The 20th edition of Getex Dubai, the Middle East's leading education fair, is witnessing strong growth with its three concurrent platforms responding to market trends.

Getex Dubai, to be held from April 1 to 5 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), is attracting some of world’s leading universities and education providers, education equipment and technology suppliers, human resource recruiters and vocational training providers to construct the region’s largest education forum, said an official spokesman.

The 20th Getex Dubai will allow national and expatriate students access to more than 2,500 secondary and tertiary education options from over 500 education providers through its Getex-Student Recruitment event.

Concurrently, Getex-Education Equipment and Technology will host an extended line-up of education equipment suppliers, inviting buyers and educators to take advantage of a forum for technology in education.

“Educators and learners are realising the benefits of deploying technological solutions as a means of improving the standard of instruction, ensuring higher student participation in the learning process and reducing operational and infrastructure costs. As a result, more investments are being made in technological tools and methods that will enhance education delivery, knowledge management and control processes in their institutions,” said managing director of show organisers IC&E Anselm Godinho.

Getex-Education Equipment and Supply will also host the Getex-ISTE Global Conference on Technology. The conference programme is under the direction of the International Society for Technology in Education, the US based society that annually hosts the NECC Conference in the US, attracting delegates and presenters from more that 60 countries.

The Getex-ISTE global forum will offer an opportunity for educators, school leaders, and policy makers to interact with and learn from education researchers, thought leaders and expert practitioners from the Gulf region and around the world.

Responding to exploding demand for qualified human resources within a highly mobile labor market, Getex Dubai has expanded Getex-Careers & Training 2008.

A natural progression of Getex’s education focus, Getex-Careers & Training offers employment opportunities for senior students looking for access to the job market, experienced employees climbing the career ladder and also caters to professionals wanting to acquire new skills through targeted qualifications.

In the UAE, Getex is hosted under the patronage of minister of higher education and scientific research Shaikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan.

The event is supported by Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), Knowledge & Human Development Authority (KHDA) and all the universities affiliated with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research-including the Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE University and Zayed University.

Also supporting Getex is a host of international agencies and associations including the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) – US, the British Council, Agence EduFrance, Canadian Consulate, OSEC Business Network, Switzerland, the Italian Embassy, the German Academic Exchange Service, Enterprise Ireland and the South African Embassy. – TradeArabia News Service