(MENAFN - Arab News) Options for higher education in Saudi Arabia topped the inquiries by the expat students and parents at the Higher Education Fair organized by Indian Youth Welfare Association (IYWA) in association with Dunes Center for Education and Training at Beladi International School, Jeddah, on Friday.
Most of the parents and dignitaries who visited the fair urged Indian universities to establish a higher education campus in Saudi Arabia to tap the large potential of the Indian expat community and also on the respect the Indian educational system enjoys in Saudi Arabia among various nationalities.
Large number of students and parents thronged the fair venue to gain firsthand knowledge of new courses, eligibility criteria, fee structure and scholarship programs offered by participating universities and institutions, including India's No. 1 multiple stream SRM University of Chennai; Asia Pacific University of Malaysia; ACN College of Engineering and Management, Aligarh; Intercontinental Education for Worldwide Admissions; Blue Mountains School of Hotel Management, Australia; Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, Switzerland; Dayanandsagar Institutions, Bangalore; EF Language Schools with branches in over 16 countries; and Aspratech Consultants, which specializes in MBBS admissions in China.
Mukhtar Khan, education consultant, said the majority of queries were pertaining to traditional engineering streams while those interested in medicine did show great interest in pursuing MBBS in China as it looked financially viable and were seen looking at the prospectus, campus environment and recognition of the degree globally as it has become impractical for the expat students to secure admission in Indian medical colleges due to limitation of seats and the high cost.
Affordable fee structure and transfer programs with universities in the United Kingdom attracted many students and parents interested in pursuing higher education at Asia Pacific University (UCTI) of Malaysia, said Khan.
Representing India's SRM University, executive Mazhar Basha said the visitors displayed great interest especially in the newly introduced courses Mechatronics, Aero Space and Nano Technology.
Earlier, India's Community Welfare Consul S.D. Moorthy and Consul for Consular Affairs Pranav Ganesh inaugurated the fair. They were of the view that such education fairs should be organized frequently and students from grade 9th to 12th should be involved to inculcate in them the ability to choose and analyze their careers based on their interest and scope rather than blindly going in for courses imposed on them by parents.
They assured all possible help from the Indian Consulate in the future for education programs and commended IYWA for taking the initiative for the welfare of the Indian community.
Wazir Akther of King Abdulaziz University, Indian School Chairman Khursheed Akther and Principal Masood Ahmed visited the fair.
The fair was managed and supervised by the office bearers of IYWA comprising Ramnarayan Iyer, S.P. Singh, Mir Gazanfar Ali Zaki, Muzammil Hussain, Anwar Haq, Syed Baqer Ali, Hassan Bayazeed Ather, Danish Hassan, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmed and Aslam Shareef.
