Bayt.com, the leading job site, is set to host a major online education next week in association with Dubai International Academic City (Diac), a member of Tecom Investments.

The third edition of Bayt.com Virtual Education Fair 2011 (VEF) will run from April 17 to 23.

The fair is designed to allow students to interact live with universities and educational institute advisors in order to explore various universities, colleges and training providers – all from the convenience of a computer of their choice.

“We are very pleased to be bringing the third Virtual Education Fair to the Middle East, modeled on the successful platform of our virtual job fairs, and are confident that it will prove every bit as popular as the last two,” said Amer Zureikat, VP sales of Bayt.com.

“The Bayt.com Virtual Education Fair  2011– which we are proud to be running with the valuable support of Diac – has already witnessed an enormous rise in popularity in just two years due to its dynamic virtual space where students and educational providers can achieve their respective goals with minimal time and effort.”

Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director, Tecom Investments’ Education Cluster, said: “The Virtual Education Fair is once again bringing technology and education together in a unique initiative for the benefit of the wider community.”

At the Bayt.com VEF 2011, students will be able to quickly and conveniently provide their personal details and academic credentials to a variety of top institutions, fill out paperless application forms, and gather the latest academic information from a virtual ‘resource centre’, a statement said.

They will have the opportunity to engage in confidential e-chats with admissions staff, career consultants and other experts who can assist them with career decisions, it added.

Leon James, vice-president of international marketing at Laureate Online Education, the e-Learning partner of the University of Liverpool, and main sponsor of the event said: “Since its foundation in 1881, the University of Liverpool has produced eight Nobel Prize winners, and we are constantly attracting students to fill their shoes and continue in our long tradition of excellence.”

“The Bayt.com Virtual Education Fair comes in line with our efforts to find and attract the best candidates for our University, and we are confident the third edition of this event will prove very fruitful.”

The fair provides excellent return-on-investment for all involved, the statement said.

No work-time is lost by physically attending or staffing the event, and travel/logistical costs are largely eliminated while participators are given access to a large pool of candidates and institutions.

In addition, virtual forums are sophisticated vehicles for brand promotion: Bayt.com’s VEF 2011 will assist in positioning institutions as forward-thinking academic leaders with a commitment to innovation.

Through the VEF, educational providers will also enjoy access to a large pool of motivated candidates, helping them meet registration targets and allowing them to evaluate the success of enrolment strategies.

“The British University in Dubai was established to facilitate access to world class education, training and research in the Middle East,” said Martin Prince, registrar, The British University in Dubai.

“The Bayt.com VEF offers an unprecedented opportunity for institutions to raise their profile to a new level for recruiting the best students, and so we are looking forward to attracting tomorrow's leaders as BUiD's next world-class academic and professional learners,” he added.

“By assisting educational providers in increasing admissions and sharing their unique programming with a broad audience, Bayt.com is nurturing robust academic activity in the region, which in turn can lead to job-creation, scholarships, research and development, and a range of other benefits,” concluded Zureikat. – TradeArabia News Service