Connecting classrooms to the real word

Kirti Garg, B.E. in Computer Science, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus

Practice School is one of the best programmes offered by BITS Pilani. By integrating internship experience with the academic curriculum, it ensures that every graduating student is equipped with industry experience. This initiative helps bridge the industry-academia gap, while giving us a platform to intern with some of the best employers in the industry.

Being a computer science student, it was my aspiration to work in an industry that allows me to implement machine learning algorithms and contribute to solving real world problems. This programme has helped me bag an internship opportunity in the innovation field at L&T. I am grateful for the experience, as it has played a crucial role in getting me started on my journey.

Jules Sattanathan, BCom (International Business), Curtin University Dubai

Over the past three months, I have been working as a marketing intern at Transnational Academic Group. Overall, the internship has been a valuable experience, as it has not only been a great learning opportunity, but also has equipped me with work experience prior to graduating. This is a strong advantage to have in today’s economic climate.

The team at Curtin has been of great support. Whenever I have doubts or concerns, they have warmly assisted me in getting clarifications. The most notable form of support, however, is the overall flexibility in my internship. Whenever I needed time to prepare for an assessment, my colleagues would gracefully give me time and space to do so. This has allowed me to excel in both my internship and university units.

Marwan Al Hossary, Marketing, RIT Dubai

The RIT entrepreneurial co-op programme allowed us to take our start-up idea to the concept stage in only 12 weeks. It also connected us with a lot of experienced entrepreneurs and investors who helped us throughout the journey.

The involvement of Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (DTEC) and entrepreneurs certainly helped us gain real-life experience through this programme.

It was not an easy path to go through, as it required patience and high-quality work. Our work would not get accepted if it was anything less than 100 per cent accurate, which set the bar high for students. I enjoyed the experience and I have already recommended it to a lot of people as I believe it is very beneficial for students. It teaches us the main basics of all businesses and how to become a leader, starting from the lean canvas all the way to the demo day to pitch your start-up, which I believe is an essential experience .

Ruba Mohamed Abdelrahim Sidahmed, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, University of Sharjah

My virtual internship experience, which was part of the academic journey in the University of Sharjah, had significantly empowered my professional growth. Despite the shift to largely virtual resources, this exposure challenged me to become innovative and be creative about future solutions. As an electrical engineering graduate, this experience enabled me to utilise resources and information effectively.

The company’s great team, along with support from the university, allowed me to experience such a positive virtual experience filled with learning about the work field, and develop personal, technical, and professional skills through activities performed both independently and under indirect supervision.

Diya Mary Biju, Completed MA (Hons) in Accountancy and Finance, Heriot-Watt University Dubai

Heriot-Watt provides a positive exposure to its students by conducting career fairs on campus with many global and regional firms participating in it. I bagged an internship with leading accounting firm KPMG through one of its career fairs, and have had a positive experience so far.

Heriot-Watt students are presented with internship opportunities throughout their studies, which help us network with future employers and prepare for the workplace environment. My personal experience has been wonderful in terms of the guidance and support I’ve received from the career advisors at Heriot-Watt, who have helped boost the confidence of young students and graduates.

Hamza Kamouni, Accounting graduate, Abu Dhabi University

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) offered me a very good internship opportunity with Provis. It was very helpful, adding much to my experience and knowledge. Based on my own experience, I can confidently say that a good internship is the first step towards a successful career.

ADU found this opportunity for me through the Employability and Alumni Relations Office which supported me by helping me improve my CV writing skills. I also attended several career development workshops that helped me gain various professional skills and improve both my soft skills and technical know-how. Additionally, the office coordinated with the company and my faculty supervisor, helped me solve the problems I faced, and enabled me to give a good impression during the internship period.

Natasha Hasmitha Fernandes, BA, Accounting and Finance, Middlesex University Dubai

During my first year at Middlesex, I applied for a number of internship opportunities via the university’s student vacancy portal. As a result, I was offered a part-time opportunity as a junior accountant and then a HR assistant role for a brief yet fruitful period of five months. This experience really broadened my workplace understanding, multitasking abilities and interpersonal skills.

Towards my second year, I wanted to work in a corporate environment. The campus career fair was a big boost to network with talent acquisition executives from various companies, and I was able to secure interviews with multiple potential employers. I am now proud to be working with the e-commerce giant Talabat as a Business Development Intern.

The university has always been there for students with its multiple student services and facilities. Its Careers and Employability Department has played an important role in mentoring me. The strong and experienced team of the department helped me prepare for interviews with their tips and motivation. I am grateful to them for constantly encouraging me to face and grab challenging opportunities.

Komal Kadam, BTech (Computer Science), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai Campus

Being a Computer Science student, I looked for a role within my domain and with help from the university’s career services department, I received a wonderful opportunity to work with one of the leading technology companies in the UAE. It was one of the many opportunities provided by the department 3-4 months before our internship period began. We were able to appear for multiple interviews and select the organisation of our choice.

We also received a lot of soft skill training from the department along with technical training in our course. We had sessions with industry experts on resumes, and training sessions for interviews throughout our course. All the training provided by the university and the career services department helped me prepare and land the role I am in now.

Overall, my experience has been a fruitful one and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work within my field despite the current employment environment.

Muhammed Niyas, MBA in International Business, Westford University College

Westford gave me the platform to discover my hidden skills to connect to the students, participate, and organise various events. I was in my second year when Westford offered me the chance to work as a student intern — it was a life-changing moment for me. Eventually this temporary opportunity resulted in a permanent position when I completed the programme. It was a great boost for my career.

As students, we are all very confused and clueless about our careers. At Westford, I got the right kind of support and guidance to start and advance my career. The support came from all sides — the director guided me to make the right decisions, faculties offered me the right advice and administrative staff guided me across the internship time to be successful in what I do. And now, I am pursuing my masters at Westford as well.

Kostantin Rikunov, BBA International Business, Canadian University Dubai

Canadian University Dubai (CUD) connected me to the amazing experts working at Julius Baer, which resulted in a wonderful internship process. The internship was extremely valuable as it allowed me to see how the financial world functions and enabled me to get my hands on some of the most advanced technology used in the field of investment today.

This opportunity would not have been possible without the support of CUD. The faculty and the Student Careers Internship Office assisted me with all the steps and gave me a lot of guidance on how to position myself. Thanks to CUD and the internship opportunity at Julius Baer, I was able to continue my path in the investment industry on a full-time basis.

Students talk about their college experience

Dr Jumana Al Salloum, Pharm.D., Gulf Medical University (GMU)

I graduated from GMU in 2017 and am currently serving as a Clinical Preceptor at College of Pharmacy, GMU, and Clinical Pharmacist at Thumbay University Hospital. I was the first GMU Pharm.D. graduate to obtain the MOH Clinical Pharmacy licence in 2020, after two years of working as a pharmacist in the hospital preforming clinical pharmacy services.

Clinical Pharmacy licence is of huge importance since very few pharmacists have this title in the UAE. The licence focuses on the added value that a clinical pharmacist brings in improving patient care and providing the best care plan as an important member of the healthcare team.

Tim Shelton, Global MBA, The University of Manchester

The Manchester Global MBA experience gave me the confidence to speak about contemporary business challenges, with thought-provoking ideas and research, and the opportunity to apply these to real-world case studies and in my own company. It was a chance to collaborate with like-minded, motivated fellow students. It gets you thinking in new ways and it has set me up for success as my career develops.

Shammas Shamsudheen, Engineering and IT, Ajman University

Joining Ajman University (AU) was never a choice for me. Considering that majority of the students and faculties are from various Arab nations, I was a bit apprehensive about joining AU, thinking adjusting to the university life would be difficult for an expat from India. However, I was proven wrong and the university offered me a multicultural environment. AU never fails to conduct events and activities that cater to its diverse student community. It has clubs and communities for students from different countries and every student can be a part of any clubs. The Indian Club represents my country, where I found many friends and began my leadership journey. AU is the place where you can achieve your dreams no matter where you are from.