Data science, engineering, accounting and artificial intelligence are among the most popular university courses chosen by UAE pupils, but some are opting for more off-the-beaten-path or non-traditional degrees.
Designing Hollywood film sets, establishing restaurants, performing in world-renowned musicals and working as art therapists are among the career paths being mapped out by some pupils in the UAE.
A report by the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service on Thursday showed that statistics, artificial intelligence and material science were the three top choices for international students in the UK. But education experts said the were noticing more and more pupils picking non-traditional degrees.
I've been fortunate that my parents are way more open about different pathways
Moath Ibrahim
The National spoke with some final-year pupils in the UAE with more artistic ambitions.
'Lights, camera, action!'
Adheena Nair, 18, an Indian pupil in Abu Dhabi has a goal to design Hollywood film sets.
The Raha International School pupil will be starting a bachelor's degree in production design at Savannah College of Art and Design in the US this year, after receiving a 50 per cent scholarship on tuition fees, which are about $40,000 per year.
“While growing up, the arts subjects were really looked down upon and not recognised as among the best career choices in the Indian community," said Ms Nair.
"What was preferred was engineering or medicine or similar subjects. But I had an interest in art and through the years I cultivated my ability.
"When it was time for me to pick a degree, I chose production design.”
She chose to study in the US because of the flexibility and freedom of expression she was offered, as well as the possibility of working with some of the cinematic giants.
I chose this university because of the opportunities on offer, and also because it catches the eye of big recruiters like Marvel Entertainment, she said.
West End calling
Otilie Emery, 18, from Britain, dreams of performing in a West End musical one day.
A pupil at The British School Al Khubairat, she will start her bachelors studies in musical theatre at The Brighton Academy in the UK in September.
“I always wanted to do this and have had such a passion for acting and performing. I wasn't afraid to [pick the course],” said Ms Emery.
“My absolute dream is to be in the West End and I know it's going to take hard work and dedication to get there. But I feel that if you have a passion for something and you really love it, then there's no reason why you cannot do it.
“I think it's really great that people are starting to pay more attention to creative subjects like art and music and acting and not just focusing on traditional subjects such as mathematics and science.”
In 2021, UK media reported that the country faced a loss of about 400,000 jobs in the creative industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But pupils are still turning to arts degrees and have ambitions of carving their own niche spaces.
Rema Menon, the director of career guidance service Counselling Point, said one of the pupils she was coaching this year wants to study fine arts and psychology to specialise in art therapy.
“The choice is a very individual one but students are trying to seek majors that are a little different, off-beat, not traditional," said Ms Menon.
Career in film
Moath Ibrahim, 18, from Egypt, wants to direct or edit films or work as a cinematographer.
The British School Al Khubairat pupil will start a four-year course in film production at York University in Canada, in September. The degree will cost him about C$32,000 per year.
"I am from Egypt where engineering and medicine are the main pathways that people pick. I've been fortunate that my parents are way more open about different pathways," said Mr Ibrahim.
"I'm focusing more on the technical side which is on editing, cinematography or camera work.
"The university I'm going to will offer different courses in different aspects of the media industry. So you can actually get to know what you want to do.
"People skip opportunities and go for the safe route, but one of the first opportunities I took was an internship at Image Nation in Abu Dhabi."
Food for thought
Not all pupils looking for an alternative degree are looking toward stage and screen. Reese Saldhana, an Indian pupil at Gems Winchester School in Dubai, plans to become a chef and open a restaurant some day.
He will study culinary management for two years in Conestoga College in Canada.
He chose Canada because there are a lot of opportunities for him to work in the country.
“Culinary management is something I wanted to pursue for a very long time,” he said adding that he enjoyed cooking.
“My entire plan is to study the first for Culinary Management then come back to Dubai to open a business."
Gergana Hutchinson, university and careers adviser at The British School Al Khubairat, said she had seen a trend in the past year of more pupils trying non-traditional subjects.
In the past, she said, pupils who were good at design may have considered a degree in architecture instead of one in production design.
“These pupils are very very passionate about these fields. They really want to go and work particularly and only in those fields and they are very committed to it," said Ms Hutchinson.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
