Dubai: 9 April, 2006 - Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) today announced its participation in the 18th edition of the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETEX) to be held from 12 - 14 April, 2006, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. 

KV will be accompanied by its business partners representing a diverse mix of companies from its learning community, which includes renowned international universities and education companies.  The partners include SAE Institute (Australia), Middlesex University (UK), University Of Wollongong in Dubai (Australia), University of New Brunswick in Dubai ( Canada),SZABIST (Pakistan), British University in Dubai, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Manipal Academy for Higher Education (India), BITS Pilani (India) and Islamic Azad University (Iran).

At GETEX, KV plans to make several major announcements, including prominent new entrants to its community, new services and its plans for expansion. Many of these announcements are expected to be major developments in the region's education sector. 

KV today is home to 15 international universities from Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Belgium, UK and Ireland. The cluster also has over 300 professional training institutes and numerous academic support entities. 

The past year saw the addition of a variety of new courses in diverse fields like filmmaking, mass communication, animation, audio engineering and health care.  These programmes add to the current list of undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA programmes already offered in fields such as business, engineering, IT and allied health.  The six new programmes introduced in 2005 account for 30% of the current undergraduate student population. In addition, new colleges planning to open their doors in 2006 will offer more varied courses and add to the educational options at KV. Postgraduate opportunities alone have doubled this academic year with over 2000 students enrolling in the 2005-2006 academic year, compared to 1000 in 2004-2005.

"The increasing diversity of programmes and students strengthens Dubai's status as a destination for international education," said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, CEO Dubai Knowledge Village. "One of the most exciting facts is the doubling of post graduate students, which enables KV to play a key role in the development of Dubai's business community."

During 2005, KV enjoyed a 50% growth in student enrollment as well as a significant increase in student diversity. KV's student body also grew in diversity with around 55 nationalities represented in 2005.  The largest national representation in the cluster is from India, followed by Pakistan, Iran, UAE and the UK.  Students also come from Nepal, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Moldavia, Kenya, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Bulgaria.  The diversity furthers KV's objective to become the region's leading international learning destination for both regional and overseas students.

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About Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) 
Dubai Knowledge Village (KV), launched in September 2003, provides an advanced infrastructure and environment for a variety of organisations to create and disseminate knowledge. Its mission is to create a vibrant, connected learning community to develop the region's talent pool and accelerate its move into the knowledge economy. As a leading centre for knowledge, KV has attracted prominent international universities from Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Belgium, UK, Ireland and Canada, offering advanced programmes in fields such as computing, technology, business management, life science, fashion, media and more.  KV seeks to provide the right environment for the development of scholarship, education, training, creativity, innovation, R&D and entrepreneurial expertise. It offers a unique campus ambience with a creatively stimulating and welcoming atmosphere for students, professionals, teachers, instructors and researchers to interact. In addition to universities and higher education institutes, KV partners include human resource development centres, professional training institutes, R&D organisations, innovation centres and e-Learning companies. KV is also equipped with a business centre, providing modern facilities for freelancers and start-up entities in the education, training and learning sectors.

For further information, please call:
Rami Adwan
JiWiN
The Public Relations arm of Dubai Press Club
Tel:+9714 361 3 333
Fax:+9714 388 8 001
e-mail: rami.adwan@jiwin.ae

© Press Release 2006