• Home
• /
• Supplements

Torchbearers of Learning

With increasing demand and a rich mix of international and local institutions, the UAE continues to thrive as a hub for academic and cultural growth

UAE has an impressive medley of schools, universities and academies that continue to impart world-class education in all fields. Catering to a mix of nationalities and cultural diversities. The UAE has built a strong literary and educational infrastructure.

We find many dedicated Pakistanis who are a part of the educational community. Each year a great number of expats move to UAE, and the demand for institutions is constantly on the rise. However, the UAE is fully equipped to face the challenges and offers great opportunities for students to prosper academically.

Apart from schools, colleges and universities, the UAE is also now a hub for academies which offer online and in-person courses in many different fields.

The UAE with its literary accomplishments is ready to face the future.

Marium Tarar

“The UAE has seen an increase in the number of schools adhering to different curriculums. There has been a great demand for schools as the population has grown, and UAE in its characteristic manner has brilliantly met the ever-growing demands in the education sector,” says Marium Tarar.

Tarar has pursued a teaching career since 2011 and currently teaches at Greenfield International School in Dubai.

After working for a few years in an advertising agency in London, Tarar pursued a degree in PCGE from the University of Reading.

About 14 years ago when Marium moved to Dubai she was unsure initially, but after 14 years in Dubai, this is home for her and her family.

Tarar teaches all subjects as a homeroom teacher and she specialises in teaching English across a wide age range.

Tarar speaking from her teaching experience believes that the standard of education in the UAE is phenomenal. Having taught in the UK, East Africa and Pakistan, Tarar feels that UAE by far offers, the most rigorous education, as well as supports students to reach their full potential. The standard of teaching and learning is maintained throughout the academic year with support from all stakeholders.

There has been a significant increase in the number of schools in the UAE due to the growing demand for incoming students from all around the world.

“Teaching children from different cultural backgrounds has been very enjoyable. I have learned how to teach Maths using some Chinese math teaching strategies from my students as well as helping those that need more English support whilst writing. There are challenges too, especially when you are trying to teach new concepts and learning methods and parents want to teach methods they remember from their school days.”

Commenting on the choices of curriculum offered in UAE she stated that the British curriculum is by far the most popular in the UAE. It is followed by the American curriculum and IB.

The UAE currently offers many higher education courses at universities which are both international and local.

They all have courses and degrees that are recognised internationally and many students have been offered jobs at the end of the degrees.

Teaching young children and seeing them prosper over the years, brings immense joy and fulfilment to Tarar as a dedicated teacher and a mentor to many children over the years.

Rohma Nomani Theunissen

“I come across many talented writers, many more experienced than myself, who struggle to find clients and projects. The issue is not their work, its how they are running their business as or lack thereof. There really isn’t any information out there on how to approach copywriting clients, what services to offer, how much to change or how to tackle projects and proposals. I have built up this program from scratch, integrating real life knowledge and practical lessons that make it easy for anyone who can write to establish, scale and grow a successful copy writing business from the ground up,” says Rohma Nomani Theunissen.

In 2020, Theunissen launched first messaging copy writting consultancy after seeing a gap in the market for high-quality, strategic localised content. Later, she established the GCC’s first luxury and fashion-focused copywriting digital academy in Dubai this year.

Theunissen a highly talented and inspirational graduate, from McGill University and Parson School of Design, with fifteen years of experience in international luxury brands is a pioneer in introducing formal courses in copywriting and how to market one’s skill as a content writer.

Theunissen moved to Dubai after working in New York for several years. Having worked in the corporate world Rohma realised it was time for her to share her love for copywriting and the ins and outs of her own copywriting business.

Theunissen’s expertise in developing powerful brand narratives that merge messaging strategies, positioning and storytelling led her to establish her academy which offers a first-of-its-kind course. From learning how to pick a copywriting niche and set business goals to industry positioning, client strategies, brand building and projects the Academy, walks content and copywriters through every step they need to take to realise their ambitions.

Complete, with a built-in mentorship programme and virtual community that promotes accountability, the academy allows students to graduate with a full copywriting business set up, that is poised for success.

Having survived a brain haemorrhage at the age of 31, Theunissen is passionate about spreading awareness about strokes, and the impact they have on young people and shedding the stigma that surrounds stroke survivors in the workplace. In her free time, she is passionate about spending time with her daughter and husband, and can often be found enjoying a leisurely breakfast at a beachfront cafe on the weekends. Copywriting is very much ingrained in her DNA and she enjoys conducting the courses at her newly founded academy. It gives her immense pleasure to see her candidates do well and excel in their fields.

“One of the most in-demand freelance careers globally, the copywriting market, valued at $21 billion in 2022, is expected to grow to $42 million by 2030. With over 90 per cent of businesses, relying on content to generate leads and sales, both online and offline, the demand for copy and content writers continues to skyrocket, both regionally and internationally.”

Mahvish Gul

“After graduating from a high school there are lots of options available in UAE for students as compared to some twenty years ago. With the coming up of many international universities, a high school graduate can choose from a large range of universities at home in the UAE. Many high-level international universities offer great opportunities to high school graduates,” says Mahvish Gul.

Gul is an economist and an academic practitioner, residing and teaching in Dubai for the past 24 years.

Gul has a degree from McGill University and Northampton University.

Gul has been teaching Economics and Business Management at American universities in Dubai for 23 years with a cumulative 17 years of working at the prestigious American University of Dubai.

Gul also taught extensively at SP Jain School of Global Management both Dubai and Sydney cohort, Amity University, Dubai and at Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

Gul started her teaching career at the American College in Dubai in the year 2000.

“The standard of education since the year 2000 has evolved immensely. There has been a massive change and now we find a culture that is prone towards learning and a very competitive environment when it comes to universities and higher education landscape in Dubai and in UAE at large.”

There is diversity and variety in the choices students can make as lots of international universities have opened their branches in academic cities as well as Knowledge Park. Clusters of learning have come up and with so many reputable universities and learning centres around, the ecosystem of education is looking upwards in a positive way.

There is a large variety and diversity amongst the student body as there are many students who are coming to UAE from other countries in pursuit of higher education. Dubai is a great place to live with its safety aspect and a great infrastructure attracts a lot of students from other countries.

As the UAE is a melting pot, different nationalities work in UAE and the same is seen in the education sector. When it comes to hiring faculty members different nationalities are hired and they form an important part of the education system. There are many teachers from around the region such as Lebanon, Egypt, South Asia India and Pakistan.

“There has been massive growth in the number of educational institutions in Dubai over the last 10 years. It is wonderful to see the large variety of good universities that are now present in the UAE. The government and higher education authorities encourage international educational institutions to open branches in the UAE. This is great as it contributes to the nation’s progress.”

“Personally speaking I love the multi-cultural demographics of Dubai. I get to interact with so many different nationalities and diverse backgrounds, it’s very enriching and you get to learn so much from different backgrounds. One gets use to the idea of inclusivity. The main thing in education and work is inclusivity and academia plays a very important part in inculcating this amongst the students. To teach people from different backgrounds and to be able to make an impact in their lives makes me very happy and proud.”

Talking of the different syllabi Gul revealed that American and British universities are gaining ground in Dubai and UAE. There are Australian and Indian universities. There is a university for every student with their own specific goals. The demographic diversity eases the choices made by the students within the UAE and for students in different countries who look at the UAE as an educational hub.

“If students from outside Dubai are looking at UAE to pursue education there is no doubt that the options for the home students would make more sense to pursue a degree in their home country. The standard of international universities in both Dubai International Academic City and knowledge Park in Dubai and I have had the honour of teaching in both places. We have a host of various international universities and higher level institutions which are offering very good university degrees and are at par with universities abroad for students to choose from, enrol in and fulfil their higher studies.”