University Of Dubai Awards Students And Organizations At The Annual SLAC Ceremony

The University of Dubai (UD), a prestigious university in the UAE established by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has recognized students and organizations that contributed and supported the Department of Student Services (DSS).

The Student Life Awards Ceremony (SLAC) is a remarkable event held annually to honor those, whose contributions to the university community showed outstanding performance and commitment. The main objective of the event is to appreciate and recognize every effort done to support the DSS at the University of Dubai throughout the academic year. Students, clubs, organizations, faculty and staff were rewarded based on certain criteria set by the SLAC committee.

At the ceremony, organizers of successful events and individuals who took leadership positions in all aspects of student life such as the University of Dubai Student Union (UDSU), student clubs and sports teams were granted awards and certificates in recognition of their positive involvement. DSS also recognized its partners from different industries and business sectors that offered distinguished student services at all levels throughout the academic year.

Such unique event has become the landmark achievement for the University of Dubai as one of its known traditions in promoting all dimensions of quality and valuable candidates.

Dr M. Omar Hefni, President of UD, presented the awards, certificates and gifts to the awardees / winners. He said: “The event was very successful because it was a great gathering for students, the faculty and staff and it helped in strengthening the bond between them. The ceremony also celebrated the achievements of the students and the organizations that were working together in order to deliver successful events and activities organized by the community.”
 

The Expatwoman Education Fair On March 15th Will Bring Together A Breadth And Depth Of Educational Options For Parents And Students Alike

As the region’s leading English language website for women, education in the region is often a hot topic on the ExpatWoman.com website and Managing Director, Jane Drury, wants to help parents and students make informed decisions on all the educational options open to them- both locally and internationally.

“Parents are looking to learn more about school options available, be it Montessori versus traditional nursery, IB versus A levels, or local schools versus boarding or sixth-form college abroad. We are aiming, through this event to fill a big information gap about education,” says ExpatWoman founder, Jane Drury. ”When it comes to tertiary education, typically our children are set on a path to study in our own home countries,” Jane continues. “We tend to follow what we know but these young students are entering an entirely different world-economy and job market to our own experience, and we should all help them explore worldwide options- at least to be better informed of what is available. There are companies here specifically doing that, and helping with application processes.”

“In putting this event together, we have found a huge range of courses of study, both based in this region and represented here. There is so much out there for women looking to get back to work, to refresh old skills or pick up new ones. And for students the summer school and work experience options are tremendous. In the current economic climate, you cannot undervalue the importance of developing an interesting CV.”

The Education Fair is an informal afternoon and evening where adults and younger students can call in to pick up information and ask all those education-related questions in person.

Exhibitors at the Education Fair will cover everything from nursery schools to boarding schools, after school activities to adult learning, post- grad to women’s courses, colleges and universities and everything in between. There are over 40 confirmed participants including E-Zone, the Emirates Academy, Murdoch University, Jebel Ali Nursery, DUCTAC, DESC, Dubai College and many more.

ExpatWoman welcomes all interested parents, students and The Education Fair is being held on Tuesday, March 15th from 4pm till 9pm at the Grand Millennium Hotel, TECOM, Barsha. There is no need to book, entry is free entry and refreshments will be available.

 

UAEs Students Want Business Degrees

Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus has expanded at a rapid pace this year, with a 36% growth in student enrolments, and the School of Management and Languages specifically having grown by a staggering 80% in 2010. The University’s business degree programmes has had such a high level of interest and enrolments this year that the programme has now introduced a second intake for the first time, in order to cater for demand.

From January onwards, there will be two intakes; one in January and one in September for the BBA (Hons), BA/MA in Accounting and Finance, BA/MA in Business and Finance or the BA/MA in Management.

Professor Ammar Kaka, Vice-Principal of Heriot-Watt University, Dubai Campus comments, “The quality of our Heriot-Watt University degree programmes are of an extremely high standard and are recognised world-wide.

These programmes are relevant to business and valued by employers in the Middle East and beyond. The addition of a January intake is in response to the heavy demand of students waiting to study for a Heriot-Watt University degree programme. In September 2011, we will move to our brand new campus and will have capacity for up to 4500 students.”
 

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Interacts With School Students In The UAE

Students across the UAE rejoiced as they met with the eleventh President of India, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. Popularly known as the People’s President during his period on of presidency, Dr. Kalam visited the J.S.S. International School in Al Barsha, Dubai, where he interacted with students from across the UAE.

In a statement, Mr. Guruswami Kalloor, CEO, J.S.S. International School, said: “It is a great honor for us to have Dr. Kalam join us at the school today and interact with the children. Students from schools across the UAE have joined us, showing immense enthusiasm in meeting with Dr. Kalam. The children have put forth many interesting questions for the former President, abiding the faith he has in the role children play towards to positive future of the country.”

JSS Private School (JSSPS) is run by the internationally renowned JSS Mahavidyapeetha (JSS MVP), a socio-cultural Institution (Trust) that has dedicated itself to the development of culture, literature and education for the prosperity of society in general and serves as a tool for social change.

“At J.S.S International, we are committed to building and shaping every child’s future. A meeting with a legendary personality like Dr. Abdul Kalam would leave a deep impression in the minds of the young students. He is a big inspiration to all of us, especially the students, having set a bench mark for humility and leading the nation.”

JSS employs a holistic approach to education to empower individuals to become caring, competent and responsible citizens who value education as a lifelong process. This promotes the student’s intellectual, physical, moral and social development; realizing and optimizing each student’s potential.

The school recently announced that it is soon to expand its reach in Dubai with a second school campus in Al Safa, in order to cater to the increasing demands of the 2011 academic year.

Spread over a vast area, the school has state-of-the-art facilities that include well equipped laboratories, library, ample play areas including football grounds, tennis courts, swimming pool, etc.
 

Esmod Dubai Students Impress Dubai Fashion Week 2011 Audience With Distinctive Designs

Esmod Dubai, the leading French fashion school in the region fully dedicated to fashion, showcased the distinctive designs of its students during Dubai Fashion Week (DFW) Fall/Winter 2011 which took place from April 19 to 23, 2011 at the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Zabeel Hall.

Twenty Arab designers – 8 of which were UAE Nationals – were among the 49 international fashion designers who attended the prestigious invitation-only fashion trade event. Esmod Dubai sent four of its top students (Anum Mossa, Eman Alhajiri, Azadeh Zandi and Kai Li) to capitalize on Dubai’s status as the fashion capital of the Middle East and use DFW as a platform for introducing emerging talents to the region’s fashion community.

Show attendees commended the mix of creative, experimental, classical and futuristic themes presented by the Esmod students, some of whom are already active in the fashion business but want to incorporate Esmod’s industry-leading design practices into their works.

“Dubai Fashion Week is a highly-anticipated regional venue for designers to display their seasonal collections so it provides excellent industry exposure for our students. The positive response to their designs has given a lot of confidence to our protégés and so we expect even better creations from these young minds. DFW will continue to be an important event for us to showcase our new creative collection,” said Tamara Hostal, Director and Founder of Esmod Dubai.

Esmod Dubai has recently launched two new fashion courses to further strengthen its academic offerings. "Jewelry Design" presents a complete overview of the art of jewellery making that enables students to create their own contemporary jewels or accessories, while "Fashion Photography" is a 12-week course that teaches student to plan and execute creative fashion photo-shoots. The fashion school has also revealed that the next session of its highly popular three-year program will commence on September 25, 2011, and the closing date for registration is May 15, 2011.
 

UOWD Annual Students Leadership Award Ceremony

Over 120 UOWD students were recognized for their contributions to the UOWD student community over the past academic year at the 6th Annual Leadership Awards Ceremony and luncheon held on 20 April 2011.

Prof. Rob Whelan, President UOWD and Mr. Raymi van der Spek, Executive Director, Strategic Development and Administration attended the award ceremony along with the selection panel members.

The University Spirit Award for 2010-2011 was presented to Loy Pineihro for outstanding leadership displayed through his role as an executive member of various UOWD clubs. He has organized successful events for the students and has been a head marshall for the graduation ceremony, volunteered at orientations, represented UOWD at the Terry Fox run in Dubai and has been on the Dean’s merit list. He said, ‘it is a huge honour being selected as this year’s recipient and I find it highly motivating- I am about to graduate and this award is a confidence booster.’

The Honourable Mention recipient of the University Spirit Award was Sara Mukhtar, for demonstrating leadership through involvement in various activities: President of the Connexionz Club, peer tutor and SSD intern, Sara has organized successful events and most notably represented UOWD in successfully conquering Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa’s highest peak).

The Super S.T.A.R award for accumulating the most number of points in the Leadership program was clinched by Farhina Fakhir with 430 points followed by Nell Trinidade.

The Sportsperson of the Year Awards, which recognizes sportsmanship and contributions to the sporting community, was awarded to Fathimath Bellikunhi for her leadership qualities and for being a member on five UOWD sports teams. She also held the post of the Sports Liaison Officer in the current SRC and been very active in organizing events. Fathimath commented:. ‘It is a big honour to receive this award, it is a proof that hard work never goes unappreciated.’

Last year’s winner Robert Watts was awarded the Honourable Mention for being an outstanding captain of the men’s volleyball team and leading them to win laurels locally and internationally.

The Student Service Award, which recognizes mentoring and volunteering contributions, was won by Farhina Fakhir. Farhina has been a volunteer at student orientations, the ‘Ask me’ kiosk, Terry Fox run Dubai, welcome luncheons, Multicultural days and Wacky Wednesdays. Farhina who secured two awards said, ‘it was a great surprise! Given the level of enthusiasm and the competition among the other shortlisted candidates, I feel very happy and proud to have achieved this honour”.

Insiya Shabbir received the Honourable Mention for her volunteer work at the’ Ask me’ kiosk, orientations, Al Noor Charity Bazaar, AIB Mena event, Mathalon event and the Wollongong Cup.

The award for outstanding charity work and the OutReach Award, was presented to Javeria Shamim. Javeria undertook a number of fund raising activities including raising more than AED 6,000 for Pakistan flood relief campaign. She also assisted the Pakistan Association Dubai, and has done charity work for Sri Lanka..

Taher Kolhapurwala received Honourable Mention for the OutReach Award. He assisted in charity bake sale event, assisted in the special needs foundation fun fair event and at Al Noor special needs school.

The Safir Award, (which means ambassador in Arabic), is to recognize contributions in improving cultural relations on campus. Javeria Shamim won this award by ably demonstrating her contribution this by organizing events to promote the Pakistani culture to the UOWD community.

The Honourable Mention recipient was Rita Aker for being very active in the Amro Notun, Bangladesh Expatriates students club and creating an awareness of Bangladeshi culture at the University. Javeria said, ‘being formally recognized for my efforts by the university and the staff has motivated me to work even harder for this club in the future.’

Certificates of Participation were presented to 120 students in recognition of their involvement in student clubs, sports teams, STAR Leadership and volunteer work undertaken over the past academic year. Each recipient also received a special limited edition coffee mug designed specifically for the occasion.
 

Esmod Dubai Students Add Colour To Sharjah Lights Festival With Specially-Designed Dresses To Decorate Palm Trees

Students of Esmod Dubai, the leading fashion school in the region, are actively participating in the second Sharjah Lights Festival running from 10 to 18 February 2011, by decorating palm trees of Palm Oasis near the mosque on Sharjah’s corniche area with specially-designed dresses that will be lit up at night.

“The Sharjah Light Festival will be another important opportunity for our students to display their creativity and costume designing skills. The budding designers at Esmod Dubai are aware that the key to being successful in this profession lies in being able to adapt to changing trends and occasions. Their participation in this light festival will be another learning opportunity for them, which will help them significantly broaden their skills and perspective,” said Tamara Hostal, Associate Director and Founder of Esmod Dubai.

The Sharjah Lights Festival will feature 22 buildings across 13 different sites, namely the Heritage and Arts Area, Sharjah Museum for Islamic Civilization, Al Qasba, Central Souq, Palm Oasis, Al Majaz Park, Al Maghferah Mosque, Al Noor Mosque, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cultural Palace Square, Hosn Al Sharjah, and the buildings of government departments.

Esmod Dubai recently launched a three-month Jewellery Design and Fashion Photography Workshops. The Jewellery Design Workshop covers important aspects of the craft such as the history of jewellery, the creative process, drawing and rendering styles.

The Fashion Photography Workshop, on the other hand, is open to lovers of both photography and fashion. It covers three modules and includes lessons on light manipulation and proper camera use, the history of fashion photography, indoor and outdoor techniques, portrait and beauty photography, use of Adobe Photoshop software tools and photo shoot planning, and exhibition.

The school recently introduced a New Couture – Haute Couture course that was personally conducted by Christophe Beaufays, consultant and Creative Assistant of world-renowned French Haute Couture fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Esmod International Fashion University Group is the oldest fashion school in the world. Esmod Dubai opened in 2006 and currently has around 200 students from 50 different nationalities. Esmod Dubai offers 3-year French diploma programs, short programs that are open to the public, and customized short courses for professionals.

Since its inception in 2006, Esmod Dubai, French Fashion university group, has been accommodating a steadily growing number of students in its mission to capitalise on the region’s booming fashion industry and the steady drift of the Middle Eastern consumer towards haute couture. The Dubai campus now embraces students from 40 different countries, of which over 60 per cent are GCC nationals and UAE locals
 

AUD Students Launch Advertising Agency

Students majoring in Marketing Communications and Advertising at the American University in Dubai (AUD) have launched ‘The Agency’, a student lead organization that aims to promote the interests and activities of current, past, and prospective Marketing Communications (Marcom) and Advertising students. It is AUD’s official marketing communications and advertising student club, and it will be benefiting the university by providing a meaningful link between the student body, academia, and industry. ‘The Agency’ was founded by AUD Students Omer Tom and Disha Pagarani, with the help of Dr. Sara Kamal Assistant Professor of Marketing Communications at AUD, as the Advisor.

AUD firmly believes in the education and development of the whole person. Extracurricular activities, events and out of classroom learning experiences are considered vital in developing a student’s social skills, leadership abilities and character. They also provide a great opportunity to bridge cultures, make lifelong friends and explore new interests. In particular, AUD Departmental Clubs, such as ‘The Agency’ serve as professional organizations that address the special needs and interests of students in specific areas of study. They encourage members to explore their interests and talents and organize major specific activities such as lectures, seminars, professor’s lunches, competitions, exhibitions, workshops and field trips. The clubs also serve as a liaison between the student body and faculty of each department.

President of ‘The Agency’ Omer Tom explains how it all started:
“The concept of ‘The Agency’ was introduced at the end of last semester, Fall 2010, when Dr. Kamal and myself were discussing the use of social media in marketing communications plans. This sparked the idea of starting an official Marcom Student Club, which would also include students from the Department of Visual Communication. We created The Agency to be able to apply our classroom training in a real agency setting while still studying at AUD”.

The Agency members have now established themselves on campus as the official Marcom and Advertising club of AUD’s student community, gaining awareness among their peers. They are currently organizing a Slogan Competition. They have a Facebook® page setup, as well as a Twitter® account; they are also starting a blog. The Agency’ has a creative team of six led by AUD Student Manolia D’Souza, as the Creative Director.
The word has spread incredibly fast among the students; other clubs are already hiring ‘The Agency’ for their event campaigns and logo development.

The Agency’s future plans include: organizing a Movie Night, creating a campaign for the Business Student Association Awards, creating a campaign for the Buzz’s event known as "AUD’s Birthday”, working on AUD Idol’s campaigns promoting their events, and rebranding the Vibe Dance Club.

Dish Pagarani, Vice President of The Agency comments on the future plans:
“Apart from the work we will be doing with other student clubs, we are planning on organizing visits to agencies in the UAE, inviting speakers from the industry as well as AUD Alumni who are well established in the industry. We especially want to bridge the gap between freshmen, seniors, alumni, and academia members of the Marcom department, and assist freshmen in better understanding Marketing Communications. We are all now dreaming of becoming a real agency one day!”
 

Special Discount To CBSE Students From UOWD

The University of Wollongong in Dubai is offering students who have appeared for their CBSE examinations a special 10% discount on their first semester fees.

To avail of this limited period offer, students need not wait for their results, but only have to apply and pay by 1 May 2011 and this offers them an opportunity to not only save and study in an internationally and locally recognised reputed University but also to use the long summer months to accelerate their Bachelor’s degree by enrolling in the summer semester beginning 21 May 2011.

For more information pl contact:
University of Wollongong in Dubai
Block 15, Dubai Knowledge Village
Dubai, U.A.E.
Tel:
Inside the UAE: Toll-free 800-UOWD or 04 3672400
Outside the UAE: +971 4 3672400
Email: info@uowdubai.ac.ae
www.uowdubai.ac.ae

 

UOWD Students Entry Wins For Microsoft Imagine Cup Finals In New York

A mobile device-based software solution called momEcare, which allows pregnant women in remote areas and in developing countries to access health care, has been selected to represent the UAE at the global finals of Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition.

The winning solution, developed by Shawn Frank, a student of University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), was selected at the Microsoft Imagine Cup regional finals which were held at American University of Dubai on April 26.

Shawn Frank will represent the UAE in the finals in New York in July all along with a team from Kuwait and another team from Oman. This is the second time Shawn has qualified for the finals of Microsoft Imagine Cup.

The project "momEcare" is a low-cost pregnancy and childbirth assistance system. This solution can be used to give quality medical assistance to the medical staff in developing and underdeveloped regions using an application on the mobile phone, the database on an online server and a website.

“I had read somewhere about the acute problem of maternal mortality and that the United Nations had set a target of year 2015 to solve this problem, as only 17 per cent of world’s countries meet this goal currently,” said Shawn, a final year IT student at UOWD.

“Basically, my project involves providing a mobile phone to people in villages which will enable pregnant women to conduct medical check-ups via the phone. This data is then logged and sent to a UN server where they have a map that alerts the nearest medical facility for assistance. I have developed a website (www.monecare.com) through which medical staff from anywhere can send an alert and get online expert advice from doctors around the world,” added Shawn.

Three teams from the UAE – two from UOWD and one from University of Sharjah — had qualified for the regional finals of Microsoft’s premier technology competition, the Imagine Cup 2011.

“It is a matter of great pride for the University of Wollongong in Dubai to be recognized for the high competence of its students through this project,” said Dr. Mohamed Salem, dean, Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering, UOWD. “The Microsoft Imagine Cup offered tough competition from the region’s top universities.”

UOWD’s second entry was ‘Project TouchDesk’ which creates up to 20 virtual touch screen PCs on normal wooden tabletops. This can be used by students in a classroom environment utilizing the computing power of one normal personal computer.

“It is great to be recognized in fields that have direct impact on our day to day life,” said Dr. Mohamed Watfa, Associate Professor, Faculty of computer Science and Engineering, UOWD, and the team mentor. “Both our projects received high recognition from the audience and judges and we are delighted to have our university represent the UAE in New York competing with more than 120 countries and hopefully achieve great results there as well."

Shawn said his interest in IT for healthcare was ignited three years ago when a Microsoft team briefed the university students on how software could be used to solve the world’s biggest problems. They gave the students free developing software which is otherwise very expensive. Shawn first got involved in a project about hearing aid software in association with American Hospital. This year, he decided to develop momEcare with great results.

Now in its ninth year, Microsoft’s Imagine Cup 2011 had invited students from across the UAE to rise to the challenge and "imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today."

As the world’s premier student technology competition, the Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s initiative to encourage young people to apply their imagination and creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference and address real-world issues. Students aged 16 and over were invited to register for the 2011 event for which they use technology to create innovative solutions that can change the world.

Imagine Cup compliments Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential commitment to create social and economic opportunity through programs and products that transform education, foster local innovation and enable jobs and opportunities worldwide. Over 2,000 students from various universities around the Gulf region registered last year, with an all-female Kuwaiti team emerging as winners in the Gulf in 2010.