the UK.

These figures tie in with the Higher Education Statistics Agency of the UAE that pegs the number of students graduating from schools in the UAE at 10,000 each year, with a majority of that number going abroad to study.

The UAE's Ministry of Planning estimates that expatriates account for up to three-quarters of the UAE's population of more than four million people, with a quarter of that number consisting of children who will consider higher education options in the near future.

"Canadian institutions have a strong presence in Getex Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as a result of which students going to Canada increased by seven per cent in 2006," says Simone Jucker, Trade Commissioner, Education and Training, Embassy of Canada.

In 2005 more than 1,500 students from the Gulf went to Canada to study, of which about 570 were from the UAE.

Second coming

The second edition of Getex will run from November 24 to 26 and will bring together some of the world's leading providers of quality education, human resource training and innovative education technology solutions. Getex seeks to highlight the study options available to students from the Middle East region in international universities and to exploit the untapped potential of the Abu Dhabi market.

"The exhibition will bring reputed academic institutions from destinations such as the UK, Canada, Australia, the European Union, New Zealand, Switzerland, India and Malaysia under one roof, helping students choose the best courses of study," says Godinho.

Highlights

The exhibition will highlight courses in management, medicine and information technology with emphasis on new methods of study including real time e-learning solutions.

Given the increased usage of technological tools to upgrade infrastructure and improve education delivery systems, Getex Abu Dhabi will host a special segment for education technology, equipment, services and supply where cutting-edge solutions will be showcased for the region's users, end-buyers, dealers and importers.

Similarly, the segment devoted to human resources and training will focus on emerging trends and methodologies in specialist training programmes aimed at helping Abu Dhabi's corporate organisations improve their employees' performance and for professionals to enhance career prospects, especially in the regional petrochemical and energy sector.

Seminars

In conjunction with the main event, programmes such as the education forum and counsellors' forum will also be held. Education forum is a hands-on seminar conducted by exhibitors while the counsellors' forum will feature individual academic, life choices and career counselling that will be available free. This will aid students in the process of identifying higher education options.

Thomas Bohm, Director of DAAD Information Centre, feels that participating in Getex is important to raise the profile of German universities in the UAE. "Most students from the GCC region prefer going to universities in English-speaking countries and Getex is the ideal platform to educate them about the master's programmes being taught in German universities in the English language," he says.

For BITS, Pilani - Dubai Campus, its presence at the Getex is the ideal platform to market its courses. "The Abu Dhabi market has endless possibilities and we have noticed that prospective students who come to our stall for information during the exhibition tend to come back to us during admission time," says Nahid Afshan, Admissions Officer, BITS, Pilani - Dubai Campus.

"Our presence in Getex, the largest education and training exhibition for students in the Arab world, reflects our commitment towards playing an active role as a leading educational force shaping the future of our nation and the character of its people. The Getex Abu Dhabi is a superb venue for us to inform prospective students and their parents about how we can help them achieve their dreams," says Professor Reynold Macpherson, Chancellor, Abu Dhabi University.

Godinho attributes the success of Getex to the wide variety of courses and study destinations on the show. "Getex is very well organised and visitors find it easy to navigate through the show.

"We have also tried to provide free academic and career counselling sessions from some of the most reputed names in the counselling sector in the UAE. Admission to the show and counselling sessions and seminars are free, which allows us to reach students who might otherwise be deterred by the cost factor," he says.

GETEX ABU DHABI
Venue: Beach Rotana Hotel and Towers
Dates: November 24 to 26
Organiser: International Conferences & Exhibitions
Exhibitors: Providers of education, human resource training and education technology solutions

The exhibition will bring reputed academic institutions from destinations such as the UK, Canada, Australia, the European Union, New Zealand, Switzerland, India and Malaysia under one roof, helping students choose the best courses of study.