Tag Archives: dubai
Getex Spring: Catering to various student profiles
Getex Spring: Catering to various student profiles Staff Reporter / 18 April 2013 Indian national and 19-year-old student of Murdoch University, Sanjana Mani, has her eyes set on Hollywood: “But for now, it is just an alternative. I know I want a career in film production and as far as I know, the opportunities here in the film industry are still limited,” said Mani. Mani was one of the several students who attended the first day of the 25th edition of the Getex Spring 2013 — one of the biggest education and training events in the Middle East and Asia — being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, running until April 19. More than 400 institutions are taking part in the conference this year, which will showcase over 2,500 academic, vocational and training programmes with organisers expecting over 35,000 visitors. Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development inaugurated Getex Spring 2013 on Wednesday. This year however, the exhibition features segments that broadly cater to different student profiles including General and Higher Education, Vocational and Occupational Training, and Professional Development. The first day of the event was attended mostly by Asian expatriate students. Universities from the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, Greece, South Korea, Lebanon, Cyprus, China, UAE, India, Turkey and Pakistan are participating in the exhibition. Courses on offer include Aviation, Hospitality, Medicine, Humanities, and Teaching and Education. Even though a major section of the exhibition is hosting universities from the UAE, several students who spoke to Khaleej Times said they would prefer pursuing their higher studies outside the country. Students like Murtuza Khety (18) and Qasim Nasir (18) said they want to pursue their undergraduate studies in India and Pakistan, respectively, as education is cost-effective in both these countries: “I am looking to do my graduate studies in Business Management from India. Studying here is still expensive and you have more opportunities in India than you do in the UAE,” said Khety. Students and parents checking out the universities and courses on offer on the opening day of Getex Spring 2013 in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photos by Mukesh Kamal A second year Environmental Studies student from Murdoch University, Trisha Advani, expressed similar concerns: “I want to do my higher studies in the US or Australia. It is not about the cost for me. Career opportunities for Environment Studies are far more superior in these countries. Once things look up in the UAE, I might move back here,” she said. Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak pointed out that Getex is gaining strategic significance as one of the most prominent and leading education events at regional and global levels: “The continued success of Getex reflects the UAE’s important role in the global educational domain, boosted by the steadfast support of the country’s leaders to develop the education sector and create an integrated learning environment to encourage creativity and innovation,” he added. Getex is strongly supported by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR). The General Education segment this year presents school-goers with a gateway of information intelligence on day-scholar, residential/boarding schools and summer camps. The Higher Education segment offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses that highlight the Middle East as one of the fastest growing student populations. The Vocational Occupational Training segment aims to bridge the divide between education and industry by encouraging learners to acquire skills in specific job profiles, empowering them to quickly enter the workforce and gain career independence. dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Wetex 2013 concludes with record visitors
Wetex 2013 concludes with record visitors Staff Report / 18 April 2013 The Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition, or Wetex 2013, on Wednesday concluded on a successful note as record visitors and exhibitors attended the event. The three-day show provided a unique global platform, and highlighted advanced technologies in water, energy, environment, oil and gas and sustainability. It attracted end-users, experts, investors and decision-makers from the public and private sectors as well as specialists in water, electricity, energy, environmental technologies and oil and gas sectors. Many specialised workshops and seminars, 34 in total, were held on the sidelines of the exhibition, which have attracted huge turnout to the show. These seminars contribute to strengthening Dubai’s position as a leading centre for conferences by providing a platform to exchange expertise and knowledge. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) also hosted a dinner in Sheikh Saeed Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre to congratulate sponsors, exhibitors and supporters of Wetex 2013. The dinner was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, senior officials from the organising committees of the show and more than 54 sponsors and over 1,300 government organisations and participating companies. Dewa stressed the importance of cooperation between companies for the better of the water, energy, environment, oil and gas sectors in Dubai. The 15th Wetex attracted elite companies from water, energy, environment, oil and gas sectors from across the world and the region. Saeed Al Tayer honored strategic, platinum and gold sponsors during the ceremony in presence of executive vice presidents of Dewa. – — muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com Conserve resources Issac John The Dubai Global Energy Forum 2013 concluded on Wednesday with a call to take immediate action to conserve resources and ensure a secure energy supply. The three-day event, which drew 4,000 energy sector stakeholders from the UAE and other Arab and foreign countries, also stressed the need for a legislative framework that facilitates the application of technologies and encourages investment in clean energy in the region. Energy experts and researchers, who attended the forum, stressed the importance of cooperation and partnership between the public and private energy sectors in the region, which is vital for the implementation of clean energy projects. The forum also endorsed the importance of prioritising energy efficiency when creating energy demand management strategies. It concluded that renewable energy has great potential in the region, and regional governments have placed renewable energy development high on their agenda. Adnan Sharafi, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council, UAE, addressing the session on Wednesday. “The role of governments in national strategies and the integration of diverse energy sources is essential in helping to achieve sustainable development,” the forum said in a communique. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice-president of the Supreme Council, and Ahmad Buti Al Muhairbi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council, presented awards to the forum’s sponsors, speakers and moderators for their efforts in making DGEF 2013. The debates that have taken place over the three days have brought together a wide range of energy experts from both the public and private sectors, who have exchanged views on several key topics including: sustainability, ways to generate energy, how to finance green projects, the available forms of renewable energy, sustainable transport, techniques for converting waste to energy, energy efficiency, and climate change. On the final day of the forum, the debate was centered on urban planning, climate change and green cities. Experts discussed climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions, carbon management and carbon capture and storage, alongside integrated physical planning. Education, community awareness and capacity building were also all underlined as essential. — issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com Dewa signs more deals on energy conservation Muzaffar Rizvi Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, or Dewa, continues to strengthen its relationships with local and international companies by signing three more Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on the sidelines of Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) 2013, which concluded on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Dewa signed three different MoUs with Dubai Land Department, Unilever and LG Electronics to accelerate its pace towards a green economy in the emirate. The power utility signed the first deal on Wednesday with a leading retail electronics dealer Sharaf DG to promote eco-friendly products and sustainable solutions as well as to raise awareness of sustainability among the community in Dubai. Under the MoU, dedicated Eco-Zones will be created within Sharaf DG main outlets to house eco-friendly home appliances. Also, the company will assist in the dissemination of energy efficiency and water conservation messages under Dewa’s Home Appliances Campaign. Moreover, Sharaf DG will collaborate in training sessions organised by Dewa for its employees on eco-friendly home appliances. Waleed Salman, EVP-Strategy and Business Development, Dewa, said: “We signed a series of agreements during Wetex 2013 focused on raising awareness on energy conservation practices in Dubai as part of day-to-day living.” Yasser Sharaf, managing director of Sharaf DG, said: “We are proud to join hands with leading departments in the region like Dewa as well as participate in their campaigns to promote eco-friendly products. We will have a trained team to familiarise shoppers with latest eco-friendly electronic devices through dedicated zones.” Dewa also signed a MoU with BSH, a company specialised in the provision of home products and appliances, to promote environment-friendly products and sustainable solutions. BSH’s chief executive Mark Saunders said: “We are proud to be part of the campaigns on environmental sustainability undertaken by Dewa. We are confident that this cooperation will bring a lot of success for our operations in the region through strengthening our social responsibility towards the community in the UAE.” In another development, Dewa signed a MoU with Osram Middle East, a leading international company in the field of lighting solutions, to promote eco-friendly products and sustainable solutions. — muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
‘Effective development central to world peace’
‘Effective development central to world peace’ Sarah Young / 18 April 2013 Increased effectiveness of development projects, not necessarily more money, is needed if world peace is to be achieved, says a representative of the new UAE ministry for foreign aid. Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed, Abdulla Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council and member of the Board of Directors of the International Humanitarian City; Ibrahim bu Melha, Head of the organising committee of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of Dubai Ruler’s Court; and other officials during the opening ceremony of the First World Peace Awards Forum 2013 in Dubai on Wednesday. — KT photo by Juidin Bernarrd Speaking at the First World Peace Awards Forum 2013 inaugurated by Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, on Wednesday, a representative of the Ministry of Development and International Cooperation, Hazza Al Qahtani, said recipient and donor countries needed to work more closely together to ensure aid funding was effective. Al Qahtani said the UAE would soon be “witnessing a unique qualitative leap in the level of foreign assistance and development”, along with a new strategy for foreign aid. However, the creation of the new ministry, which replaces the Office for the Coordination for Foreign Aid, did not mean more money would be spent. It was about ensuring better organisation and coordination, he said, and signified the commitment of the UAE to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). “It’s not about spending more, it’s about utilisation and delivery and better evaluating the impact of an aid project.” A continuing focus area for the year would be Syria, with four foundations working out of Jordan to deliver help. This included initiatives such as the new refugee camp, Marjeeb Al Fahood, which would house at least 25,000 refugees, along with schools accommodating 4,000 students, at a cost of more than Dh300 million so far. Nothing had been confirmed yet, but Al Qahtani said he would not be surprised if the UAE also offered assistance to Pakistan and Iran following Tuesday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Effective development projects were crucial to peace building, he said, citing the Marshall Plan, a United States aid programme which helped rebuild Europe following World War Two. “This reconstruction has led to stability in these countries from 1945 to today. These countries haven’t witnessed any war, and foreign aid was essential to establish peace in every country.” Al Qahtani said the UAE government had provided more than Dh900 million in foreign aid last year. Earlier this month, the UAE climbed up the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) rankings to 16 th place for the proportion of Gross Net Income (GNI) spent on foreign aid, putting it ahead of long-standing donor countries like the United States and Japan. The UAE ranked 20 th in 2011, and 26 th in 2010. The two-day forum, the first of its kind globally and attended by hosting organisations such as the Washington DC-based Global Peace Foundation and the Seoul Peace Prize, will be held every two years. Organiser and secretary-general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for World Peace, Mohamed Buhannad, said the forum enabled all organisations and awards bodies working on peace initiatives to share knowledge and experience — and come up with something even “more creative”. Following on from events such as the Boston blasts on Monday, the World Peace Award would help create generations with peaceful cultures around the world — something Dubai could already lay claim to, he said. “(Dubai is) a multi-cultural, multi-national city where different religions live peacefully. We have never seen or heard any problems here. This (city) is itself a vision or a project in what we need to achieve.” Categories of the biennial award, to be given out for the first time about this time next year, would be announced in the coming months. sarah@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
