Dubai: GEMS International School – Al Khail (GIS) in Dubai on Monday said it has become the first school in the UAE to partner with US-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), one of the most prestigious universities in the world for aviation.
Thanks to the partnership, students studying the IB Career-related Programme (CP) are now able to select the ERAU Dual Enrolment Programme as their Career-related Study (CRS). It gives students the equivalent of a year’s worth of US university credits upon successful completion of the CP and ERAU programme, allowing them to step directly into year two of their university course.
Simon Herbert, head of school and CEO of GIS, said: “As the GEMS Centre of Excellence for Aviation and Space, we are delighted to be partnering with [ERAU]. The partnership is hugely enriching for our students, and provides yet another superb pathway that personalises the education we provide. It places our school at the forefront in terms of seeking out opportunities for our students and graduates, while also providing parents with a significant discount on university fees.”
Matthew Flaherty, Vice Chancellor and Head of Asia, ERAU– Asia, said: “It gives us great pleasure to recognise [GIS] as one of our partners under the ERAU Dual Enrolment Programme. We are confident this partnership will allow students enrolled at the school to benefit from ERAU’s reputation as one of the world’s leading higher education institutions in aviation and aerospace education.”
He added: “With this head start in aviation and aerospace education while still in high school, GEMS students are preparing themselves for a fulfilling career not only in aviation and aerospace, but also in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
New pathways
GIS inaugurated its first cohort of CP students in September 2021, with a total of 23 students specialising in either Business or Creative Media. Through ERAU, CP students will now also be able to specialise in Aeronautics and Aviation, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Alternatively, they can specialise in Business combined with either of the two new pathways.
How it works
Students are free to choose from a wide variety of university-level courses from ERAU that lead into Aeronautics, Aviation or STEM pathways. They are required to enrol onto four courses in their first year of CP, and four courses in their second year. Courses are not run simultaneously, but are sequential, with each course lasting nine weeks. Students complete these online at school while at the same time attending the rest of the CP curriculum face-to-face.
