ABU DHABI, 5 Jan, 05 (WAM) - A new course to enable UAE nationals towork in the country's emerging pharmaceuticals industry is planned bythe Higher Colleges of Technology.

The biotechnology course is in the planning phase and will be introducedat the bachelor's degree level, said Dr Jim Horton, Vice-Chancellor ofthe Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT.) "It's an important field andwe hope to get a good response from both students as well as the industry,"Dr Horton told Gulf News at the first joint Alumni Day for HCT's men'sand women's colleges in Al Ain.

He said the HCT council recently approved five new programmes to suitthe UAE job market. These programmes were modifications of existing courses,which had been redesigned to meet the requirements of the market.

Dr Horton said the HCT was still facing financial constraints, but ShaikhNahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education and Chancellor ofthe HCT, had been helping to overcome the problem.

The colleges turned down 15,000 student applications last year becauseof financial problems. "We are also expecting a huge number of [admissionseeking] students this year," he said.

Dr Neal Mangham, director of the HCT's men and women colleges in AlAin, opened proceedings for the first Alumni Day, saying the event wouldstrengthen the relationship between the colleges and their graduates.

More than 2,000 graduates from HCT's male and female campuses yesterdayreturned to learn about new career opportunities during an event entitledCollege, Careers and Community.

Representatives of major organisations in the UAE helped graduates explorepotential job placements and future studies.

"The main objective is to help graduates in setting up a mutual callingcircle, explore opportunities to learn new skills, choose the right universityfor further studies abroad and get assistance for an appropriate job,"Dr Mangham said.

Younis Proctor, a senior training and career development officer atthe Offset Group, delivered a keynote address asking graduates to befully prepared for the challenges of different working environments.