Video: Thousands of UAE students find right track towards higher education as Gulf News Edufair 2022 concludes successfully in Dubai

Dubai: Gulf News Edufair 2022 in Dubai ended on a high note on Sunday by offering thousands of students and parents an opportunity to interact closely with top higher education institutions and make well-informed choices about courses and careers.

The three-day event at Shangri-La Hotel witnessed a footfall of more than 6,000 people.

The one-stop shop showcasing higher education opportunities in the UAE and abroad held several presentations and panel discussions that helped students successfully navigate disruptive future careers.

Students and their families interacted with admissions officers and faculties, compared degrees, scholarship offers, and took part in workshops and seminars that tracked emerging higher-education trends.

The event also provided plenty of opportunities for students and parents to chat with career counsellors and learn more about employability and how to take an entrepreneurial approach towards career development.

Planning early

Bhavana Santhosh, who came to look for future courses for her daughter Sharika, said: “This has been a very informative exhibition for us. My daughter is only in Grade 9. But we really wanted to start early to plan her career. It was very helpful actually because we realised that there are a lot of opportunities that you can start off right now, which we were not really aware of.”

Seeking guidance

Students Amna Aboobeker and Neha Thomas said they had come to explore what they can purse after their final Grade 12 in the Indian CBSE curriculum.

“I was looking for accountancy specifically. And what the ACCA is offering was very helpful. I felt it is a very viable option for me,” said Neha.

“I was looking for something in design an art and I got the opportunity to network with a lot of people in the field,” said Amna.

Meanwhile Ravi Kotian was pleased with the details he received about a veterinary sciences course for his daughter in Grade 12.

Among the youngest of students who also tagged along their parents to check out the path they need to follow in higher classes, was eight-year-old Diya Gopalakrishnan.

Expert speakers

The expert speakers for the final day’s presentations included Danish Sange, business and finance transformation manager, Deloitte, and a member of ACCA, Carl Casey, Recruitment & Outreach Specialist Zayed University, Zayed University, Gopa Kumar, Associate Vice President, ENBD, Hussein Wehbe, Founder and CEO, PlugMena, Varun Menon, CEO of Teen Interns, Ramesh Mahalingam, Managing Director, Ideal Management Consultants, Karthik Sundarajan, Assistant Vice President – Y-AXIS Middle East, Lucy Kings, Regional Director – EMEA, Kings Education and Kiran Kaur, Counsellor at Glinks International.

Exhibitors

University of Sharjah, University of Dubai, American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), Amity University Dubai, American University of Sharjah, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai Campus, University of Birmingham Dubai, Canadian University Dubai, BITS Pilani Dubai, Gulf Medical University, RIT Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai, Ajman University, University of Bolton, Curtin University Dubai, University of West London, Charms Middle East, De Montfort University, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Kings Education, Regent Middle East, Success Point College, SAE Creative Media Institute and Istituto Marangoni.

Event sponsors

The Platinum Sponsors of the event are Zayed University and UAEU; Knowledge Partner is ACCA; Silver Sponsor is Westford University College; Counselling Partner is Global Study; Global Education and Immigration Partner is Y-Axis; Study in Canada Partner is Glinks International; Beverage Partner is Al Rawabi; Training Partner is Kaplan Professional Middle East; Technology partner is ECity; Support Partner is GEMS Education & Gems for Life; Internship partner is Teen Interns; Innovation & Entrepreneurship Partner is Startlings; Radio Partners are Beat 97.8,Talk 100.3, Big 106.2 and Radio Asia 94.7 , Gift Partner is Mumuso; and Online Partner is Zuddl.