Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, recently heralded its first ever Virtual Education Fair (VEF) in conjunction with Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) as a resounding success, receiving a total of20,939 views from students across the region. The ‘fair’, held on https://www.vefme.com, between15th and21st November2009, followed on from the phenomenal successes Bayt.com has enjoyed with its virtual job fairs in markets across the region, by providing a unique, fully-interactive online platform for academic and training admissions – for the first time ever in the Middle East.
The Virtual Education fair, which was the outcome of a joint effort between Bayt.com and Dubai International Academic City, the world’s only free zone dedicated to higher education was sponsored by: Platinum sponsor the University of Liverpool, and Silver sponsors Robert Kennedy College, Access MBA, the University of Manchester and the British University in Dubai (BUiD), the Virtual Education Fair offered significant advantages to students, including it being ‘open’24/7 and available through any Internet-accessible computer, in complete confidentiality.
During the fair, students could quickly and conveniently provide their personal details and academic credentials to a variety of top institutions, fill out paperless application forms, and gather the latest academic information from a virtual ‘resource centre.’ Furthermore, they could engage in confidential e-chats with admissions staff, career consultants and other experts who provided advice and assistance on career choices.
“The fair was a dynamic, virtual forum which provided students with a wide variety of information required to make the academic decisions that will define their future lives and careers, and we are thrilled with the overwhelming level of attendance this first edition received,” noted Akram Assaf,Bayt.com Co Founder and Chief Technical Officer . “Moreover, participating educational and training institutions enjoyed a number of important benefits including excellent return-on-investment, reduced costs when compared to traditional fairs, and no work time lost by physically attending or staffing the event.”
“The VEF has assisted us in identifying high-calibre individuals, motivated in seeking post-graduate educational and/or professional development opportunities, for the furtherance of their careers and the advancement of their knowledge, as appropriate to today’s and tomorrow’s management and leadership employment markets,” commented Martin Prince, Registrar of the British University in Dubai (BUiD).
“We are pleased and proud to have taken part in the VEF, which was definitely a landmark event for higher education in the MENA region. The event was a success for us at Access MBA in terms of visibility and brand recognition and we look forward to many more similar events in the Middle East,” said Carolyn Gonglefski, Event and Communication Director, Access MBA.
Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai International Academic City, the region’s leading destination for higher education and a member of TECOM Investments, said: “The Virtual Education Fair provided an unprecedented opportunity for students to interact with experts and acquire information on various avenues of higher education. In addition, the fair offered a sophisticated platform for brand promotion by positioning institutions as forward-thinking academic and training leaders with a commitment to innovation.”
In holding the VEF, Bayt.com and DIAC are demonstrating their commitment to furthering economic growth and talent development in the Middle East. “Through the Virtual Education Fair, we aim to empower students with the best access to academic information and career assistance, and therefore act as a springboard to their future success. It is also a unique opportunity to nurture robust academic activity in the region, for future job-creation, scholarships and research and development, which will help create sustainable economies,” concluded Assaf.