Muscat - Oman’s leading exhibition for global higher education (GHEDEX) & the Omanisation Career Fair (OCF) concluded on 20th April 2017 with over 24,000 visitors in attendance for 3 days. Over 200 top-notch universities and colleges from over 20 countries participated at GHEDEX, while 50 leading companies from across the spectrum of Oman’s private and public sectors exhibited at OCF. Exhibitors at GHEDEX & OCF share their experiences at two of the most prominent events organised by OITE Trade Fairs.
Exhibitors reiterate GHEDEX as an opportunistic platform for promoting higher education
Ms. Andrea Cornelissen, DAAD Representative & German Lecturer notes that for the Middle East, GHEDEX is a good platform to promote DAAD programmes, with more interest being generated from Omani & expatriate students at German universities in the last years “With over 400 universities, we have more than 18,000 different progammes so whatever course subjects you are looking for, you can find in Germany, although most of our programmes are in the German language and not in English. Since the studies are free, this is also an added benefit for students to come to Germany”
Dr. Maha Kobeil, Dean & CEO, Majan College, University College feels GHEDEX is a great place for networking with other higher education institutions, not only at national but international level. “Senior staff from Majan College make it a point to be present at GHEDEX where we showcase our programmes to potential students & employers. Our academics, admission, marketing, post-graduate centre staff, our very own graduate-turned-employees and current students take part in the exhibition. Our programmes are updated based on the vision of the country and the vision & mission of the College. We also talk to potential employers and take into account their needs & feedback on our programmes”
Ms. Khulood Al Ghassani, Head of International Students Section, Deanship of Postgraduate Studies, SQU considers GHEDEX to be a very important opportunity for all educational institutions to meet & promote their programmes & services to the public. “Three units represented SQU this year at GHEDEX, namely the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies, the Deanship of Admissions & Registration and the Centre of Preparatory Studies. We were delighted to use this chance to introduce our undergraduate & postgraduate programmes in addition to foundation programmes. SQU also offers several postgraduate scholarships, subject to competition annually and training programmes and workshops open for public, to be held on a regular basis as part of SQU social services.
Exhibitors support OCF as the preferred avenue for showcasing job opportunities
Mr. Musallam al Mandhry, CEO, Oman Society for Petroleum Services (OPAL) maintained a positive outlook when he reflected that after the crash of the oil prices, although the Oil & Gas Industry is experiencing something of a downturn, OPAL feels this downturn is a temporary phase “The fact that we have a downturn doesn’t mean we stop recruiting, in this regard OCF is the avenue to make that happen. Our participation at OCF showcases the cooperation between the Oil & Gas industry and the Ministry of Manpower. Besides this and more, we are also featuring our current work with vocational training centres on upgrading their facilities to meet Oil and Gas occupational standards. At the moment, when people come out of training centres or colleges and apply for positions in the industry, we have to retrain them. Now we are shifting part of that training to the vocational training centres so when potential employees apply for positions they are more-or-less ready to start work”
Mr. Nasr Shinain Al Fazari, HR Manager, Salam Air enlightened visitors at OCF on the aim of Salam Air in supporting local tourism in Oman across the GCC, complementing the Vision 2020 of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. “We are focusing on increasing our destinations, currently we have four flights to Salalah and we have recently opened a new route in Jeddah which will help passengers travel to Umrah. Moreover, people will have the option of selecting different flights at cheaper rates, this further compliments the market situation and supports low-cost strategies while availing of our quality professional services. Besides training employees & fresh graduates, we aimed to show visitors at OCF the current plans and opportunities available at Salam Air”
Value Add-ons to GHEDEX & OCF 2017
Value Add-ons to GHEDEX & OCF this year included presentations by The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) on external scholarship schemes at undergraduate and postgraduate level (overseas university representatives & higher education service providers) and external and internal scholarships at undergraduate level in Arabic (general public). Morning & evening seminar sessions were also held on all three days of GHEDEX & OCF where seasoned speakers from various industry sectors shared their knowledge & experiences with attendees on the important facets of higher education & training. In an effort to promote In-Country Value (ICV) Human Capital development in Oman and raise opportunities while coordinating the efforts of the industry, the Ministry of Oil & Gas HR ICV supported by the Oman Society for Petroleum Services (OPAL), also focused on ICV Programmes that would further the development of a specialised workforce and provide training opportunities for Omani students through internships & work experience programmes.
© Press Release 2017
