Tour to highlight need for customised university programmes to further professionalise the sector
Dubai, UAE, 24 October 2013: Academics from leading UK universities with expertise in the construction industry will be in Dubai on Saturday (26 October) at British Council office and on Sunday (27 October) at Centro Capital Centre Hotel in Abu Dhabi to highlight graduate and postgraduate programmes for students looking for specialisations in real estate and construction in UK universities.
The visit comes at a time when the UAE real estate market is continuing its steady climb, boosted by increased investor confidence, says Marc Jessel, Country Director, British Council, United Arab Emirates.
“The British Council is organising this tour to enable UK academics from leading UK universities to connect with decision makers from the booming UAE real-estate and construction sectors. The tour will focus building on the existing professionalism in these sectors by offering the region’s students tailored graduate and postgraduate programmes,” he added.
He said: “On the back of dramatic growth of the UAE construction and real estate sectors in recent months, interest in construction-related postgraduate degrees is on the rise. Moreover, the UAE government has identified the construction and real estate industries as two key drivers of diversification of the nation’s economy and, eventually, reducing dependence on the oil and gas sectors.”
Jessel added that the UAE government demonstrates strong commitment and vision to improve education amongst all sectors, including real estate and property.
“Our aim is to introduce the visiting delegates to representatives from scholarship agencies, education agents, educational institutions and potential students with the goal of helping them understand the structure and content of various programmes, opportunities for postgraduate study and career prospects.”
British Council said the tour demonstrates the commitment of the UK education sector to support skills development in the real estate sector in the UAE by developing programmes in direct response to the needs of the UAE construction industry.
“This event will bring together internationally renowned academic experts from the fields of property & construction management, quantity surveying, construction cost management, sustainable construction, construction project management, real estate management & development and facilities management,” Jessel said.
Panel speakers at the event include Professor Joseph H.M. Tah, Head of Department and Professor in Project Management, Oxford Brookes University, Dr Abbas Elmualim, Associate Professor in Sustainable Built Environment, University of Reading, Professor Tarek Hassan, Professor of Construction Informatics, Loughborough University, Dr Ian Smith, Head of the School of Engineering & the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, and Andrew King, Senior Lecturer, College of Art & Design and Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University.
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