Our blockbuster hit
By Farhana Zaman
The Emirates College for Management and Information Technology (ECMIT) hosted Farrah 2008 — the result of three weeks of effort by ECMITians. It was a show of the culture and diversity found on campus with students of various nationalities performing on stage.
There were cultural fashion shows, dances, an Indian skit and mouth-watering Arabic food. I was part of the organising committee. When Mrs. Manjula, who led the whole effort, first called us to her room and suggested the idea, she said: "We will bring a show; we know it is will be a success". In her office after the show, she said almost the same thing. "We brought a show, and we saw it was a success!"
The creative department came up with the theme of the event. The team included second year business students Mahek Talati, Zainab Hashim, Yousuf Taleb and me.
Wali Anwar, a second year information technology student, created the Farrah design and logo. He said: "I am glad Farrah 2008 was as colourful as I had imagined when designing the poster and logo."
The sound and lights team consisted of business students Mufaddal Piplodwala, Clafid Fernandes and Nilesh Patel. Buthainia Hussaini, a first year student, gave the opening speech. She said: "The diversity which has been embraced by the people of the UAE is being reflected on the ECMIT campus with Farrah."
The three anchors of the event were students Adnan Ali Khan, Karan Bhatia and Muzammil Hamza. Muzammil said: "We contributed to Farrah 2008 by keeping our audience listening!"
In the fashion show there were four segments: Indian, Pakistani, a mixed segment and a Western segment. The costumes and themes were the efforts of Farah Hassan, Bharti Singh, Sara Sulaiman and Sumaiya Nanji.
Mohammad Zeid, a first year student who participated in the Pakistan segment said: "I was nervous when I stepped in. When I walked the ramp, my steps responded to the crowd cheering for me."
Added Easha Anantha, a second year student of business who took part in the Indian segment: "I am still living the moment."
The mixed segment had Emirati, Bangladeshi and African couples walking the ramp. Ekono Lionelle, who represented Africa, said: "We were one couple representing a continent, it was a huge responsibility to give our best, but after we performed, we realised the audience was great."
Mariam Suwaidi represented the UAE. She was ecstatic. "I walked for the UAE, I loved it!"
The Western segment had three couples who performed the ballroom, hip-hop and salsa styles of dance. Valerie Fernandes performed the salsa. She said: "I loved the dance 'n' walk style that was adopted for this segment. The costumes, the music and a 'little bit of dance' and a 'little bit of walk made it splendid'." There were dance performances too.
Sivayogan, the president and second year IT student, was the choreographer and also performed for the show. After his performance, he said: "I am already nostalgic. The three-week preparations seemed never-ending.
But surprisingly now that it has ended I am sad."
The Indian skit was humourous. The director, script writer and actor Yusouf Taleb said: "I have had the best set of actors with me. They were awesome today. We felt our hard work flourish, when the audience laughed and laughed. I am happy we took up the challenge to make the audience laugh."
We hope to continue Farrah every year and invite friends from outside colleges to participate. I will always recall the success of Farrah as our first show and a blockbuster hit.
- The writer is a Business student at ECMIT
Recognising the efforts
By Manal Ismail
Abu Dhabi Women's College (ADWC) sponsored the Tamayyuz Partnership Celebration recently under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology. The event was held to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of ADWC's community partners to the college.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tayyeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, said, "We appreciate our partners for their continued support of the Higher Colleges and its students. Our students gain much not only from the programmes we run but also the exposure they get to the global workplace through our partnerships with leading businesses in the UAE."
Female entrepreneurs
By Manal Ismail
Twenty-five women completed a rigorous three-month training programme on Entrepreneurship and Business Plan Development at the Centre for Management and Professional Development, the community outreach arm of the University of Dubai. The programme was concluded with a certificate award ceremony held at the Dubai Chamber. All the participants were felicitated, and awards were presented to the three best business plans.
The goal of the programme was to assist potential female entrepreneurs, who are keen to plan and develop their business ideas into functioning enterprises, acquire the necessary skills and knowledge base.
"The course has helped me crystallise and materialise a business idea I had for many years into something real," said Marjan Faraidooni, one of the women who attended the course. "Had it not been for the past three months, I would have only talked about something I wanted to do.
I am proud to say that I am well on my way to executing my dream and making it a reality."
Study the pearls
By Manal Ismail
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) announced the launch of 'Pearl Essence' - an international pearl jewellery design programme, the world's first global design initiative for pearl jewellery.
'Pearl Essence' is a two-tier programme incorporating both leading professional designers and students of jewellery design. The professional designer tier will constitute a custom-designed collection of pearl jewellery pieces, created by ten invited luxury brands inspired by the rich Arabian pearling heritage and represented in a modern and contemporary fashion.
The student tier is a competition for final year students from schools that offer a minimum two-year full time jewellery design course, spanning a broad geographical market.
The cost of youth exclusion
By Maysam Ali
Middle East countries are losing billions of dollars annually by failing to tap into the potential of their large youth population, according to a study released by the Wolfensohn Centre for Development at Brookings and the Dubai School of Government.
The thesis, titled The Costs of Youth Exclusion in the Middle East, shows that the Middle East region loses $25 billion a year due to youth unemployment.
The study also quantifies losses related to joblessness, school dropouts, adolescent pregnancies and migration, which when added are staggering. According to the study, Egypt loses $53 billion or 17.4 per cent of its GDP and Jordan $1.5 billion or 7.3 per cent of its GDP respectively.
"Countries in the Middle East face their largest youth in modern history.
These young men and women are encountering increased marginalisation. By quantifying the costs of their exclusion, this study makes the case for investing in youth as an economically sound approach for Middle Eastern governments to take," Jad Shaba'an, author of the study and Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut said in a commentary released by the Dubai School of Government.
Tarek Yousuf, Dean of the Dubai School of Government and Non-Resident Fellow at the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings, said: "This study shows that if the Middle East managed to utilise the full potential of its youth by providing opportunities for skills development and productive employment, it would be able to increase economic output by $25 to $50 billion annually. The social benefits in the form of greater stability and harmony would also be exponential."
Celebrating partnership
By Manal Ismail
Dubai Women's College (DWC) convened its 19th Celebration of Partnerships honouring several companies, partners and DWC students and staff for their support of the college during the 2007-08 academic year.
The annual event celebrates the strong partnership ties DWC establishes every year with the national and international communities and highlights outstanding contributions by staff, students and graduates.
This year's celebration was inaugurated by Salama Hareb, CEO of Economic Zones World and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, who highlighted several factors required to empower women to enable them become active players in the growth and development of their local and regional communities.
Earlier this year, Hareb topped Forbes Arabia's list of the 50 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen. The event, attended by several dignitaries from Dubai, opened with a review of the accomplishments of DWC's 19th year including winning international awards, launching new programmes, students winning competitions, inaugurating conferences and organizing community related events.
Fifth Gulf Exhibition for UK Education
By Rema Menon
Knowledge Horizon will host the fifth Gulf Exhibition for UK Education on June 24. Students considering the UK as a study destination can speak to representatives of schools to understand entry-level requirements and specifics of programmes. The fair will also give students an opportunity to apply to universities as well as provide them with options to enhance their English language skills.
Exhibiting at the fair will also be colleges and institutions offering pre-masters programmes and pre-university foundation programmes to improve students' chances of getting into their dream institutions, which may have higher academic requirements for entry. Most of the institutions exhibiting have pathways to partner universities.
Students who already have acceptance from one of these institutions can also benefit by talking to the representatives face-to-face to get a clearer understanding of the university's programmes and procedures. Information on housing, orientation etc will also be available.
Meanwhile, those who are still undecided about their final study destination have another chance to check out the UK as an option.
Date: Tuesday, June 24
Time: 6:30 to 9:30pm
Venue: Knowledge Horizon, Al Diyafaa Street
— The writer is the director of Counselling Point Educational and Social Services
UK university sets base in the UAE
By Manal Ismail
The University of Bolton, a UK-based institution providing a professional approach to higher education, will be establishing a campus in Ras Al Khaimah. Beginning September, the University of Bolton will offer students courses ranging from design to engineering.
According to Mark Allanson, director of student affairs, the university plans to offer 14 undergraduate and graduate programmes identical to those offered in the UK. Students will also receive a degree issued from the UK.
Dr George Holmes, Vice Chancellor, said a key reason they chose to base a campus in the UAE is because of the country's clear expression of ambition. "The government and the rulers of this country show clear interest in the growth and expansion of the knowledge economy," he said.
A professional approach to learning and a full-fledged campus are what Allanson and Holmes said differentiates Bolton from other international universities. "We will have the look and feel and quality of a British university," the said. "We will provide students with all the facilities and equipment they need for effective learning."
The University of Bolton has also sought partnerships with a number of companies to provide students with internships and real work experience to which they can apply their knowledge and skills.
"Through links with the industry, we're looking to create career-minded individuals to meet the demands of the market," Allanson said.
CIMA opens in Dubai
Rema Menon
CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is opening its first office in the UAE in Dubai this month in response to the increasing demand for international finance professionals throughout the region. The office will be based at the Dubai Women's College, which is also a CIMA tuition provider.
CIMA is a professional body with a globally recognised qualification in management accountancy. It qualifies students and supports its members who are Chartered Management Accountants working in business.
As part of the activities planned in association with the opening of the office, CIMA hosted a CEO Breakfast Briefing, 'The Challenge of Financial Leadership' on
June 9. CIMA Chief Executive Charles Tilley and Director of Employer Development and Strategy Rick Sturge spoke at the event on the challenges and opportunities facing the finance function and the CIMA advantage.
CIMA qualifications equip its members to work anywhere in the world. It is the only international professional qualification with a syllabus that has a sole focus on the education and training of accountants in business. With 23 per cent membership growth over the last five years, CIMA has professional qualifications that are highly relevant to today's ever-changing business world.
Students who wish to learn more about the programme, its structure and content must visit the CIMA website: www.cimaglobal.com. The qualification can be pursued over weekends in coordination with other study endeavours. The programme is extremely pertinent in today's fast paced world where we need to work in a global economy and students in the UAE now have one more professional qualification to aspire toward.
-The writer is the director of Counselling Point Educational and Social Services
