As part of its continued efforts to promote Dubai as a leading global destination for higher education, Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), Dubai’s key education hub, concluded a four day visit to Beijing and Xi’an to participate in the Chinese International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET).
This marks DIAC’s fourth year of participation in CIEET, one of the largest exhibitions in the field of international education in China. CIEET, endorsed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, provides a platform for Chinese students and parents to assess the latest information about studying abroad and develops channels for universities and institutions to introduce their quality education resources and opportunities.
Since its inception, approximately 2,000 universities and institutions from more than 50 countries and regions have participated in the exhibition and showcased their educational opportunities to over 1 million Chinese students and parents.
DIAC’s participation in CIEET is timely as Dubai and China continue to forge greater collaboration in higher education as part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which aims to deepen China’s infrastructural, economic, institutional and cultural connectivity with key parts of the globe. In October 2016, an agreement, signed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai and the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), outlined that degrees earned by Chinese students in Dubai will be verified by CSCSE and the Ministry of Education in China, paving the way for Chinese students to obtain degrees from top Dubai based institutions.
In recent years, Dubai has become an attractive choice for a rising number of Chinese students who are seeking international experience from world-class universities. The rise of International Branch Campuses (IBC’s) has allowed students to receive recognised degrees from leading American, English and Australian universities, without having to travel to the home country’s campus. This, coupled with the ease of obtaining student visas compared to the aforementioned countries, is one of the key indicators for the 83 per cent increase of Chinese students at DIAC universities from 2013 to 2015.
Dubai’s accessibility, both geographically and financially have also been cited as key features for higher education students from China. The cost of living compared to major cities like London, Singapore and New York and its proximity to China are main considerations for students who want quality education, closer to home and at a reasonable price. Students can enjoy a cosmopolitan and international lifestyle, interacting with people from diverse nationalities, cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds. Safety is another key feature that has positioned Dubai as a viable destination for international students. The 2016 World Economic Forum Report ranked the United Arab Emirates as the 3rd safest country in the world.
Commenting on the importance of creating awareness among Chinese students of the higher education opportunities in Dubai, Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director, Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park stated: “International students play a vital role in expanding DIAC’s vibrant and dynamic cultural environment. Chinese students contribute to a large portion of our enrolment and make a huge contribution to our academic life, knowledge and economic growth by brining valuable skills and a commendable work ethic to our academic and professional workforce.”
According to a report launched by DIAC in partnership with Aon Hewitt, as many as 85 percent of students plan to look for job opportunities in the UAE upon graduation due to course satisfaction, preparation for private sector careers and a competitive labour market, especially in light of the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020.
Abdullah added: “We envisage an increasingly significant role for Chinese students in Dubai especially with the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020, which has promised to create more than 275,000 jobs in sectors such as aviation, construction, retail and transportation across the region over the next six years. The opportunities are abound and there is no better time than now to seize them.”
As part of its student recruitment efforts in China, DIAC have also partnered with China Study Abroad Portal, a first for the education hub. Study Abroad China is an online platform which introduces international education institutes to Chinese students and parents. It is the first professional one-stop web site dedicated to providing comprehensive information on studying abroad to Chinese transnational students.
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