The rapid growth in the region’s education sector has seen the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) go from strength to strength. The show, which marks its 25th year in 2013, begins today and runs until April 19 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“In the UAE, education is one of the areas getting increasing attention from the government and private sectors,” says Anselm Godinho, Managing Director at International Conferences & Exhibitions (IC&E), which organises the biannual event.
“It is a $7.31-billion (about Dh26.84 billion) market, comprising 22 per cent of the government’s budgetary allocations. One look at the recent federal budget announcement shows that the government spending on education has grown to reach Dh9.9 billion between 2011 and 2013; signifying a 115 per cent increase in investments,” he says.
Focus points
Demographics are of course a major contribitor. “The Middle East has one of the fastest-growing student populations heading towards undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In keeping with this demand, Getex will focus on higher education programmes with more than 400 exhibitors from 38 countries showcasing diverse study programmes to prospective students,” Godinho says.
The event attracts schools and colleges from around the world along with the best education providers in the region. “After a show, students and parents will be able to assess the schools and colleges that best fit their budget criteria, area of specialisation, enrolment timelines and so on,” he adds.
Commenting on the importance of participating in the exhibition, Hanadi Khalil, Acting Associate Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), says that the university has been a regular participant at the event for more than six years. “As the Middle East and Asia’s leading education, training and professional development event, Getex is a great opportunity to introduce prospective students to Abu Dhabi University’s wide portfolio of programmes that has been designed to meet the country’s needs of human resources and national development and the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030,” she says. “Through its five colleges, the university will showcase 25, bachelor’s programmes and eight master degrees that are already offered to students. It will also announce the launch of several newly accredited programmes. Through the years the response at the exhibition has been great and we look forward to receiving prospective students at the exhibition to offer them advice and help them in making the right career decisions while renewing our commitment to excellence.”
Tomorrow, a Counsellors Forum, a one-day seminar specifically oriented towards school student counsellors, will be held. Other offerings include a series of institutional presentations and discussions by role models in the student counsellor fraternity. Additionally, visitors can avail of the free-to-attend sessions, which will feature a diverse range of topics.
Training and education
“Students visiting the show will be exposed to multiple options of studying abroad, scholarship opportunities, financing education, sports education and so on and can talk to student counsellors for course-specific guidance,” says Godinho.
“The main focus of Getex is and always will be education and training but it will also have a strong focus on popular academic and occupational programmes that are dictated by the demands of the diversifying workforce in the Arab world,” he adds.
