Relocation to Offer Central Location for all Emirates and Accommodate an Increase in Number of Students and Staff

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The British University in Dubai (BUiD), the Middle East’s leading research-based postgraduate university, today announced its strategic decision to relocate its campus from Knowledge Village to Academic City in time for the February 2010 intake.

The move comes following the University’s plans to upgrade and expand its facilities to accommodate more programmes, students, and staff.

“An increased number of professionals based in the UAE and surrounding countries are looking at higher education to meet their career goals,” said Professor Abdulla Alshamsi, Vice-Chancellor, BUiD.

“To accommodate the growth in demand for our programme offerings, and to meet our goals in expanding and upgrading our facilities, our move in February next year will further establish BUiD as a truly local University with a global vision,” added Professor Alshamsi.

With new programmes in the pipeline, including the recent announcement of the UAE’s first Doctorate, and MSc Construction Law and Dispute Resolution courses commencing in February 2010, BUiD’s relocation will allow for more room for growth.

At the new campus, BUiD also plans to extend its library, increase classroom capacity, and add more open-access space and staff offices.

In addition, being based in Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) will allow students travelling from all Emirates to take advantage of its central location.

“We are planning to be as flexible as possible. With the move, it will provide better access for our growing number of students from all the Emirates,” added Alshamsi.
Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) is the world’s only Free Zone dedicated to higher education.
Martin Prince, Registrar, BUiD, said: “As Dubai’s own research-led University, BUiD aims to provide an educational environment which is truly a community of Knowledge-seeking and learning.”

“Having grown to respect and appreciate TECOM’s professionalism in its management and development of Knowledge Village, we are pleased to follow its strategic advice in relocating to Dubai International Academic City,” Prince added.
A regional base for premier international higher education institutions, DIAC is the world’s first dedicated tertiary cluster development. Spread across an area of 25 million square foot, the DIAC campus provides an intellectually inspiring environment for students and faculty members.
This thriving knowledge community was founded as part of a long-term economic strategy to develop the region’s talent pool, to accelerate its move into a knowledge economy.

Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), both members of TECOM Investments, said: “The relocation of The British University in Dubai (BUiD), carried out with the support of TECOM Investments, will enable the academic institution to offer enhanced facilities and increased space for staff, students and the wider research and higher education community. Its new location at DIAC will also provide greater opportunity for collaboration and dialogue with stakeholders including the federal institutions, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and Sheikh Hamdan e-University.”

“As a centre for higher learning, DIAC remains one of the most compelling education clusters boasting world class infrastructure facilities. We are confident BUiD will find the academic free zone the most suitable to operate from and effectively contribute to academic progress through offering regionally tailored programmes,” he added.

The Arab firm, located in Amman, said it will dedicate its participation in the first exhibition of its kind in the region to shed light on its innovative artistic solutions; KETAB Engage Interactive™ and its role in increasing the student’s comprehension up to an 85% rate.

The 2-day event, backed by Abu Dhabi Education Council, aims at advancing the educational projects in the Middle East and North Africa. It also assists those engaged in the educational sector in uplifting and enriching it with modern educational solutions.

Ketab Technologies’ CEO Khaled Kalaldeh forecasts that the new product would make a quality shift in the concept of modern education, especially since it exhibits unique features that meet the needs of class environment and enrich the learning atmosphere with more interactivity by the stimulation of the student’s five senses.

Kalaldeh added, “We have deployed our long and extensive experience in the industry to serve the academic sector and help it break free from the rigidity that has and is still hindering smooth communicating of information to students into a natural usage model, which is what we achieved with our interactive educational suit.”

Kalaldeh added “KETAB Engage Interactive™ grants teachers the ability to merge technology is classrooms to enrich it with sound effects, illustrations, and other interactive tools which would communicate directly to the student’s senses and deliver information with a certain smoothness that adheres to reason, as a shift from theorizing and ideation”, adding to the possibility of controlling the density of light shed on the board to focus the attention of the students on certain spots exclusively.
For time management purposes, the students no longer need to copy from the board; they can save the entire lecture on a flash memory and copy it in a later time!

It should be noted that KETAB Engage Interactive™ system comprises, among other components, KETAB Board ™ and KETAB Sheets ™, which are ultra wireless interactive sheet surfaces that allow teachers to facilitate lessons and control both the computer and interactive board with absolute convenience without being restricted to one place. To add more value content to the class, teachers can use the side tool box for additional applications such as drawing, writing and projection of still and animated graphics.

Another major component of the new issue of KETAB Engage Interactive™ is KETAB Studio ™ 2.0, which allows writing and shape recognition. The results are a clearer and easier to identify shapes and writings, once they are projected on the board. Not to mention the possibility to reduce and enlarge the size of any object easily through the drag and drop command. On top of that, it can screen multiple videos simultaneously with commentary, too.

To render drawing geometrical shapes easier, the teacher can, instantly, summon the help of specific drawing tools such as, but not limited to, a protractor, ruler, compass, or polygons.

Kalaldeh noted that using KETAB Engage Interactive™ is not restricted to a certain subject or academic level. The board and sheets involved in the system ensure a tediousness-free atmosphere whether the audience is a university or an elementary school class.

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About KETAB Technologies
KETAB Technologies Ltd. was founded in Jordan in 2002 as a creator of high-tech products designed the serve customers in all educational sectors, based on knowledge-exchange and human-computer interaction technologies. KETAB is considered today a pioneer & leader in developing high-tech products and technologies including its signature: Ketab Engage Interactive™. Headquartered in Amman, the company has a network of branches and distributors all over the Arab region, deployed to meet the increasing global demand and communicate with customer and provide them with the necessary know-how and technical support towards optimal utilization of technology. www.ketabtech.com
*****
For more information, please call
PR Launchers / Tel: 0096265691861 – Fax: 0096265691863
Email: info@PRLaunchers.com – Web: www.PRLaunchers.com

Dubai: 9 December, 2009 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) today announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the American University in Dubai (AUD) to offer an annual grant for the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication (MBRSC).
The agreement was signed by Adel Al Shared, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and Elias Bou Saab, Executive Vice-President of the American University in Dubai.
According to the MoU, the MBRF grant will provide scholarships to selected students who will attend the School and graduate with abachelor’s degree in Communication and Information Studies. In this regard, MBRSC will recruit a balanced mix of Arab nationals to benefit from this scholarship programme.
Adel Al Shared said: “The MoU will help students at the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication to realize the Foundation’s goal of developing future Arab leaders through encouraging academic excellence in the most talented and promising students from the Arab world.
“The Foundation and AUD will co-operate on the scholarship’s implementation procedures to educate a new generation of leaders and drive the region’s media sector into a new era.”

Commenting on the newly established relation with the Foundation, Elias Bou Saab said: “today marks a new chapter in the success story of the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication, launched with the special directives and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai. We have been working relentlessly for the past couple of years on developing a leading Communication Program with the assistance of the University of Southern California and Communication Experts from the Arab world, paving the way for the School to become a beacon in its field by graduating practitioners and scholars who are better prepared to work in twenty-first century media”.
Ali Jaber, Dean of the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication, said: ” “The signing of this grant agreement brings the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication closer to becoming the foremost educational institution in the region providing world-class communication education with emphasis on writing in the Arabic language. This has never been done before, and we are proud to be pioneers in this regard”.
Dean Jaber added that the School now has an enrollement of 134 students from different Arab and International countries.
AUD will be responsible for selecting students eligible for the scholarships based on pre-set criteria and academic merit. The MoU will also enable the Foundation to provide Arab students with an opportunity to acquire quality education in an environment that fosters academic and personal excellence.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to offer development opportunities through investing in resources that can build knowledge skills in the region, especially through education. With a US$10 billion endowment, the Foundation seeks to finance several projects and programmes that contribute to the creation of knowledge-based societies in the Arab world.

SUKAD FZ-LLC (SUKAD), an educational centre bringing worldwide expertise in Project Management (PM), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG) to provide extensive project and program management services in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The signing ceremony took place in Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group offices, in the presence of Mr. Mounir Ajam, SUKAD CEO, Mr. Richard Firth, Director of Institute of Vocational Development, ADUKG, and Mr. Hasan Makansi, Head of Partner Development Dubai Knowledge Village (TECOM Investments).

The partnership will draw upon the skills and expertise of the two organizations and will focus on developing the talent and capabilities of businesses and individuals seeking professional advancement through developing skills in Project management.

Commenting on the agreement Mr. Mounir Ajam, SUKAD CEO, said “ADUKG is determined to bring to the community the best training programs; therefore, it was a strategic decision for SUKAD to partner with ADUKG in order to provide the community outstanding project management services, which is a core competence for SUKAD. Now together we can provide unique services to individuals and organizations in Abu Dhabi including the government, semi-government, and private sectors.”

“The agreement is an essential part of SUKAD’s strategic plan to extend its distinguished services to a larger segment of the community. Building a relationship with reputable organizations such as ADUKG would facilitate the expansion of our services in Abu Dhabi” added Mr. Ajam.

Under the terms of the agreement, ADUKG will become SUKAD exclusive partner for Public Courses in Abu Dhabi with courses being offered through ADUKG using SUKAD experienced consultants.
Speaking of the agreement, Mr. Richard Firth, Director of Institute of Vocational Development, ADUKG, stated that “Project Management has a strategic importance across organizations and national infrastructure projects. Understanding that fact, ADUKG wishes to be able to assist its Abu Dhabi based customers in developing these important skills, by adding these courses to its portfolio. As a reputed and experienced provider of Project management solutions, SUKAD fitted our criteria of working with best of breed partners and shared our vision of providing innovative courses that are specifically designed to develop the potential of people and businesses.”

SUKAD proved to be a unique PM provider with an extensive portfolio which enabled it to gain the trust of an exceptional educational institute like ADUKG. Furthermore, SUKAD is distinguished in the field of PM because of the practical approach it focuses on which enables participants to transfer theories into practical veracities that will enhance project success. This MoU highlights the importance of Project Management in the business market today, which reinforces the opportunity for SUKAD and ADUKG to extend their reach and services to more clients.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 7 December 2009: The Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) have joined together with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) through an MoU agreement to introduce the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon as an extracurricular activity in Dubai schools from the academic year 2009 – 2010.

The new partnership will aim to bring the importance of the environment into classrooms through the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon programme, www.envirospellathon.com. The highly successful online teaching resource is designed to educate school children between the ages of six (6) and fourteen (14) years old, with the aim of increasing their knowledge and awareness of the distinctive natural habitat of the UAE as well as local and global conservation issues.

“This is an excellent example of how we can work closely with governmental organizations and educators to strengthen and advance the knowledge base of our country on environmental issues,” said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of EWS-WWF. “As a regular extra-curricular activity, the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon will not only educate students about the natural habitat of the UAE, but will also encourage them to engage in wider environmental issues and pass on this knowledge to their families.”

Beyond teaching a basic understanding of fauna, flora, habitats and environmental behaviour, the educational programme explains the link between consumption patterns and the impact of humans on nature, therefore stressing the importance of sustainable living practices in response to climate change amongst other challenges.

The agreement outlines several areas of collaboration, including support, training, educator development and student engagement. KHDA will encourage schools to run the interactive programme, and urge teachers to make use of the excellent resource materials for their lessons and discussions of environmental issues in classes

On behalf of KHDA, Fatima Al Marri, CEO of Dubai schools Agency of KHDA Said: “Our endorsement of the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon is reflective of our aim to raise the capability of students and enable them to be part of the social and economic growth of Dubai. An important step has been taken to help further nurture responsible citizens of tomorrow that fully understand the need to create an environmentally sustainable Dubai. Interactive Enviro-Spellathon is poised to deliver practical daily examples of how children can play their part in protecting the environment.”

The MoU is part of an ongoing effort by the EWS-WWF to increase an awareness of local and global environmental issues amongst students in the UAE. Earlier this year, it conducted an in-depth survey of under 15 year olds that revealed concerning gaps in student knowledge on the specific subjects of wildlife and the environment of the UAE.

Education & Awareness Manager, EWS-WWF, Rashmi De Roy pointed out the significance of the MOU signing; “Importantly our previous survey indicated a genuine level of interest in wildlife and a desire of students to protect the environment in which they live. Now with the backing of the KHDA we have a great platform to capture and inspire young people by formally introducing the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon to schools in Dubai.”

The agreement commences from the start of the new academic year for Dubai schools in 2010. KHDA will support the introduction of the Interactive Enviro-Spellathon into Dubai schools as part of the MoU’s overall vision to entrust the future of the UAE’s natural heritage to citizens who understand and respect its value.

This November, the Career Guidance Center of NYIT Amman has partnered up with the Career Services division in NYIT New York to offer students employment opportunity abroad. NYIT Undergraduate, Graduate and Alumni students can now apply to more than 4000 job vacancies in the United States and 5000 job opportunities world wide through the career guidance center in Amman.

The Career Guidance Office at NYIT said that their focus will not be limited to Jordan and the Gulf Area, as an international institution NYIT aims to provide global opportunities to our graduates and this has been successfully established by creating a connection with NYIT’s Career Services Office in New York.

Furthermore the Career Guidance Center offers CV Writing Services, Cover Letter Writing Services and One-on-One Interview Preparation techniques. The connection with New York has increased the value of the Services we offer students by offering training and workshops on the different Business Cultures and Business Etiquette to enhance our students experience in applying to jobs internationally.

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For editors
Established in 1955, New York Institute of Technology is considered one of the most well-established US universities, ranked in the top half of the 2nd tier of the universities in the USA that are recognized worldwide. NYIT has had presence in Jordan since 2001, offering undergraduate programs (school of Engineering and Technology, school of Management, school of Arts) and Graduate programs (school of Engineering and Technology, school of Management). The university seeks primarily to match between education and market needs. It supports research at the Middle East level, with research products discussed in specialized conferences and published in journals by international publishing houses.

For more information, please call
PR Launchers
Tel: 0096265691861
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In his presentation, Mr. Ragheed Masri, focused on the topic “Marketing Research and its statistical basis: IPSOS Practices”. He also explained the issue that the market research companies globally are helping the Industries by giving them insights based on their researches on behavior of consumers. He stressed that projects undertaken had succeeded in keeping pace with the dynamic demands of sectors like telecom, banks etc. In addition, he said, there is strong need to uphold the ethical standards by research firms in order to maintain a ethical image across the borders. At the end of presentation, Ms. Tamara took the team of NYiT to meet the statisticians in the qualitative and quantitative analysis department.

Nasser, a NYiT student said, “The understanding I had today opened my mind and make me more interested in the applications of the statistical tools and methods”. All of their questions ranging from career prospects, skill requirement, clients success stories were very well taken by the host speakers. Prof. Nitin Arora (Statistics department, NYiT), felt this experiential visit as an essential step towards enhancing student practical learning, and that goes with NYIT’s mission which is to provide career-oriented, professional education; to offer access to opportunity to all qualified students; and to support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. The students overall experience with the visit to IPSOS, Amman, was excellent. Mr. Ashour’s assurance of upholding long term relationship with NYiT added significance and momentum of this visit.

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For editors
Established in 1955, New York Institute of Technology is considered one of the most well-established US universities, ranked in the top half of the 2nd tier of the universities in the USA that are recognized worldwide. NYIT has had presence in Jordan since 2001, offering undergraduate programs (school of Engineering and Technology, school of Management, school of Arts) and Graduate programs (school of Engineering and Technology, school of Management). The university seeks primarily to match between education and market needs. It supports research at the Middle East level, with research products discussed in specialized conferences and published in journals by international publishing houses.

Officials from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and DP World, UAE Region attended the recently held opening ceremony along with the school faculty and students. They later toured the chemistry and physics laboratories that have been completely refurbished and upgraded with the premier port operator’s support.

The donation of the labs to Dubai’s secondary schools through KHDA is part of DP World, UAE Region’s community initiatives for 2009. The company has already donated a new biology laboratory to Al Safa School.

Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World – UAE Region, said:
“Our community initiatives are born out of a deep sense of belonging to the society we operate in. Education is a pillar of the UAE’s society and an essential ingredient of the nation-building process. We have ensured that the school laboratories we donated are fully equipped to benefit the students. In time, we hope they will in turn contribute to the further development of the UAE.”

Amal Belhasa, Executive Director, KHDA, said:

“We are grateful to DP World, UAE Region for their invaluable support to the schools. KHDA aims to develop Dubai’s school education system to a level on par with the best in global education. We welcome the new laboratories as another step towards grooming future scientists and scholars.”

In 2008, the company revamped, furnished and donated four libraries on Islamic Education, Arabic, Geography and History for Maria School, Dubai.

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About DP World

DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, with 49 terminals and 12 new developments across 31 countries(1). Its dedicated, experienced and professional team of nearly 30,000 people serves customers in some of the most dynamic economies in the world.

DP World aims to enhance customers’ supply chain efficiency by effectively managing container, bulk and other terminal cargo.

The company constantly invests in terminal infrastructure, facilities and people, working closely with customers and business partners to provide quality services today and tomorrow, when and where customers need them.

In taking this customer-centric approach, DP World is building on the established relationships and superior level of service demonstrated at its flagship Jebel Ali facility in Dubai, which has been voted “Best Seaport in the Middle East” for 15 consecutive years.

In 2008, DP World handled more than 46.8 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) across its portfolio from the Americas to Asia – an increase of 8% on 2007. With a pipeline of expansion and development projects in key growth markets, including India, China and the Middle East, capacity is expected to rise to around 95 million TEU over the next ten years.

www.dpworld.com

(1) As of 1 November 2009.

Media Enquiries:

Dana Khalaf
DP World
Tel: +971 05 6585149
dana.khalaf@dpworld.com

The five-year-old fair is designed to help NYIT’s graduates from the bachelor and Masters levels to find the right job. Hundreds of students from the university’s diversified programs and peers from other universities in Jordan flocked to the various pavilions of the participating companies to get acquainted with the available jobs and the credentials and skills required to take them.

The organizers said NYIT places employment as a top priority and relies on such fairs to provide students with the opportunity to get jobs with local and international firms. Besides, the event, they said, is a perfect venue for networking among the participating Jordanian organizations and their Arab counterpart, so that they can exchange expertise and cooperate in a way that serves economy.

It is worth a note that the last edition of the JOB Fair secured 100 jobs for graduates of different programs.

To render the event a success, NYIT provided the companies with all infrastructure needs such as PCs, fax machines and Internet connection, so that students can email their resumes.

NYIT, a non-profit university, has had a presence in Jordan since 2001 under an academic agreement with the Jordan University of Science and Technology. The university seeks to provide the labor market with highly qualified graduates. Currently, the university comprises three faculties: School of Engineering and Technology, School of Management and School of Arts.

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The Arab company foresees that this best selling interactive whiteboard in the region would make a quality shift in the concept of modern education, especially since it exhibits unique features that meet the needs of class environment and enrich the learning atmosphere with more interactivity by the stimulation of the student’s five senses.

KETAB Engage Interactive™ system comprises, among other components, KETAB Board ™ and KETAB Sheets ™, which are ultra wireless interactive sheet surfaces that allow teachers to facilitate lessons and control both the computer and interactive board with absolute convenience without being restricted to one place, thus allowing even the students to interact and participate from their desks. To add more value content to the class, students can use the side tool box for additional applications such as drawing, writing and projection of still and animated graphics.

KETAB Technologies’ CEO Khaled Kalaldeh stated: “Unlike products offered in the market, KETAB Engage Interactive™ does not need additional infrastructure installations especially since the system is entirely ultra-wireless and has no electrical devices; this gives it a longer life, higher durability, and less frequent need for maintenance, which usually exhausts the budgets of educational institutions”.

Another major component of the new issue of KETAB Engage Interactive™ is KETAB Studio ™ 2.0, which allows writing and shape recognition so that when these are projected on the board, they will be clear and easier to identify, not to mention the possibility to reduce & enlarge the size of any object easily through the drag and drop command.

In addition, the system allows the screening of several films at the same time, with commentary, and offers geometry drawing instruments like the protractor, ruler and compass, with the possibility of controlling the density of light shed on the board to focus the attention of the audience on certain spots with a spotlight option.

Kalaldeh explained that these features and others have secured the company entry into new Arab and Western markets and have been the factor directly behind a growth of sales by more than 75% in the third quarter 2009, compared to the same period last year.

In addition to the convenience and user-friendliness boasted by KETAB Engage Interactive™, the system enjoys other high-tech features that ensure instructors smooth delivery of the educational content to students with high flexibility that adheres to the principles of modern education, unlike traditional methods that normally entail spoon feeding without proper absorption of the fundamentals of the subject.

Kalaldeh added: “We have deployed our long and extensive experience in the industry to serve the academic sector and help it break free from the rigidity that has and is still hindering smooth communicating of information to students into a natural usage model”, adding that interaction between students and the educational curriculum is the answer to this obstacle.

Using KETAB Engage Interactive™ is not restricted to a certain subject or academic level. The board and sheets involved in the system ensure a tediousness-free atmosphere whether the audience is a university or an elementary school class.
-ENDS-
About KETAB Technologies
KETAB Technologies Ltd. was founded in Jordan in 2002 as a creator of high-tech products designed the serve customers in all educational sectors, based on knowledge-exchange and human-computer interaction technologies. KETAB is considered today a pioneer & leader in developing high-tech products and technologies including its signature: Ketab Engage Interactive™. Headquartered in Amman, the company has a network of branches and distributors all over the Arab region, deployed to meet the increasing global demand and communicate with customer and provide them with the necessary know-how and technical support towards optimal utilization of technology. www.ketabtech.com
*****
For more information, please call
PR Launchers / Tel: 0096265691861 – Fax: 0096265691863
Email: info@PRLaunchers.com – Web: www.PRLaunchers.com