Maysam Ali compiles all the information you could possibly need to make the most of the upcoming educational fair.

Students, exhibitors and universities are gearing up for the 20th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX), which will take place from April 2-5 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the Dubai World Trade Centre.

GETEX, held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, is an education forum organised by International Conferences and Exhibitions LLC (IC&E). Notes is a sponsor of the event and will be represented at the Gulf News stall.

It features forums, seminars and stalls for companies to interact with students. Representatives of universities are also present to answer student queries and give presentations about admission criteria and exchange programmes offered at their universities.

"At the same time, there is rich interaction at individual university stands, where students can get their queries answered and universities have the chance to explain the opportunities they offer," Anselm Godinho, managing director of IC&E, told Notes.

Recruitment forum

This year's exhibition will host three concurrent events. It will feature an international job fair, GETEX — Careers and Training 2008. In addition, a student recruitment forum will be held where more educational institutions will be represented for students to discuss training and career options.

"The 20th GETEX Dubai will allow national and expatriate students access to more than 2,500 secondary and tertiary education options from over 500 education providers through its GETEX- Student Recruitment event," Godinho said.

Over 400 universities, including Phoenix University, Abu Dhabi University, Dubai Aerospace University, Canadian University Dubai, University of Dubai and the University of Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi will be present for this segment of the fair.

Education technology

Organisers have also set up GETEX Education Equipment and Technology, which will host educational equipment suppliers. The equipment facilitates education delivery, knowledge management and control processes in educational institutions.

It will be held in parallel with the Global Conference for Technology and Innovation in Education, a joint initiative between IC&E and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), based in Washington, USA.

According to Godinho, the conference will offer an opportunity for educators, school leaders and policy makers to interact with education researchers, thought leaders and expert practitioners from the Gulf region and around the world.

"Didactic technology and the use of innovative methods to facilitate learning in a dynamic multi-channel environment have been in the spotlight the past few years. . . . The Middle East region is very active in investing in education, and we realised that there was need to catalyse debate into the nature and direction of that investment. Hence the GETEX-ISTE global forum in education and technology," he said.

Job opportunities

Graduate students can meet company representatives to learn about job opportunities and career prospects. Companies in sectors such as finance, information technology, media and publishing, education, healthcare, hospitality, travel and tourism, oil and gas, sales and marketing and engineering, will be present.

Careers in Gulf News

Al Nisr Publishing LLC, which publishes Gulf News, will be present at GETEX. Representatives from the Human Resources Department will be at hand to discuss vacancies and potential career avenues in the organisation. Notes, a sponsor of the event, will be represented at the stall.

What is GETEX?

- GETEX is the largest education fair in the Middle East and Asia.

- It is organised by International Conferences & Exhibitions LLC (IC&E).

- GETEX is currently held in Dubai in the UAE, Bahrain and Bangalore in India.

- In the UAE, GETEX focuses on student recruitment, education equipment and technology, training and careers.

- GETEX is supported by Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and all the universities affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

It is also supported by international agencies and associations including the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), USA, the British Council, Agence EduFrance, Canadian Consulate, OSEC Business Network, Switzerland, the Italian Embassy, the German Academic Exchange Service, Enterprise Ireland and the South African Embassy.

- GETEX 2008 will occupy 15,000 square metres and will reportedly host over 600 exhibitors offering more than 50,000 educational opportunities in over 40 countries.

What kind of educational technology will be displayed?

According to Anselm Godinho, managing director of IC&E, GETEX- Education Equipment & Technology 2008 is a trade platform for suppliers and buyers. On the one hand, you have the more prosaic elements of classroom equipment such as tables, chairs and markers.

On the other hand, the exhibition will serve as an access point for suppliers of innovative didactic technology such as interactive white boards, rich multimedia systems, collaborative groupware systems, etc.

Dubai 2007

Last year's GETEX Dubai reportedly attracted over 33,370 students, parents, teachers and educational professionals. The exhibition hosted 504 institutions from more than 40 countries. This year it is expected to be even bigger.

About the event: The 20th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX)

  • Venue: The International Dubai Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai World Trade Centre, Zabeel Hall
  • Date: April 2 to 5
  • Opening Hours
  • - April 2 and 3: 10am to 2pm; 5am to 9pm
  • - April 4 and 5: 30 to 9pm
  • - Admission is free for all visitors.
  • - For more infomation, log on to: http://www.mygetex.com/dubai/

TIPS to Prepare for GETEX

- Prepare several copies of your CV to present to the companies.

- Keep your academic record at hand in case companies ask for it.

- If you have previously worked on projects, bring them along in a portfolio that contains your work.

- Keep your eyes open for all companies present and do not be shy to approach their representatives. Screen them all in the GETEX catalogue and target the ones you want to apply to.

- Attend the seminars and forums that will be held.

- Ask as many questions as you can in order to learn more from the experts.

- Remember this is the chance to show yourself, so talk to professors, company representatives and other experts.

- Check all universities present and visit the stalls of the ones you are interested in.