Enrolments expected to grow 45% until 2020: EDUKEX 2012
Lara Khouri of British Council says: ‘This is remarkable considering UAE’s small population compared with counties like India and China’
Dubai, UAE, 19th November 2012: The 13th edition of the annual Education UK Exhibition “EDUKEX 2012”, organised by the British Council, concluded in Dubai with a message that UK remains the top higher education destination for UAE-domiciled students, despite the variety of higher education options available locally and internationally.
The show organizers said that tuition fees have remained unchanged this year for international students and the UAE belongs to the top 20 countries in the world in terms of the number of students enrolled in UK universities.
Lara Khouri, Education UK Marketing Manager, British Council UAE, described this status as remarkable considering the small population size of the UAE, compared to other counties like India and China.
The show attracted a large number of parents and students who visited the three-day event to learn more about the wide range of Foundation Year, Bachelors and Masters courses from representatives of the over 50 UK education providers that participated at the show in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
H.E Dominic Jermey, UK Ambassador to the UAE, inaugurated the exhibition in Abu Dhabi, while H.E Edward Hobart, HM British Consul General in Dubai, opened the show in Dubai.
HE Hobart said: “This show reaffirmed UK’s traditionally leading position as a great place to continue university studies. UAE students are warmly welcomed in the UK as an important part of the community. The UK education system remains highly appealing to parents and students from across the world. This is where shows like EDUKEX play a central part in sustaining this understanding and advocacy.”
HE Hobart added: “The UK has four out of the top six global universities as per a recent study. Another reputable study shows that for the top ten universities worldwide, there are two from the UK. We actually have the best and the largest variety of institutions in the world, not to mention the multicultural education ambience offered in the UK.”
Khouri noted: “Visitors to the exhibition were introduced to a wide range of courses. The professionalism and outstanding presentation skills of the university executives at the booths were impressive, as reflected in the manner of assessing students’ needs and shortlisting programmes.”
A 5 per cent increase in UAE students going to the UK is expected over next year. A growth rate of 45 per cent is projected until 2020 in numbers. By providing prospective students across the UAE with opportunities to achieve UK qualifications, the British Council is enabling them to return to the UAE and develop both society and economy through their entrepreneurial plans and ideas.
Khouri said: “The British Council’s education initiatives played a key role in promoting the UK education offerings to the students in the UAE, and EDUKEX is no different to this direction. The show raises awareness of the quality of life and study options across the UK education spectrum. It also worked on creating mutual understanding between education providers and students to create a professional bond between both.”
Simon Foster, International Liaison Officer, Aston University: “The UAE is an important market for Aston. Students who visited Edukex were of very high calibre. We came here to promote our courses and we got positive response mainly for chemical and mechanical engineering courses. Other subjects like business management are increasingly becoming more popular among UAE students.”
Jo Sayahi, International Officer University of Brighton: “Edukex gives us access to the UAE market. Business and Engineering majors are high in demand. This is our second participation and we are receiving well-rounded students to study abroad because of the international schools present here. The education system offered to the UAE students is of highest standards.”
Peter Muncey, International Officer & Student Advisor, University of Surrey: “We have received good quality students mainly from Indian schools. We are happy with the way UK universities are being promoted. As a 140 year old institution it is important for us to be part of Edukex. The most popular courses among students here are mechanical engineering, science and computer studies.”
Rolf Jespersen, Senior International Officer, City University London: “We were here to increase exposure in the key UAE market. Most of the courses that students ask about are business, engineering and economics. Most of the students here are well prepared. We have been participating in Edukex for the last 6 years and we are keen to be present in the next edition.”
Stephanie Wood, International Recruitment Officer, University of Bristol: “We were founded 103 years ago and we have around 180 undergraduate courses. Engineering, medicine and law in addition to modern languages are very popular among students. We received a decent number of interested visitors and we look forward to more successful participation in the future.”