UAE universities offer students plenty of scholarship options in new term as GETEX begins in Dubai

Dubai: Universities in the UAE are offering scholarships for students based on merit, gender and other criteria, heads of institutions confirmed at the 32nd edition of the Global Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Speaking to Gulf News, the universities said as they prepared for the new term and academic year, the institutions were ready to offer massive scholarships, considering the pandemic and the financial condition of families.

GETEX, a three-day exhibition focusing on education and student recruitment, opened its doors to students, parents, schools and universities on Thursday. It was inaugurated by Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for General Education. The opening ceremony was attended by Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), other dignitaries and heads of several universities and schools in the UAE.

Professor Ammar Kaka, provost and vice-principal of Heriot Watt University, said the university offered several scholarships and it had a special one for students registering at GETEX. “We are giving a scholarship of Dh8,000. It is a GETEX exclusive scholarship. Students interested in availing this can do so by paying their admission fees for the programme of their choice at GETEX,” said Kaka.

“Last year, we had to give away more scholarships than before because of the hardship of the students. We are rewarding students who come with higher grades. We are here to help as much as we can.”

At GETEX, Heriot Watt also announced new study programmes, in line with changing market requirements. “These are part of MSc Digital Leadership, MSc Applied Accounting, MSc Business Analytics and Consultancy, BSc Data Science and MSc Global Sustainability Engineering. The university has also introduced a Design Hub at our Dubai campus for the benefit of students from the School of Textiles and Design. The Design Hub has been set up specifically to enable space for industry partners to come in and host workshops, which will help students absorb skills useful for a career in fashion, architecture, and interior design.”

The university also added an incentive to prospective students to take advantage of their student mobility programme wherein they can opt to study in any one of their campuses abroad. “They can study one term with us and choose to study in our other campuses worldwide.”

BITS Pilani announced that it was offering 10 to 75 per cent scholarships to students based on merit and other criteria. Nahid Afshan, senior manager, admissions, said: “The tuition fee scholarship (B.E. Programmes) is 10 to 75 per cent. This is for a year based on grade 12 aggregate of 70 per cent and above or a BITSAT score of 200 and above.”

The university is also offering 20 per cent scholarship on its ME/MBA programme for the first semester based on BE aggregate of 75 per cent and above. There is a hostel fee concession also of 25 per cent for its undergraduate and graduate students. “Last year, we gave scholarships worth Dh7 million. This year too, we want to help as many students based on merit and financial status,” Afshan said.

University of Bolton too said the focus would continue to be like every other year on educating students in the best possible manner. The university had plans to offer scholarships between 15 and 50 per cent. “The scholarships will be based on student merit,” said Sujata M. Singh, marketing and admissions executive of University of Bolton.

Dr Kavita Shukla, associate professor, vice-president Student Affairs of Amity University, said the university was offering full scholarships in some cases. “Scholarships are an integral part of our ethos to enable students to be part of Amity University. We reward excellence in academics. We have merit scholarships from 25 per cent all the way up to 100 per cent.”

“These are awarded on the basis of their grade 12 results. The university also has a special girl scholarship of 10 per cent. So any girl child who joins Amity University gets a scholarship straight away beside others they can be eligible for.”

Changing the education landscape

The GETEX exhibition also paved the way for the first ‘Education Leaders Networking Reception’, where heads of universities discussed and engaged with leaders of K-12 schools for opportunities and potential collaborations.

According to Kaka, the education landscape in the UAE in general would become more competitive. “We are already seeing more and more universities coming up, many of them with significant capacity. Students will have much greater choice in higher education as well as access to more scholarships. With the ever-evolving job market requiring candidates with the right mix of soft and technical skills, the educational institutes that pay far more attention to the overall growth of a student will emerge as winners.”

Online vs traditional schooling

Dr Farshad Mohammadi, founding principal and CEO of iBOS, said: “Online schooling Vs traditional schooling is a holistic overview of modern online education in comparison to traditional schooling methods. We will investigate the impact high-quality online education can have on students as well as the pitfalls in both modes of education.”

Interactive seminars

Some interactive seminars include Changing Landscape of International Education, Use of Digital Audio Feedback, Online Schooling vs Traditional Schooling, How to Enroll in an Ivy League and Tier One University, UWC-High School at University, Preparing Youth for the Fourth Industrial Revolution; and Boarding Students Success in University.

To offer students further insights on studying overseas, GETEX also hosted the following seminars: Get to know Bahrain School and Dorm, Introduction to US Boarding School, Applying to an Art and Design College in the USA, and Study in Germany.

Fast-growing Middle East

Anselm Godinho, managing director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organisers of GETEX, said: “The Middle East has one of the fast-growing student populations in the world, recording double-digit growth rate annually. We have to ensure that the younger generations have access to quality education to better prepare them for competitive job markets of the future. GETEX is the ideal platform to present learners options and opportunities so they can decide which educational program suits them well and which school would best help them unlock their potentials.”

What is GETEX?

GETEX is Global Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) 2022. This is the 32nd edition of the event. It is an educational exhibition and student recruitment event.

When: From February 24 to February 26.

Timing: February 24, 2022: 10am-2pm; 5pm-9pm; February 25, 2022: 10am-1pm; 5pm- 9pm; February 26, 2022: 11am-7pm.

Where: Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.