Sabban Property Investments (SPI) has launched a unique internship programme in partnership with UK-based Birmingham City University (BCU) that will involve students in the construction of the Sabban Towers.

Six international university students vying for a one-year paid internship in Qatar will put into practice the theory of construction and planning in a 12-day training programme at the construction site, where they are expected to gain a broader understanding of the regional property development landscape.

After an intensive course in the core areas of construction, real estate and planning development, the two most outstanding students will be awarded the coveted remunerated work placement and join the construction experts working on the project.

The leading Dubai and Qatar based developer invited students from BCU’s Property, Construction and Planning Department to submit their proposals on how they would add value to SPI as an organisation and comment on the booming real estate sector in Qatar, in addition to their study on the culture of the country and their views on sustainable construction and design.

Following an intensive selection process, SPI selected the pool of winning students, which include Quantity Surveying majors Andreas Kounass and Imran Salam, and Planning and Development student Rosanna Sterry; in addition to Benedict Gannon, who is in his second year in Real Estate Management; Thomas Nicholls, a Building Surveying scholar; and Michaela Campbell Lynch, who is completing her degree in Architectural Technology.

“This work placement programme, which we have undertaken through our partnership with Birmingham City University, is a part of SPI’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy to further our involvement in the development of the education sector by nurturing talent through experience,” said MBE, managing director, SPI, John Browne.

“As an alumnus of BCU, I can attest to the exemplary academic training, which the selected students have been exposed to on campus, and our goal now is to match their theoretical knowledge with real life professional experience. Through this initiative, we are not only showing real interest in the students’ future but also, looking to the growth of SPI and the industry as a whole,”

Formerly known as the University of Central England, BCU offers highly specialised property, construction and planning programmes under the Faculty of Law, Humanities, Development and Society.

In addition, the university also provides outstanding academic courses, which are focused on equipping students for a range of professional careers through its other departments, which include the, Birmingham, Birmingham Conservatoire, Business School, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health and the Technology Innovation Centre, Birmingham School of Acting. – TradeArabia News Service