The 21st edition of Getex Dubai will feature dedicated segments for student recruitment, human resources and training, education equipment and technology and careers in line with the regional initiative to enhance educational standards.

Getex 2009 education fair, which will be held from April 15 to 18 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, will also host the 2009 Global Forum for Technology and Innovation in Teaching and Leading, and the 2009 HRD & Training Conference that focuses on sustainable HR development in the current recessed economy.

In the UAE alone, education has been given top priority by the Federal Cabinet when it approved the Dh42.2 billion ($11.5 billion) budget for 2009, allocating up to 23 per cent of the UAE's annual spending for the development of the education sector.

“While Getex remains the definitive platform for the region's education, training and didactic technology sectors, it continues to evolve and expand to address emerging concerns,” said Anselm Godinho, managing director, International Conferences & Exhibitions, organisers of the event. “In recent years, governments across the Middle East have been consistently increasing their efforts towards improving educational standards and we believe that Getex will serve as the perfect platform to identify and pursue gainful opportunities in this regard. Getex 2009 has accordingly been enhanced and retooled as we expect to accommodate a greater number of participants and facilitate more networking activities this year.”

Getex HRD & Training 2009 is the only dedicated event in the Middle East for training and HRD service providers to discuss business prospects with potential clients from a broad spectrum of sectors. Integrated within the segment is the 2009 Forum on HRD & Training for the Global Economy, an intensive conference programme that gathers HRD specialists, HR directors, CEOs, heads of training and other regional and international HR professionals to discuss emerging HRD strategies in the 21st century.

The 2009 Forum on HRD & Training for the Global Economy has been designed to help organisations develop sustainable HR strategies in accordance with the changing landscape of the modern digital economy. The event also enables participants to better focus on their most valuable assets – their employees – and discover practical solutions to various challenges brought about by the ongoing economic downturn.

The education equipment and technology segment serves as an ideal business-to-business platform for suppliers and educational buyers to network and source education technology, supplies, expertise and services. The segment will again feature the 2009 Global Forum on Technology and Innovation in Teaching and Leading, a knowledge-packed conference programme that provides insight into education practice and policy for world-class education in an increasingly digital and global learning landscape.

The global forum has been expanded this year to cater to the specific requirements of teachers, school leaders and educators within the higher education and the elementary and secondary levels. In 2009, the Global Forum is running focussed streams on ways to include and mainstream learners with special needs and learning disabilities.

The student recruitment segment is recognised as the region’s largest event that offers higher education options from around the world to students in the Middle East and beyond.

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Getex is a platform for education-oriented companies and institutions to present their academic and career-enhancing training programmes, education technologies, scholarships and consultancy services for students, parents, educators, professionals, corporate representatives and others who have a stake in the e