English Premier League & British Council Support ‘Premier Skills’ Initiative to Use Football to Develop UAE Youth Skills

Over 1,100 coaches in 20 countries engaged in the Premier Skills programme targeting 500,000 young people
London, United Kingdom, Dubai, UAE, 14 February 2013 – The English Premier League, Bolton Wanderers FC and the British Council today unveiled their support the ‘Premier Skills Community Coaching Initiative’, an innovative programme that will use football as a tool to engage with and develop the skills of young people in the UAE.

The English Premier League’s Premier Skills Programme will be visiting Dubai from March 30 to April 4, 2013, to look at the scenario and challenges in the UAE in using football for education and social inclusion, as well as to explore the scope for a Premier Skills project between the UAE and the UK. 
Between 2010-2013, more than 1,100 coaches are being trained and by the summer of 2013 the target of the Premier Skills programme is to reach more than 500,000 young people through coaches in 20 countries, including the UAE.
In partnership with E-Sports the six-day, full-time Programme, to be held at GEMS World Academy, will offer students aged 16 and above a community coaching award endorsed by and branded under the English Premier League.
Ian Laithwaite – Head of Bolton Wanders Community Trust said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people in the UAE to gain an internationally recognised qualification and also enhance their personal profile with a worldwide football brand.”
Since the first pilot in 2007, Premier Skills has been delivered across 20 countries, including Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Korea, Sudan, Tunisia (including Libyan participants), Uganda and Vietnam.
James Tucker, Director of Education, Bolton Wanderers Football Club said: “This innovative programme we are unveiling today in the UAE uses the ‘football for good’ concept, leveraging the interest in the Premier League to address wider educational and social issues in local communities. This concept is being successfully delivered by Premier League clubs across the UK.”
“The programme is about learning from some of the innovative and successful work being delivered in the UK and applying some of the learning to the UAE,” added Tucker.
Tucker added: “UAE partners will play a crucial role in the Premier Skills programme. Premier Skills looks to work with existing partners, programmes or networks to build on the current work and look to share expertise and training in ‘football for good’. We are looking for UAE partners who have an interest in supporting the concept of Football for Good and community development. These partners will provide access to venues and equipment which can be used during the course. Other roles could be around putting forward participants to attend the course as well as access to networks of community coaches or sports clubs. The important aspect is that partners have the potential to apply and embed the learning from the course within their networks and in local communities.”
Premier Skills will use the global pulling power of football as a tool for the development of wider skills, community development and English Language learning.  It builds upon research that shows there is a high demand worldwide for community coaching and leadership development through sport.


GETEX Autumn 2012 to open on November 21st, 2012

GETEX Autumn 2012 to open on November 21st featuring over 400 study programs for students & working professionals
Dubai, UAE, November 21st, 2012 – The region’s leading forum on education and training, GETEX, will return this Autumn with regional as well as international institutes showcasing the widest range of top-quality academic, vocational and training programs for students as well as working professionals. More than 50 exhibitors will show at GETEX Autumn 2012, which will run from November 21 to 23 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring diverse levels of higher education and professional development, a global business school fair segment and several exclusive presentations of interest to learners looking to pursue further education and training.
Exhibitors will include top universities from the UAE, Australia, USA, India and Switzerland along with a strong participation from UK-based universities this year. In meeting with the increasing demand for higher education options in the UAE and GCC, GETEX Autumn 2012 is suitably timed to allow students to register for courses starting in early 2013.

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organizer of the event, said: “The participation of renowned academic institutions from all over the world remains the main attraction of GETEX Autumn. As such, students, parents and industry professionals attending GETEX Autumn 2012 are sure to find suitable educational and professional development programs that match their specific needs and preferences. Moreover, we have also prepared extensively for the specialized segments of the show such as the Global Business School Fair which further reaffirm GETEX as the premier networking platform for the region’s education sector.”
Organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education, this edition of GETEX Autumn will see the launch of the Global Business School Fair, which provides an opportunity for MBA schools from all over the world to meet with potential UAE-based postgraduate students.


GCC Student Population to Sustain 1.8 per cent CAGR to Reach 11.3 Million by 2020

GETEX Autumn 2012 fills void in student recruitment for those seeking to study abroad or in prestigious academic institutions in the UAE
Dubai, UAE, October 7th, 2012 – The student population in the GCC has been steadily increasing over the years and is expected to sustain a 1.8 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) within a 10-year period to reach 11.3 million in 2020 from 9.5 million in 2010. The rising number of students has strongly influenced the increase in demand for higher education in the region, particularly in the UAE which has been aggressively encouraging private sector investments, thereby establishing the country’s private education sector as the biggest in the region with an estimated value of USD 2.8 billion.

With studies showing that 95 per cent of all females and 80 per cent of all males enrolled in the final year of secondary school applying for admission to a higher education institution in the country and abroad, the UAE naturally attracts the largest number of high-profile academic institutions from all over the world.
GETEX Autumn 2012, a dedicated platform to showcase the widest range of top-quality academic, vocational and training programs from leading regional and international schools, is one of the key initiatives supporting the sustained growth of the academic sector in the UAE and across the GCC.
Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), the organizer of the event, said: “GETEX provides a dedicated networking platform that stimulates the continued growth of the education sector, while supporting initiatives by governments in the GCC to enhance the quality of education in the region. Moreover, it significantly broadens the academic choices of students by filling a void in student recruitment for those seeking to study abroad or in prestigious academic institutions within the UAE.”
Organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Higher Education, GETEX Autumn 2012 will run from 21st to 23rdNovember 2012, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
GETEX Autumn 2012 will showcase a wide selection of Higher Education and Professional Development programs, including graduate and postgraduate degrees along with vocational and professional courses.
New to the event this year is the Global Business School Fair featuring a collection of MBA schools from across the world looking to meet with potential UAE-based postgraduate students. The Global Business School Fair will host a Business Seminar that will provide students with resources to help them make sound career choices, while enhancing their employment potential in both the public and private sectors.


Premier gathering of world’s leading proponents in open and distance education to be held in Arab world for the first time.

Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University officially launches SCOP meeting 2012 in Dubai
September 24, 2012
Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University. Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU) has today (Monday, September 24, 2012) officially launched at a press conference, the 2012 edition of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP), a prestigious annual gathering of education institutions engaged in open, distance and flexible learning that will be held for the first time in the Arab world.

The SCOP meeting 2012, which will be held under the theme Open and Distance Education (ODE): Barriers, Opportunities & Strategies Forward, will run from November 12 to 15.
This year’s edition of the SCOP meeting will tackle various challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of ODE from both an international and regional perspective. It will also explore opportunities ODE provides in helping countries overcome socio-economical challenges and will provide insights into successful strategies for advocacy of ODE. The meeting places particular focus on the latest trends and developments in ODE, including Open Educational Resources, quality and regulatory framework, among others.
The keynote speakers and presenters at the SCOP meeting 2012 will include, Dr. Laurence F. Johnson, Chief Executive Office of the New Media Consortium; Dr. Badr Aboul-Ela, Director of the Commission for Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, U.A.E Vice-President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education(ANQAAHE); Dr. Meg Benke, Officer in Charge, Office of the President, Empire State College, State University of New York, USA; Prof. Emeritus Anuwar Ali, President/Vice Chancellor, Open University Malaysia (OUM); Dr. Venkataraman Balaji, Director, Technology & Knowledge Management, Commonwealth of Learning.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMeU said: “The SCOP meeting presents an excellent opportunity to conduct high-level discussions about the opportunities and challenges presented by open and distance education in the Middle East. Our ultimate goal is to further expand our knowledge and understanding of open and distance education to make it a truly invaluable tool in achieving sustainable socioeconomic growth and development in the Middle East and around the world. Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University has been one of the world’s leading proponents of e-learning and we are therefore eager to share our own ideas and experiences to establish new benchmarks for quality and excellence in the field of open and distance education.”
Professor Tian Belawati, President of ICDE and Rector of the Indonesian Open University, said, “Bringing the annual ICDE SCOP meeting to the Middle East is an important move that reinforces our commitment to promote open and distance learning as a new platform for academic excellence all over the world. We are certainly pleased with the preparations that Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University has made to ensure the success of the upcoming meeting. HBMeU has been a pioneering figure in e-learning in the Middle East and we are therefore looking forward to learn from their vast experience in promoting open and distance education from a completely new perspective.”
ICDE is a network of 100 educational institutions worldwide working to promote open and distance learning, and provide opportunities for exchange of educational best practices between countries and regions. SCOP is an annual event organised by ICDE for high-level, confidential exchange of information, quality enhancement strategies and policy directions.
The Main sponsors of SCOP meeting 2012 are Emirates Identity Authority, AWQAF and Minors Affairs Foundation, Dubai Customs and Dubai eGovernment. Other sponsors include Dubai Heath Authority, Bafco, Al Reyami Signs Industries LLC and Etisalat.
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HBMeU Board of Governors underlines value of Dubai Crown Prince initiative to launch academic scholarship in his name

Board of Governors calls for better understanding of its academic programs
July 10, 2012
Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), a leader in the field of e-Learning and quality management in the Arab World, has recently concluded the fourth meeting of its Board of Governors for the academic year 2011-2012, touching on various matters such as the adoption of the previous meeting’s proceedings.

The Board of Governors of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, has expressed its gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMeU, for launching an academic scholarship in his name. The scholarships will be awarded to 20 excelling high school students in the UAE who may pursue any undergraduate program at HBMeU. The members of the Board emphasized the importance of the generous initiative in enhancing the position of the university as a pioneer in e-learning and as the premier academic choice in the UAE and the Arab world. Recipients of the new academic scholarship will be chosen based on their GPA and their academic performance in high school.

H.E. Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief and Chairman of the HBMeU Board of Governors, expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for launching the academic scholarship, which supports the aspirations of the University’s Board of Governors to consolidate the role of the university in shaping the future of education, and contributing to professional and human development, based on best practices adopted in the field of e-learning and distance learning. His Excellency also lauded the university for its pioneering position through the continued support of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan, in his belief in the need to achieve excellence in education and to make the young generation ideally qualified to be competitive in the global job market, and ultimately nurture a generation that is able to continue to lay the foundations of growth and development, and contribute to the UAE’s overall progress.
In response to the last meeting’s directives of the HBMeU Board of Governors to promote better understanding of the University’s programs by intensifying field visits to public and private institutions across the country, the University presented an elaborate report on the visits and the response they have generated from government departments and private institutions in Dubai.
The Board of Governors has further called for a better demonstration and promotion of the University’s academic programs in Arab countries to spread the University’s message on a much larger scale. It also recommended conducting four meetings throughout the entire academic year to support the University’s focus on excellence.
HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of learning practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among learners and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU’s philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university, which is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.


HBMeU to raise awareness about its programs in UAE and across the region

HBMeU visits schools, educational exhibitions, school events in UAE, Jordan, Oman
May 13, 2012
Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), a leader in the field of e-Learning and quality management in the Arab World, has started to receive primary and secondary education students in its premises and has conducting field visits to other schools and educational events in the UAE, Jordan and Oman, in line with the directives of the university’s Board of Governors to create greater awareness about HBMeU and its programs among private and government sectors in the UAE and across the region.
The program also complements the university’s learner recruitment program, and is also designed to introduce the concept of e-learning and the flexibility it offers for learners to pursue other areas of interest while finishing their academic studies.
The visits are held in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Education, educational districts and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai. The university has hosted a number of delegations from different schools such as Omar bin Al Khattab Model School, Al Yahr Secondary School, Sharjah Model School Boys, Al Bayan Boys School, Al Laseeli School, Humaid Bin Abdulaziz Boys School, Sir Bani Yas Boys School, Muzaira’a Girls School, Islamic Institute – Boys School Dubai, School of Modern Skills Private Dubai – Boys, School of Modern Skills Private Dubai – Girls, and Um Al Momeneen Girls School.
As part of the program, HBMeU has also visited educational exhibitions in different countries, including GETEX in Dubai, Global Higher Education Exhibition in Oman, and the 16th Annual Jordan Education and Training Exhibition in Amman, Jordan.
The university has also attended more than a dozen school exhibitions organized by various schools across the UAE such as Al Nahda Schools in Abu Dhabi, School of Modern Skills in Dubai, and the Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain, Dubai and Fujairah Campuses of Applied Technology Institute, among others.
Through such visits and participations, HBMeU aims to raise awareness among schools and students about its programs, the scientific researches it conducts, the training courses it organises, and its educational and informative services that are based on the principle of providing education anytime, anywhere. HBMeU is also keen on highlighting its learning environment that leverages the power of information and communications technology (ICT).      
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, said: “This program emphasizes the university’s commitment to apply the directives of the Board of Governors which aim to raise awareness about the university and its academic programs. These visits are an ideal way to introduce an unconventional educational environment offered by the university, based on the use of ICT in education and training. It also reaffirms the quality of HBMeU’s academic programs that comply with the highest international standards, which contribute towards building a generation of qualified young people with a high level of competency, experience and competitiveness.”
The program is the result of the fruitful cooperation between HBMeU and the UAE Ministry of Education in cultivating a culture of excellence and quality among the education and academic community,” he added.  
HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of learning practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among learners and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU’s philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university, which is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.
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GETEX 2012 to host ‘Global EdTech Forum’ for educators to access latest tools, skills and technology in education delivery

Global EdTech Forum designed to complement sustained growth of UAE’s USD 7.31 billion education sector.

GETEX 2012 has announced that it has prepared a comprehensive presentation by international professionals on the effective use of the latest tools, skills and technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience. The presentation forms the basis of the Middle East’s most comprehensive education & training event and is titled, the Global EdTech Forum – The Teachers’ Conference. The conference focuses on educators and school leaders for all levels of education across the GCC. The event is part and parcel of GETEX 2012 will take place from 19thto 21st April 2012 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

With an estimated market size in surplus of USD 7.31 billion, the education supply sector is one of the key industries in the UAE as it accounts for approximately 24 per cent of the total government expenditure. GETEX 2012 has been designed to complement the growth of the education sector by creating a dedicated platform that allows educators to explore ways to reach out to students by integrating best practice in communicating and teaching and the proper use of existing and new, innovative technology.

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organizers of the event, said: “The UAE government’s assertive outlook towards education in the country coupled with an aggressive expense budget has driven the growth of education and positioned UAE as a serious destination of quality education in the region. Subsequently, there has been a surge in demand for more advanced education tools, technologies and best practices to keep pace with UAE’s ambitious education and training growth objectives. GETEX 2012 complements this growth by creating a dedicated teacher’s conference that allows educators to keep abreast of the latest advances in the education landscape and to help them communicate using channels and methods that engage learners.
The Global EdTech Forum – Teacher’s Conference promotes professional development and advancement among educators through training, skill-building workshops and interactive sessions with their international counterparts. Held in collaboration with ISTE, the world’s largest membership organization for educators, the Teacher’s Conference also helps teachers better understand how technology is changing the education landscape and adapt accordingly.
 Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E)
 
GETEX 2012 will gather more than 400 institutions and offers no less than 2,500 academic, vocational and training programmes. Over 30,000 visitors from across the Middle East are also expected to attend the event.