The activities of 16th International Education Show 2020 (IES 2020) concluded on Friday amid an outstanding turnout of students and parents, as well as the remarkable participation of about 120 educational and academic institutions from 20 countries around the world, in addition to the participation of 70 UAE colleges and universities..

The IES 2020 was organized and hosted by the Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Education and the Sharjah Private Education Authority

The three-day event shed light on the most important academic programs offered by universities in various disciplines, their educational services, and conditions of admission and registration.

This reflects the success of the IES 2020 in achieving its sought-after objectives, more importantly, guiding secondary and university students, and researchers on the best educational opportunities available in the most prestigious local and international universities.

Master Degree in Luxury Management

The IES 2020 saw the launch of new academic programs, of which is the Master’s Degree in Luxury Management launched by the Australian University of Wollongong in Dubai, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and is ranked fourth in the world.

Created in partnership with the prestigious Italian business school, Politecnico di Milano’s Graduate School of Business (MIP) and approved by the UAE Ministry of Education, the degree is tailored to support emerging luxury markets and designed to help meet the growing demand for highly-skilled professionals in the luxury sector and focuses on implementing best-in-class managerial practices in the luxury goods and services segments.

Keeping Pace with Educational Renaissance

“It was an extraordinary edition through the exploration of education future, thanks to the presence of major companies in the educational technology field and mechanisms for introducing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in the educational process. This is in addition to the exclusive events and the wide participation of universities, colleges and institutes, which was the largest ever since the launch of the IES,” said HE Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.

“The Expo Centre Sharjah has achieved its sought-after objectives, in terms of showcasing the reality of the educational sector to the students and researchers at the local and global levels through obtaining expert advice from university admission managers, as well as figuring out scholarship opportunities available to students and support programs provided by government institutions” he added.

Al Midfa further said: “The wise leadership has allocated massive annual budgets for the education sector paralleled with the tireless efforts to develop this sector and encourage investment in the education industry following international best practices. This has made the IES one of the most important events hosted by the Expo Centre Sharjah, as it targets the youth segment, which is the future driving force of the labor market and development projects. Besides, the IES has effectively contributed to keeping pace with the unprecedented renaissance witnessed by the higher education sector regionally, especially in the UAE which places education at the forefront of its priorities, until it has become one of the world’s best attractive educational destinations for those wishing to pursue their studies abroad.”

Determining Academic Decisions

When asked about the importance of the IES 2020, several students and their parents underlined the key role of the event in determining their academic decisions by choosing the appropriate discipline for their children, thanks to the abundant options offered by local and international universities as well as training courses, seminars, and workshops.

“The IES 2020 was highly-organized and it brought together the entire needs of the educational process. We, as parents, were able to define the academic path for our children. I benefitted from my visit to the IES 2020 and I managed to choose the major in which my son is looking to study after completing his high school diploma,” says the father of the student Omar El Sayed.

While the mother of the student, Alaa Abdul Karim, asserted that she greatly benefited from her visit to the IES 2020, as she managed to secure a seat for her daughter in one of the Emirati universities through the scholarships offered, pointing out that this year’s edition saw an increase in the number of the participating universities with more deals and good discounts, in addition to the diversity of undergraduate majors that meet the needs of the future market.

“The IES 2020 sums up the whole information we need as students. Not only that but it saves a lot of time and effort in searching for universities. On a personal note, I benefited from my visit to the show and I was able to choose the university in which I’ll be resuming my studies in the future,” says student Nouf Al-Garhi.