GN Edufair exhibitors elated with higher turnout and quality leads

Amidst the bustling atmosphere of Gulf News Edufair 2024 at the H Dubai Hotel, exhibitors shared their enthusiasm and insights into the event's success. Throughout the event, exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the turnout, the quality of engagement, and the opportunities to connect with both students and parents. Gulf News Edufair 2024 proved to be an invaluable platform for fostering connections and facilitating informed decisions about higher education pathways, they said.

Ahmed Siddique, Student Enrolment Counsellor at Rochester Institute Technology of Dubai, expressed his delight, stating, "By far, this has been one of the best exhibitions we have attended. We’ve got lots of quality leads, and the timing has been perfect because it’s right after the CBSE results. Our biggest sellers have been engineering and computing programmes."

Naomi Rodrigues from Heriot-Watt University Dubai echoed this sentiment, noting, "We participate in the GN EduFair every year, expecting lots of parents and students to attend. But this year was beyond our expectations. We had so many schools coming in and asking us questions, and really smart students as well."

Dania Al Agha, Senior Administrator at the University of Dubai, highlighted the student interest in new programmes. "A lot of students at the Edufair have shown interest in our new bachelor’s programmes – computer engineering and in the LLB programme, which is a dual degree between the University of Dubai and the University of London."

Natasha Parikh, Founder of My Learning Curve, emphasised the importance of informed choices in today's education landscape. "This is an amazing event by Gulf News – so many people visiting, so much information from universities and organisations like ours that provide career counselling and assessment,” she said. “Today, students are bombarded with options – we can help them make informed choices."

Mohammed Shahid, Admissions Counsellor at Middlesex University Dubai, shared his satisfaction with the turnout of CBSE students. "Our plan was to target the CBSE students, as their results are already out, and we’ve had a great outcome at the event from the start of the first day, with a good number of students coming to us."

Mohammed Suhail, Student Recruitment Officer at the University of West London, RAK Branch campus, had a special offer for Edufair visitors. "As part of the event, we offered additional scholarships and grants for all students visiting the EduFair."

Nishtha Sharma, Head of Student Recruitment at Global Business Studies, Dubai, expressed pleasure in engaging with prospective students, saying, "We’ve had so many students interested in our business programme, in starting their journey with us, and continuing on our campuses in the US and the UK. It was a wonderful experience interacting with students and parents."

Dr Muhammad Yousuf Qadri, CEO of Qadri International, noted the seriousness of students visiting the fair who wanted to pursue higher studies in the medical field. "We’ve been educational consultants for 38 years, and we specialise in helping students to study abroad in the medical field. Gulf News has done a very good job – we’ve seen a lot of students who’re serious about pursuing higher studies."

Osman Zubair Khan, a final year Physiotherapy student at Gulf Medical University, shared the university's global accreditation and positive interactions with aspiring doctors at the EduFair. "We’re a specialised medical university that is accredited worldwide, and affiliated with many universities around the world. This EduFair has been great – we’ve had a lot of good interactions with students, a lot of future doctors coming up to us."

Representatives from various institutions shared their perspectives on the success of the event. Pooja Mahat, Senior Counsellor at Gyanberry, a technology-enabled platform facilitating admissions to medical universities worldwide, said,, "The GN EduFair has been really fruitful. We’ve had very good conversations with prospective students looking for summer school opportunities, internships, or medical entrance requirements."

Ghadah Shalaby, Marketing and Communications Executive at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, emphasised the university's commitment to providing high-quality education to all students. She expressed her enthusiasm for the event, stating, "The EduFair was amazing – we were honored to meet lots of students, learn about their dreams and aspirations, and be a part of their journey."

Nazeeha Mirza, Customer Service Administrator at Phoenix Financial Training, highlighted the institution's excitement to showcase their financial courses at the EduFair. "We’re very excited to meet students at the EduFair and showcase our financial courses, ACCA and CFA, specifically our jumpstart programme for high-school students,” she said. “The programme is designed with integrated workshops and extracurricular activities so they experience something similar to university."

Ahmad Bilal Manzoor, Business Relationship Executive at ACCA Middle East, recognised the opportune timing of the event, coinciding with the recent announcement of CBSE results. He emphasised the institution's readiness to support students considering careers in accounting and finance. "With CBSE results announced just a week ago, this was the right time to participate in the GN EduFair. For all those planning to choose a career in accounting and finance, we’re there to talk about your next career move."

With an array of exhibitors offering diverse educational pathways and opportunities, Gulf News Edufair 2024 served as a dynamic platform for students and parents to explore and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of higher education.