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Help at hand for students to find right programme

Rod Jones- Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Navitas and Tony Cullen, Executive General Manager, Sales and Marketing, University Programs at Navitas during an interview. -Photo by Juidin Bernarrd/ Khaleej Times

Dubai — Each year, the number of students graduating from schools is on the rise. Private universities in Dubai have reported a record increase in enrolments this year. By helping students find the right education programme, Navitas, a global education provider, is hoping to make its presence felt in the region.

“Navitas is a company that started 20 years ago in Australia and it really grew out of a recognition that many international students who wanted to study overseas were facing difficulties. Transitioning from where they come from to where they wanted to be at successful universities was a problem area,” said Rod Jones, managing director and CEO of Navitas.

The company pioneered a programme in partnership with international universities to help transnational students find their footing when going to study overseas.

“We work with a partner university to teach students the first year of their degree programme in an environment where they get all the help and support that they need to successfully make a transition,” he added.

Hailing Dubai’s education model as a ‘successful’ one, Jones highlighted the need to inform students about a wide variety of courses available internationally.

“Dubai is very successful as an education hub. There is no doubt about that. But you have different groups of students. Some who are comfortable studying in the country they grew up in while others prefer going overseas to take an international experience. Both have strengths and weaknesses,” he explained.

Increasingly, university websites have become the first stop for students exploring course options.

Speaking with Khaleej Times, Tony Cullen, general manager of Navitas, said, “An increase in the skilled labour demand has pushed a requirement for education at more advanced levels. We focus on helping students transition into university programmes at undergraduate and post graduate level. Students are better informed today because they have easier access to information. We attend education exhibitions to help parents get more information and educational counselling. Working with education agencies allows us to reach out to parents and provide them with options. If the programme we have got matches with a student profile, it compliments both parties.”

While international branch campuses are making their presence felt in Dubai, the city has positioned itself as a pit-stop for multi-country programmes.

“Over the next few years, there will be a shift towards a combination of delivering courses in a home country and overseas campus. For example, Global MBAs currently provide students with a combination of residential study with web-based learning and then going to a second or third city. This gives students an opportunity to network with students in other countries,” added Cullen.

Navitas is expanding its Dubai office while focusing on building dialogue with education stakeholders.

Explaining the road ahead, Jones noted, “The road ahead is very positive. The focus of regional governments on educating students is huge and higher education is not able to meet the demand that is actually there. This makes international education a significant part of being able to meet the growing demand.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com