ABU DHABI // Despite an increasing number of higher education options at home, UAE students still yearn to study abroad, and the UK remains their top destination.
About 2,000 students seeking undergraduate and postgraduate study were expected to attend the three-day Education UK exhibition, which opened at Abu Dhabi Men's College on Saturday before moving on to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dubai, where it wraps up today.
The annual event features 42 institutions aiming to recruit candidates. Would-be students checking out the courses on offer on Saturday explained why the UK's reputation and high standards made it an attractive choice.
Asma al Hamiri, 25, who graduated from the business management programme at the Higher Colleges of Technology, said at the event that leaving Abu Dhabi to study abroad would be a "life experience" that would broaden her options.
Mariam Bumajeed, 25, added: "The universities in the UK have a great reputation. We know the standard of education there is the best." Although it is less common for Emirati women to travel abroad to study, as they are often still expected to be accompanied by a male relative, she said: "Things are changing slowly now."
Ghulam Rasool, 18, whose family is originally from Pakistan, said it would be his dream to study biochemistry in the UK.
"Only a few good places do it here, like at AUS," he said, referring to the American University of Sharjah. "But I don't want to live in Sharjah."
Alison Devine, one of the organisers of the fair, which is put on by the British Council, noted that "there are mosques in most cities in the UK" and that the country is "safe" for Muslims.
Students from the UAE nearly always return home, she said, bringing with them greater knowledge and the kind of life skills and experience that only foreign study can instil.
"The immersion in western culture on a day-to-day basis is the value that it has for the students."
The exhibition is also used by the institutions to develop partnerships and relationships with UAE institutions, many of which are partners in research and development projects.
For example, Kings College London has signed an agreement with the British University in Dubai for a postgraduate course on construction law that was approved last month by the Dubai International Financial Centre and will start in September.
Mark Chan Poon, the Kings College international marketing officer, has seen demand "snowball" in the three years he has been working the exhibition.
"The UAE is a very important recruiting base for us," he said.
mswan@thenational.ae
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
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Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
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Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
