Dubai: More international university students have shown interest to study in Dubai after learning they can hold paid part-time jobs here, Dubai campuses of international universities said on Thursday.
Their comments came on the sidelines of the 29th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex), running until Saturday at Dubai World Trade Centre.
Last October, it was announced that university students in Dubai could legally hold paid part-time jobs in thousands of companies in nine Dubai free zone clusters.
On Thursday, Dubai campuses of international universities participating at Getex told Gulf News that they have received greater interest from overseas students because of the new regulation.
Destination Dubai
Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, director of Middlesex University Dubai, said the trend is strategically significant as “the expansion of the educator sector in Dubai is based on international students coming to Dubai”.
“This is a fantastic initiative. We publicise it in our international markets and students then are attracted towards it. This is a new policy and the real outcome of this — how many students will come, etc — we will come to know from September onwards. But the trends are very positive because this will have big impact in attracting international students,” Dr Fernandes added.
He said at least 40 to 50 Middlesex University Dubai students are expected to take advantage of the regulation.
“The attraction of Dubai is the employment potential. The number of universities in Dubai is quite large and the only way to expand your student number is by attracting international students. Our expansion is basically coming from international markets and with international markets, the USP [Unique Selling Point] is the employment and career opportunity for the students.”
‘Real work’
Professor Bryn Jones, deputy provost at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, said he has been actively promoting the opportunity on and off campus and is expecting to see the impact when the university takes in its new cohorts.
“We have several hundred international students on campus so I do think this will be a draw for them … Many students come to university because they want to get a job and this is another way where we can help our students get a great job,” Prof Jones added.
He said since internships are not embedded in many degree programmes, the student work permits will grant students to access to “real work” and real pay.
Overseas interest
Dr Narayanan Ramachandran, pro vice-chancellor at Amity University Dubai, said: “Students, especially when coming from overseas, when they know there is a provision where they can work, which was not there earlier, it draws them more to Dubai. We have seen interest from both bachelor and master’s levels.”
Dr Ramachandran said with part-time work, “usually we see a trend how this gets converted into a full-time employment”.
Financial relief
Besides charting a career pathway on the back of the student work regulation, the opportunity is also attracting overseas students who could not afford further studies in Dubai, said Ankita Puri, executive of admissions at BITS Pilani-Dubai.
“When [international students] make a phone call and ask ‘how do we make money’, we tell them this option and their first reaction is relief. Because they are coming all the way here, paying tuition and hostel fees, their parents also feel kind of relaxed that, apart from the job experience, their monetary expenses will be taken care of,” Puri added.
She said with internships “there is no certainty of getting paid … but now with this option coming up, we are more loud about it telling students, ‘yes, you make your pocket money out of working here under your student visa’. Maybe some students are taking bank loans in India to come here, so for them this new policy is a boon”.
Getex kicks off
Getex was officially opened on Thursday by Ahmad Abdullah Humaid Bel Houl Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education. The show is expected to be attended by 30,000 learners this year. The three-day event is featuring over 300 institutions from the region and beyond, offering over 2,000 programmes and courses in various fields of academics, vocation and training.
Box: Getex 2017
What: Gulf Education and Training Exhibition is an annual event featuring hundreds of local and international universities
Where: Shaikh Saeed Halls, Dubai World Trade Centre
When: April 13 to 15
Entry is free to all
Box: Earn While You Learn
New regulation announced by Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA) in 2016 grants part-time work permit to some 25,000 students mostly enrolled at around two dozen academic institutions licensed by DCCA, primarily located in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and Dubai Knowledge Park. This is in addition to government universities.
The new regulation is being implemented with the support of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
It enables 4,500 businesses in the emirate’s nine creative clusters, such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai Studio City, to offer part-time employment to university students. The clusters include also include Dubai Knowledge Park, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai Production City, Dubai Science Park and Dubai Design District.
Students must be in good academic standing and, generally, in their second year of university.
A central clearing system, like an online marketplace, will connect employers with student workers, after checks of eligibility.
Students right to pay will be guaranteed. Work hours will be limited to prevent impact on studies.
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