Education sector workers get additional housing allowance

The Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has approved a financial increase in the additional housing allowance allocated for all UAE nationals and expat staff working in the sector of education in the Abu Dhabi, Al-Ain and Western Education Zones.

Sources at the ministry told this reporter that the Minister of Education Dr Hanif Hassan Ali is currently studying the report provided by the committee that was tasked with evaluating the practices adopted by private schools to increase the fees.

"The committee affirmed that the increase percentages were not fixed and there were different levels of increases in the emirates. For instance, in Dubai the Knowledge and Human Development Authority has fixed the increase at 16 per cent every three years. However, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Education Zone (ADEZ) abides by the law to implement an increase of 20 per cent every three years," the sources said.

Meanwhile, the sources added that the new law to streamline private education in the country would see the light of the day next week after Cabinet's endorsement.

/WAM/

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ZU announces three new graduate programmes

Zayed University yesterday announced the launch of three new graduate programmes for all nationalities. The programmes will commence from October this year.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of a college seminar organised by the College of Information Technology. The event was held at the university's Institute for Technological Innovation at Dubai's Knowledge Village.

The College of Information Technology and its international partner George Washington University in Washington, DC, will offer the Master of Science in Information Technology with specialisation in Cyber Security, the Graduate Certificate in Information Security, and the Graduate Certificate in High Technology Crime Investigation.

Talking about it, Dr Sulaiman Al Jassim, Vice-President of Zayed University said, "Admission to the three graduate programs is open to males and females of all nationalities. Applicants will be evaluated following their completion of an undergraduate degree in IT, MIS, Business or any related field from an accredited university.

“In addition, they should have a proficiency in English to manage a challenging, fast-paced programme."

Dr Leon Jololian, Acting Dean of College of Information Technology said, "The Master of Science in Information Technology (Specialisation in Cyber Security) focuses on the development of concepts, knowledge and skills that will enable successful participants to become experts in the area of information security, Internet crime prevention, and digital crime investigation.

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Summer camp programme for Dubai schools launched

The Dubai Schools Agency has launched its summer camp programme which will give 6,000 students the chance to take part in various academic, entertaining, and career activities.

Referred to as "Moltaqa Al Ma'arefa" (which means "a forum for knowledge"), the camp will take place at 10 centres across Dubai and is open to all youngsters aged 7-18 from public schools and UAE Nationals in private schools.

It is being run by the Dubai Schools Agency, an agency of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, in co-operation with 190 partners from the public and private sectors and will have something for everyone, including the specially-gifted and children with special needs.

The camp begins on June 8 and last for six weeks hosting a variety of activities such as swimming, diving, shooting, chess, tennis, and horse-riding. It also has local entertainment trips, a trip to Saudi Arabia for performing Umra, scientific and educational courses, and others to teach and learn the Quran.

There will also be courses in flower arrangement, fashion, painting, photography, and crafts, as well as courses in media and music.

Another programme will aim to prepare students for entering the jobs market, to teach them about professional life, and to let them experience working life.
/Gulf News/

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du Announces Winner of 'Let Your Dream Mobile Application Out' Competition

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE and Microsoft, have announced the results of the 'Let your dream mobile application out' Competition that was organized for students of Colleges and Universities in the UAE in Feb 2008. The competition comes as part of du’s corporate social responsibility strategy to encourage creativity in UAE youth. The five teams who made it to the final round were Ajman University; American University of Sharjah; Dubai Women’s College and BITS Pilani University.

BITS Pilani University was presented with this year’s award in the category of Social Networking, for their winning project, a GPS Enabled Advanced Social Planner. The planner allows all information about an event to be sent along with a map to the person invited, with the option of sending an RSVP as well. The application facilitates organizing and managing events and was developed for individuals and businesses. The students are also working on integrating the application with events happening on Facebook.

du was also awarded a commemorative trophy by software giant Microsoft for its efforts and support to the Imagine Cup.

Receiving the trophy on behalf of du, Hala Badri, Executive Vice President Corporate Communications at du said: “At du we believe in the importance of the role that CSR plays in society. Our CSR strategy is committed towards the UAE youth and we are helping them unleash their creativity through the 'Let your dream mobile application out' Competition, with an aim to create a new generation of mobile applications developers.”

Commenting on their success, the winning BITS Pilani students said: “We were keen from the start to present something that is unique and can easily be used and spread around. We exerted all our efforts in this application and we are truly thrilled with the success we have achieved and are very grateful to du for organizing this competition that really does unleash our creativity. The prize money will also help us in further developing the application and moving forward with creating new ones.”

The winning students are Mohammed Sajjad, Mukundh Vasudevan, Vignesh Sundaresan and S. Sivagurunathan.

du presented each member of the winning team with a gift voucher from Plug-ins worth 3500 Dirhams. Second place winners received vouchers worth 3000 Dirhams and third place winners got 2500 Dirhams vouchers. Fourth and fifth place received each 2000 Dirhams vouchers for each member of the team.

About du

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du's nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.

Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.

du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers.

du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.

du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007.

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Dubai Maritime City to establish institute for boat sailing training and licensing

Dubai Maritime City Authority has announced plans to establish a specialized institute that will provide boat sailing training and licensing for owners of leisure boats and yachts of all sizes.

The new institute will support the development of the UAE's maritime sector by encouraging boat owners and users to adopt the highest standards of safety on the water.

The institute will provide owners of boats and yachts with boat sailing and registration licenses, in addition to offering boat sailing courses. The Dubai Maritime City Campus will accommodate the institute, which is an area that comprises integrated state-of-the-art educational institutions that adopt the best international standards and offers easy sea access.

'This is the first institute of its kind in the region, which has been launched as part of our continuous efforts to provide high-level services and facilities to meet the rapidly growing demands of the UAE's maritime sector. The new institute is one of the highlights of Dubai Maritime City; and will ensure that this development is an integrated maritime centre at all levels,'said Captain Majid Al Shamsi, Institute Project Manager.

'Through the institute, everyone in the UAE will have an opportunity to obtain licenses for the sailing of leisure boats and yachts,' added Al Shamsi.

Dubai Maritime City has recently commenced the first phase of the project, which includes preparation and planning; with services expected to begin from June 2008.

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Dubai to set up Dhs23 million religious institute in Academic City

Dubai Municipality is currently undertaking a Dhs23 million project to construct a religious institute in the Academic City in Al Ruwayya.

his was announced by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, who noted that the General Projects Department at the civic body has recently completed final designs of the project which is expected to be completed by August 2009.

He said the project is undertaken by the Municipality as part of its continuous support to the emirate's education
sector. Several similar projects were undertaken by the civic body in the past including the new premises of Zayed University, Dubai Men's College, and Dubai Women's College, in addition to the annual maintenance of several government schools in Dubai. /Business Maktoob/

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Foundation offers 100 scholarships for Arab students

The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation launched the Pioneers Programme on Monday to enhance higher education in the Arab world.
More than 100 scholarships to pursue higher studies will be offered to Arab students as part of the programme.

Arab students with outstanding academic performance will be entitled for the scholarship and will be able to continue masters programme in reputed Arab universities.

Students availing the scholarship will have to serve for their countries for two years, the foundation announced.
Source

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Student nets $4m in DFM stock game

The third week of Dubai Financial Market’s (DFM) “Online Stock Game” for students has been a tremendous success, with a city college student generating Dh4.047 million ($1.1 million) of virtual profit.

DFM has witnessed enormous portfolio growth by the participating young people. The game is witnessing fierce competition among students of colleges, universities and schools from across the UAE.

More than 1,500 students participated in the game, and almost 60 per cent of the participants were female.

The participants came from 28 separate educational institutions, including institutions from outside the UAE such as Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Thani Independent and Al Bayan Educational Complex Secondary Stage, both from Qatar.

Shazad Ali of Skyline College took first place by generating Dh4.047 million ($1.1 million) of virtual profit during the third week.

Farah Sabbar from Skyline College placed second with Dh3.640 million of profit, and Umair Akram from Skyline College came a close third, with Dh2.180 million in profit.

Mubarak Al Doosari, general co-ordinator, DFM Online Stock Game, said: "The game continues to attract the attention of students across the UAE and the Gulf, and acts as an integral part of a student’s financial education."

"A strong understanding of financial markets and investing will not only help these students in their education, it will give future generations the tools necessary to manage their own assets."

Trading orders in the contest are processed and settled directly without brokerage firms. Participants in the Online Stock Game have the opportunity to trade with a virtual amount of money of up to Dh1 million. (TradeArabia News Service)

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Repton Dubai to open boarding school

Britain's prestigious Repton School has announced the September 2008 opening of it's Senior school and boarding program with it's first international partner school located in Dubai. School Headmaster David Cook said, ""We wish to become the leading school in this region with a reputation for excellence that we are already beginning to build in Dubai.

The GCC's first boarding school, Repton School Dubai offers students boarding facilities and an internationally renowned education heretofore unprecedented in the Gulf region. The Repton School, Derbyshire was established as an independent UK boarding school in 1557 and as such, has over 400 years of educational experience to offer Repton Dubai, which will open to it's first class of Senior level students this year.

The 50 acre campus located near Dubai city features state-of-the-art facilities with wireless Internet access, a fully staffed medical center, three gyms, Olympic length swimming pools, an equestrian center, ice rink, tennis academy, 700 seat auditorium, and arts and crafts center. "When I was a boarder we had dormitories...a sort of Harry Potter type scenario but today the accommodation is absolutely first class at Repton." said Cook. The brisk academic schedule is enhanced by encouraging students to part icipate in sports, music, drama, and other creative endeavors. Sports activities include rugby, football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, and cricket. Repton provides students with numerous opportunities for extra-curricular activities and growth all situated on campus.

Academic excellence is at the core of the Repton program. "There are a twenty-four hour presence of academic staff..." said Cook. In an effort to offer students culturally significant classes, Arabic and Islamic studies will be offered. "We have a very strong commitment to Arabic...all our students study Arabic." stated Cook. At program end students are offered the choice of 45 different exams in order to accomplish the International General Certificate in Secondary Education with Sixth Form students study
ing for the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

All the teachers are fully qualified teaching to the standards that you would expect at a school like Repton in the UK." Cook explained.

In 2007, Repton Dubai opened at the Junior level. Headmaster Cook noted that the day school began last year with 300 students ranging in age from two-and-a-half to ten years old but by year's end grew to a student body of 400. Tuition can run from 42,500 Dirhams for KG level students to 140,000 Dirhams for Sixth form boarders which includes full time accommodations. "We anticipate having over 1,000 students this coming September." he said. In September 2008, the program's boarding facilities will open to Middle and Upper Section boys. In September 2009 boarding for both girls and boys ages 16 to 18 will commence.

We have two Kuwaiti day-students." stated Cook who explained, "We are, above-all, an international school-this is not a school that favors one nationality or a particular passport above another-as of yesterday, we had 39 nationalities within the school." Cook said of the Gulf region, "There is a tradition of boarding here but the tradition is to go to the UK or... to North America...but we are only a one hour or two hours flight away."

In September Repton will offer students full time or weekly boarding.
Cook noted, "Our research tells us that there is a strong need for boarding, not only in Dubai, but in the wider GCC community. Source

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Dubai Cares announces 12 country plans to educate and empower children in developing nations

After raising an unprecedented AED3.4 billion last fall in an 8-week fundraising drive, Dubai Cares announced today twelve countries that will be the recipients of its Phase One funding.

Dubai Cares has become the world's largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education for children in developing countries. Dubai Cares has prioritized its phase one grants in countries which have the highest level of need and can deliver the maximum benefit for the children.

The twelve countries chosen by Dubai Cares for Phase One include Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan ,Yemen; and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.

The announcement builds on Dubai Cares' current portfolio of education programmes, bringing it closer to achieving its goal of educating one million children as declared by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

In these countries, Dubai Cares will implement needs-specific, primary education programmes based on its value chain of education which will include the building of new school facilities; rehabilitating existing damaged school premises; ensuring safe water and proper sanitation facilities; distributing school supply materials; improving nutritional intake and conducting medical check-up for students and teachers; and providing training and workshops to adequately empower teachers and principals.

In today's announcement Dubai Cares provided specific details on the overall design for primary education programs in Sudan. Programme details for the aforementioned countries will be announced in the near future. Dubai Cares' partners were selected based on their track record in providing for underprivileged children around the world, as well as their access to adequate resources and infrastructure that can make an immediate impact on the ground.

Save the Children is one of these international partners which will execute specific projects covering the entire value chain of education. The first outcome of this partnership is to provide quality primary education in Sudan country-wide focusing on the following regions: Abyei, Blue Nile, Darfur, Khartoum, North Kordofan, Red Sea, South Kordofan, and Upper Nile.

Speaking about the partnership, Her Excellency Reem Al-Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: "Save the Children is one of our major partners in Sudan, which we selected based on their 20-plus years of experience in the country. Our partnership with Save the Children is an example of how Dubai Cares ensures the maximum impact of its philanthropic efforts. Partnership agreements are negotiated to ensure minimal expenditure on over-head which increases the direct impact, thus maximizing the number of children who can access quality primary education."

She added: "Save the Children will receive an AED60.9 million grant from Dubai Cares for programmes in Sudan. Save the Children has one of the largest humanitarian programmes currently operating in Sudan, uniquely positioning them to execute the programmes."

The 5-year programmes will initially provide direct support for 115,000 children in 200 schools and 50 early childhood development centres, while also ensuring all students are treated equally regardless of gender or ethnic make-up. Dubai Cares and Save the Children will also train 500 teachers to assist in introducing reading and writing skills to children as early as possible in their development.

"The commitment Dubai Cares is making today for basic education in Sudan is truly ground-breaking," said Dr. Charles F. MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children US. "The commitment is more than 3 times the total direct aid for basic education from all donor governments worldwide to Sudan in 2005," said MacCormack, citing the latest education funding report from UNESCO.

He added: "Direct aid for basic education in Sudan has been severely underfunded. Dubai Cares is to be highly commended to making this new commitment to help educate a generation of children in Sudan." MacCormack noted that Save the Children Sweden and Save the Children UK will work with Save the Children US in implementing the initiative in communities across Sudan.

Dubai Cares also announced an AED24.5 million, 2-year programmes that will be executed by UNICEF to help more than 700,000 children in Sudan. Benefits delivered by Dubai Cares programmes include construction of 200 single room schools in rural areas of Sudan and training workshops for 200 teachers.

In addition, children throughout Sudan will receive textbooks and school supplies and the teachers will receive educational materials. To date, Dubai Cares has initiated primary education programmes in Djibouti, Sudan and the Naher Al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.

As a result, 2,400 teachers are currently being trained, more than 400 schools are being built/rehabilitated and 50 early childhood development centres are being established. These as well as other initiatives will help 924,000 children gain access to quality primary education in these countries.

Dubai Cares was launched as a fundraising campaign on 19 September, 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, raising more than AED1.7 billion (approx. US$ 500 million) in eight weeks from individuals and businesses in Dubai.

At the close of the fundraising drive H.H. Sheikh Mohammed matched the donations from the residents of Dubai, bring the total to AED3.4 billion (almost US$1 billion), making Dubai Cares the largest foundation in the world focusing on primary education globally.

Since its launch, Dubai Cares has established itself as a fully transparent, multilateral, non-profit organization, making sure that every dirham raised is spent strategically for maximum impact. Dubai Cares will operate based on international best practices for foundations worldwide to ensure financial transparency.

The charitable establishment has positioned itself as a strategic coordinator actively engaged with international aid agencies to develop primary education programmes and to ensure immediate impact on the ground.

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for children in need around the world. For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing rapid lifesaving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters.

Dubai Cares is founded on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed who believes that education is the best long-term solution to combat poverty and that educating children, especially girls, is a key component to fighting the global ‘cycle of poverty'.

It represents Dubai's contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing primary education to every child by 2015. The initiative validates the emirate's commitment to play an effective role in securing a better tomorrow for future generations. Source

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The Arab World takes the spotlight at The London Book Fair 2008

The London Book Fair is proud to host an array of events and seminars to tie into its Arab World Market Focus 2008 programme. The Market Focus initiative is targeted at boosting trade with one particular region, with the ultimate aim of helping to build long term business partnerships and trade between the international publishing community and the Market Focus region, which this year is the Arab World (defined as the 20 countries and the 2 states that make up the Arab League and have Arabic as their registered official language).

This is the largest Market Focus programme ever run by The London Book Fair and has been three years in the making. It was devised with the British Council and the programme is the result of collaborative efforts of the past few years.

The selection of the Arab World as Market Focus is timely, with statistics showing strong trade growth in this area. In 2006 UK exports alone to the Middle East/North Africa increased by 13.3% to total £91 million, the largest increase from any region of the world, according to the UK Publishing Industry Statistics Yearbook (© PA 2007). Combined with a market of some 300 million potential readers, the Arab World represents a vast trading bloc full of potential to the international community. The London Book Fair will provide a forum to build cultural and commercial bridges with this region, and will showcase the richness and diversity of Arab literature.

The London Book Fair is honoured to announce that the opening event of the Fair will feature
H. E. Mr Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, who will give the keynote speech at the Chairman’s Breakfast on Monday 14th April. This will be on the subject of “Arabic Partnerships: Opportunities and Complexities”. This will be followed by a tour of the Fair and a press briefing. Mr Moussa was previously Minister for Foreign Affairs in Egypt, and became Secretary General in 2001. He was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Nile, Egypt, May 2001 and the Order of the Two Niles, first class, Sudan 2001. He has received high Decorations from Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina & the German Federation.

Many new stands have been taken at this year’s Fair by exhibitors from the Arab World including:
 Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (Translation scheme, UAE)
 Cambridge-Obeikan (Publisher, Saudi Arabia)
 Ministry of Information, Culture & National Heritage (Bahrain)
 Dar Al Saqi Lebanon (Publisher)
 Nahdet Misr Publishing & Printing (Egypt)
 Basemah Al-Failakawi (Kuwait)
 Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
 National Council for Culture Arts and Heritage - Doha
 Ministry of Culture Youth & Development (UAE)
 Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage
 Ministry of Culture, Lebanon
 Jordanian Publishers Association
 General Egyptian Book Organisation
 The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
 Dar Al Shorouk (Publisher, Egypt)
 Motivate Publishing (UAE) Cont./
Other key Market Focus features include:

Alaa Al Aswany, the bestselling Egyptian author of The Yacoubian Building, will be Author of the Day on Tuesday 15th April. Born in 1957 he is a dentist by profession, and for many years practiced in the real Yacoubian Building in Cairo. He has written prolifically for Egyptian newspapers on politics, literature and social issues. He has been a strong campaigner for the need for free press and rule of law.

Forty Arab authors will be attending the Fair and taking part in an extensive seminar and events programme, organised in conjunction with the British Council. Participants include Rajaa Alsanea, Saudi author of The Girls of Riyadh, Jordanian writer Elias Farkouh and Khaled Al Khamissi, author of Taxi Stories.

Literary Café interviews will take place with Mourid Barghouti, the Palestinian Poet; Bahaa Taher, the winner of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction; and Egyptian author Khaled Al Khamissi.

A series of events aimed at facilitating trade between international and Arab publishers will take place including: Copyright and Publishing Contracts in the Arab Countries (hosted by ALECSO), Reviving Translation in the Arab World (hosted by Kalima) and Children’s Publishing in the Arab World (hosted by Oxford Brookes University)

A collection of Qur’ans and Arabic manuscripts from the 8th to the 19th century AD will be on display, kindly provided by the Khalili Collection. Professor Nasser D Khalili has been collecting art since 1970 and has assembled impressive art collections in a broad range of fields, including one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in private hands which comprises some 20,000 items.

Launch of the first ever Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature – 11.00am Tuesday 15th April in the Piccadilly Room.

Press conference for Beirut as World Book Capital 2009 – 11.30am Tuesday 15th April at stand H905.

A Mezze bar selling Arabic food, featuring The London Book Fair / Banipal Display of Modern Arab Literature. This is a collection of fiction (novels and short stories), poetry and memoir by Arab authors, which have either been translated into English, or written in English. The display is designed for booksellers and librarians to show what is on offer from the Arab World in English, and also to encourage more translations from Arabic or French or other languages, into English and other languages.

An Arab Authors Evening at Foyles Bookshop on Charing Cross Road takes place on Monday 14th at 6.30pm. The panel will be chaired by Dedi Feldman from Words Without Borders, and will include Alaa Al Aswany with Khaled Mattawa and Hisham Matar. It will be a general discussion about Arab writing and will include a Q&A with the public. The event is free.

Emma House, Exhibition Manager International Development, The London Book Fair says: “I’m delighted that we have put together such an impressive range of events and other initiatives to mark the Arab World as Market Focus 2008. I have found the experience of forming business partnerships with people from the Arab World and discovering more about its literature extremely rewarding, and I’m sure this experience will be shared by everyone attending The London Book Fair. I have always had a warm welcome wherever I have travelled in the Arab World, and I am pleased to be able to offer the same hospitality to our Arab visitors. There is clearly great interest from Arab publishers in attending The London Book Fair and grasping potential commercial opportunities. I hope this will lay the foundation for many fruitful business partnerships for the future.”

British Council Director of Literature, Susanna Nicklin, says: ”Improving cultural understanding is the driver behind the Arab World seminar programme, while the backdrop of the fair provides the crucial business networking opportunities to complement that. The ultimate aim is to create relationships between organizations, people and countries. The result could be more Arabic books translated for the UK market and more Western works reaching Arab readers, giving people the opportunity to read what others have written and engendering more acceptance and understanding between our communities.“
The London Book Fair has already been involved in initiatives to open up the Arab World to the benefits of international trade with publishers. The team have been working closely with the British Council, which has been instrumental in building relationships with the region. This has included joint trips to book fairs in Damascus, Sharjah and Cairo to help facilitate contacts between British and Arab publishers, and to introduce them to the mutual benefits of trade.

Contact Details

For further information about The London Book Fair Market Focus 2008 please contact Amelia Rowland at Midas Public Relations on + 44 (0)20 7590 0813 or email Amelia.Rowland@midaspr.co.uk

Notes:

THE LONDON BOOK FAIR
The London Book Fair is the global publishing community’s leading spring forum for booksellers, publishers and librarians worldwide. Ideally timed to provide a concentrated 3 day trading and educational platform it gives all visitors and exhibitors access to the world’s books, real business contacts and shared knowledge. It provides everything that is required to compete effectively in today’s fast-paced marketplace.

THE MARKET FOCUS
The Market Focus programme, now in its fifth year, was first created in 2004 for LBF to draw attention to certain countries and highlight the trade links with this territory, its publishing industry and the opportunities for conducting business with the rest of the world. In the first year of the initiative, the countries highlighted were Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, followed in 2005 by Australia and New Zealand, in 2006 by Mexico and in 2007, Spain.

THE BRITISH COUNCIL
The British Council works in 110 countries and territories worldwide to build intercultural understanding between the UK and other countries through the arts, education and training, science and technology and governance. Our income in 2006/07 was £551m, of which grant-in-aid from the British government was £195m. For more information about the British Council's Literature department, please visit: http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-literature
The British Council opened its first overseas operations in the Middle East, Near East and North Africa in Egypt in 1938 and now has 27 offices/centres across the region .

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Free of cost online professional training for 2 million teachers in the Arab World

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Intel to provide free of cost online professional training for 2 million teachers in the Arab World, by 2011.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and Dr. Craig Barrett, Chairman, Intel.

The partnership will extend the Intel Teach programme to the Arab World, and target 150,000 teachers in 2008. Also, it will develop an Arabic online professional development and training community, to enable even remote areas to access high quality training. The MoU will open new channels of discussion on specific topics in support of education development in the target countries.

The initiative seeks to accelerate 21st century education for a knowledge-based economy, by improving teaching and learning processes, through the effective use of technology. It also underlines the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation's strategy to equip and empower a future generation of leaders.

The four-year deal will allow academic sector professionals to gain easy access to professional development training modules, curriculum materials, sample unit plans, and other resources. The agreement also provides for a broad commitment on enhancing ICT infrastructure across the Arab World, by increasing personal computer usage, Arabic online content and internet penetration.

Al Gergawi said, "We are glad to join hands with Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company and a leading technology developer, to launch a strategic initiative that deploys effective solutions, to enhance the quality of education in the region. The initiative reflects the aspirations of the country's leadership towards fostering Arab knowledge capabilities and promoting analytical thinking among the younger generation." Hailing Intel's contribution to education development in various parts of the world, Al Gergawi said the agreement will have a remarkable impact on promoting academic excellence in the Arab World.

He added: "Teachers shoulder a critical responsibility in nurturing and influencing the future generation of leaders. By providing modern tools incorporating the latest technology, teachers can bolster their professional competencies and perform their roles more effectively. "

''The partnership paves the way for the development of critical thinking and digital fluency, in both teachers and students, across the Arab World?.

Praising the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation?s efforts, and emphasizing the importance of the partnership, Dr. Barrett said: "Every young person deserves a chance at the kind of education that helps them prepare for competing in our 21st century knowledge-based economy. This collaboration is a prime example of the potential of public-private partnerships in changing the lives of people, particularly through the adoption of technology. "

Instilling a spirit of entrepreneurship at a young age will encourage heightened innovation and economic vitality throughout the Arab world. By working with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Foundation, we can help develop students get ready for the challenges of today?s global business environment,''he added.

For a decade, the Intel Teach Programme has helped K-12 teachers to be effective educators by training them to integrate technology into their lessons, promoting problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills among their students. The programme has trained more than five million teachers so far in over 40 countries, and is committed to reaching 13 million teachers by 2011.

While providing teachers with independent learning opportunities to support self-study, the Foundation's initiative with Intel will focus on key teaching methods such as: project based learning, open ended questioning, and authentic assessment. WAM

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Academic personality of the year

Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been named the "Distinguished Personality of the Year" by the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance.

HE Dr Hanif Hassan, Education Minister & Chairman of the Award's board of trustees, said under the directives of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and UAE minister of finance, the title was conferred on Sheikh Mohammed in recognition of his role in fostering education and knowledge and for his support to the students in the UAE and abroad.

Sheikh Mohammed will be honoured in the award's final ceremony, to be held on Tuesday.

"His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has spearheaded the initiative to improve performance in all the country's institutions and to create a culture of quality and excellence," Dr Hanif added. WAM

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Undergraduate program in Property Development & Management

The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), one of the first institutions of higher education accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, has launched on its 15th anniversary an undergraduate program in Property Development & Management.

The new course is among three new bachelor programs announced at a press conference, the others being International Business and Insurance.

The degree programs in Insurance and Property Development are being introduced for the first time in the region. The course in Property Development is particularly relevant as the UAE's property market has been described as the fastest growing in the world.

The new programs were announced at a press conference addressed by His Excellency Mr Jeremy Bruer, Australian Ambassador to the UAE, and Mr.David Rome, President of UOWD, on the sidelines of GETEX, the region's biggest education fair.

The Ambassador said the success of UOWD in the UAE was a reflection of the excellent ties between the UAE and Australia.

Ambassador Bruer said, 'The University of Wollongong in Dubai is witnessing increasing demand for its programs because of the top-class Australian education it provides to students. In the 15 years since its establishment, UOWD has made a most important contribution to the strong and growing educational links between the UAE and Australia. The launch of three new degree courses is an example of UOWD's continuing efforts to offer market-driven programs to the UAE's multinational student community'.

Mr Rome said, 'UOWD has played a major role in strengthening the bilateral relations between the UAE and Australia in the education sector. As part of the fifteenth anniversary of UOWD, we are pleased to offer three new dynamic programs in fields that have tremendous employment potential in the region and internationally. We are proud to be a part of the University of Wollongong, Australia, which was ranked in the Top 200 Universities in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2007'.

Dr. Lejla Vrazalic, Chair of UOWD's College of Undergraduate Studies, said, 'The new programs complement our existing portfolio of B. Commerce programs. They were introduced after a careful study of the employment market and the aspirations of current students. We are confident the programs in international business, insurance and property management will prove to be extremely popular among local and international students'.

The New Programs

The Bachelor of Commerce in International Business is designed to give students a strong grounding in economics, accounting, management and marketing, while developing core competence in international business practices.

The program equips graduates with the ability, tools and multi-dimensional expertise essential for working as a practitioner in international organizations.

The Bachelor of Commerce in Insurance is designed to prepare students for careers in business, commerce and insurance, so they can excel in today's increasingly competitive and global environment. It will prepare professionals to implement strategies effectively in the insurance and risk management arena.

The Bachelor of Commerce in Property Development & Management will help students acquire a detailed understanding of various forms of property ownership and property investment alternatives, and train them and to use and interpret property valuation reports. It will also provide them with tools to analyse property management decisions, and a comprehensive understanding of effective property management strategies and methods of implementation. (AME Info)

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GETEX Dubai 2008

GETEX Dubai 2008, the Middle East's leading education, training and careers fair, opened at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) yesterday (Wednesday, April 2nd 2008).

The 20th GETEX Dubai will allow national and expatriate students access to more than 2500 secondary and tertiary education options from over 500 education providers through its GETEX- Student Recruitment event.
Anselm Godinho, Managing Director of show organizers IC&E, commented: "Over the years, GETEX Dubai has grown in size and scope bringing a diversity of academic courses and training options attracting some of world's leading universities and education providers, education equipment and technology suppliers, human resource recruiters and vocational training providers to construct the region's largest education forum."

Concurrently, GETEX- Careers & Training will offer employment opportunities for senior students looking for access to the job market, experienced employees climbing the career ladder and also caters to professionals wanting to acquire new skills through targeted qualifications.

He commented: "GETEX will also be hosting discussion forums, workshops, seminars and conferences that bring together expert knowledge with new ideas to generate new schema, paradigms and networks in education."

Additionally, GETEX- Education Equipment & Technology offers a trade platform for suppliers and purchasing decision makers for education, and serves as a point of access for new education technologies, equipment and methodologies entering the Middle East. The segment is hosting the GETEX- ISTE Global Forum for Technology & Innovation in Education, running from 1st-3rd April with a conference programme under the direction of the US-headquartered International Institute of Technology in Education.

In the UAE, GETEX is hosted under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research .The event is supported by Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) and all the universities affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research-including the Higher Colleges of Technology, Paris Sorbonne - Abu Dhabi, UAE University and Zayed University.

Also supporting GETEX is a host of international agencies and associations including the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) - USA, the British Council, Agence EduFrance, Canadian Conssulate, OSEC Business Network - Switzerland, the Italian Embassy, the German Academic Exchange Service, Enterprise Ireland and the South African Embassy.(PR)

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The sixth annual “Online Stock Game” kicks on Sunday

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) announced today that it will launch its sixth annual “Online Stock Game” on Sunday.

A total of 30 colleges and universities are participating in the “Online Stock Game,” which is organised by DFM to educate students about the intricacies of the stock market and to develop their talent for investing.

Students can take part in the game, and trade stocks and shares through the DFM’s website (www.dfm.ae) during official trading hours, said a DFm official.

Every participant will have the opportunity to trade with a “virtual” sum of up to Dh1 million ($272,294). Players can then track their investments through the website and newspapers.

Mubaraq Al Doosari, general co-ordinator, DFM Stock Game, said: “We are happy to bring back for 2008 DFM’s ‘Online Stock Game.’ This game has helped thousands of students in the UAE over the past six years learn about trading stocks and making investments in financial markets."

"The game is an invaluable educational tool that gives students the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the complexities of share trading, and to prepare them for a possible career in the world of business.”

DFM has begun on a series of training sessions aimed at educating students about how to participate in the game. Winners will be selected based on the profits they generate during the playing period, with total cash awards of up to Dh50,000.

Students in the first category will receive Dh15,000; those in the second category will receive Dh10,000; and those in the third category will receive a prize of Dh5,000. Participants ranked between fourth and 13th place will receive Dh1,000, Doosari noted.

Female students will be eligible for additional awards. Those placed first in the category will receive Dh3,000; those ranked second will receive Dh2,000,;and those placed third will receive Dh1,000.

The number of participants has been increasing steadily since the launch of the game, with 357 participants in 2003, rising to 1500 participants in 2007. The number of participating educational institutions increased from 17 in 2003 to 52 in 2007, he added. (TradeArabia News Service)

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School fee hikes to be controlled

Schools that increased fees last year up to the 16 per cent legal limit in Dubai will not be allowed further hikes this academic year, the city’s education authority said on Tuesday.

To control rising school tuition, the KHDA, or Knowledge and Human Development Authority, had asked education providers the previous academic year (2007-2008) not to spike costs by more than 16 per cent in one year.

That cap has now been split and extended to cover the 2008-2009 period.

“Those schools that increased their fees less than 16 per cent can now top up their increase, to a maximum 16 per cent, if they wish. In effect, therefore, schools have been allowed to increase tuition fees by up to 16 per cent over two years, inclusive.

This figure includes all mandatory associated costs levied on parents, including transport, books, uniforms and food,” read a KHDA statement released to the press.

“The extension of last year’s decision on allowable fee increases stems from our desire to stabilise the market while permitting the reasonable increases schools may need to cope with the rise in cost of living …” added Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, the KHDA’s director general.

Most schools that raised fees the previous round used their full allowance. These schools - two-thirds of private schools in Dubai with 97,525 pupils - will not be able to impose any increase for 2008-2009. This decision is binding on all 137 private schools in Dubai, that teach around 153,000 pupils.

Certain types of schools - community or embassy-run, internationally-accredited ones and those relocating their campus - have been excluded from the new rule.

“Parents seeking clarification and confirmation of their school fees for the academic year 2008-2009 should contact their school directly; the KHDA statement on school fees and FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions] have been posted on the KHDA website, www.khda.gov.ae, along with a list of private schools showing their eligibility for a tuition fee increase, or not,” the statement advised.

Dr. Al Karam said while price regulations will continue for “the next couple of years,” the KHDA will eventually let parents and schools fix rates. “Investors are in it to make money … we just want to make sure they don’t exploit the mismatch between supply and demand,” he said.

Individual letters on the development were dispatched to school heads in Dubai Tuesday morning, the KHDA said. Source

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Unified school calendar for Government & private schools

Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Acting Minister of Education, has approved the school calendar for the academic year 2008-2009.

As per the new calendar, the administration, teaching and technical staff will commence work on August 24, while the classes will commence on August 31.

The mid-year break (spring) will begin on January 15, 2009 and run until the first Sunday of February 2009, to mark the beginning of the second semester. The last day of school for students of all stages will be June 4, 2009.

However, administration, technical and teaching staff will continue to work until July 2, 2009 for the summer break to begin.

Abdullah Musabah Al Nuaimi, Director-General in the MoE, stressed that the ministry was keen on a common calendar for both government and private schools and also uniformity in holidays. Source

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The fourth Ismaili Centre in the world will be opened in Dubai

The Ismaili Centre in Dubai will be opened on March 26 by The Aga Khan. As the fourth Ismaili Centre in the world and the first in the Middle East, the opening of this centre is historic for the community.

Situated on Oud Metha Road, the centre introduces a timeless statement of Islamic architecture to the contemporary landscape of the Middle East. With the state-of-the-art facilities for lectures, presentations, seminars and conferences, the Ismaili Centre Dubai will host initiatives to enrich dialogue in areas of social, economic and cultural endeavour as well as recitals and exhibitions to educate people on Islamic heritage. Source

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Investment opportunities for youngsters strongly supported by Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders

Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday for supporting the projects of young businessmen in the emirate of Dubai.

The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai Municipality by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, and Abdul Basit Al Janahi, CEO, Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.

The agreement seeks to extend effective steps to translate into reality the vision of the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on supporting the efforts of young nationals in setting up small and medium business projects and enabling them improve their professional expertise and talents.

The signing of the MoU shows the keenness of both Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders in supporting and strengthening the existing strategic partnership relations between them on a constant basis.

As per the MoU both the sides will endeavour for setting up joint programmes and have effective cooperation aimed at creating actual investment opportunities for youngsters and also strengthen and establish cooperative relations between them as regards supporting the setting up of small and medium business projects for youngsters.

Both will encourage and guide youngsters towards active participation in the development of the local community by making them invest in productive projects that will benefit the members of the society. Both will explore appropriate investment opportunities for youngsters and make them invest their efforts and talents in them.

In order to achieve the objectives of the MoU, both parties will organize a media campaign urging youngsters to invest in different areas and amenities available with Dubai Municipality. They will also take into consideration the suggestions of the youngsters regarding viable investment opportunities and projects at the sites available with Dubai Municipality.

The MoU also calls for jointly conducting meetings, seminars, and training programmes for youngsters.

As per the clauses of the MoU, Dubai Municipality will provide suitable places at the sites and amenities available with it for investment by youngsters and Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders.

The Municipality will also offer all possible facilities for youngsters and overcome all impediments that could be faced during the implementation of the projects at the Municipality sites and amenities. It will also give priority to youngsters in selecting sites where they wish to set up projects and other existing projects inside the sites and amenities.

According to the MoU, Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders shall provide all data about the young beneficiaries of its services who wish to set up permanent as well as temporary projects inside the Municipality sites and amenities. It will also offer recommendation letter to the Municipality to provide appropriate places for setting up permanent or temporary projects for all young beneficiaries of the Establishment's services.

The Establishment will also supervise and follow up to ensure that all its beneficiaries are complying with the rules and regulations of the Municipality.

In order to follow up the implementation of the clauses of the MoU, both sides have decided to form a joint action team. The MoU is valid from the date of signing, and the MoU continue to an unspecified period.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials of Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders. (WAM)

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