The first Virtual Education Fair (VEF) held by Bayt.com, a leading one job site, along with Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), received a total of 20,939 views from students across the region.

The ‘fair’, held on vefme.com, between November 15 and 21, provided a unique, fully-interactive online platform for academic and training admissions for the first time in the Middle East.

The fair offered significant advantages to students, including it being ‘open’ 24/7 and available through any Internet-accessible computer, in complete confidentiality.

During the fair, students could 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.’

Furthermore, they could engage in confidential e-chats with admissions staff, career consultants and other experts who provided advice and assistance on career choices.

“The fair was a dynamic, virtual forum which provided students with a wide variety of information required to make the academic decisions that will define their future lives and careers, and we are thrilled with the overwhelming level of attendance this first edition received,” noted Akram Assaf, Bayt.com co-founder and chief technical officer.

“Moreover, participating educational and training institutions enjoyed a number of important benefits including excellent return-on-investment, reduced costs when compared to traditional fairs, and no work time lost by physically attending or staffing the event,” Assaf added.

Martin Prince, registrar of the British University in Dubai (BUiD), said: “The VEF has assisted us in identifying high-calibre individuals, motivated in seeking post-graduate educational and/or professional development opportunities, for the furtherance of their careers and the advancement of their knowledge, as appropriate to today’s and tomorrow’s management and leadership employment markets.”

“The event was a success for us at Access MBA in terms of visibility and brand recognition and we look forward to many more similar events in the Middle East,” said Carolyn Gonglefski, event and communication director, Access MBA.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, executive director of DIAC, said: “The VEF provided an unprecedented opportunity for students to interact with experts and acquire information on various avenues of higher education. In addition, the fair offered a sophisticated platform for brand promotion by positioning institutions as forward-thinking academic and training leaders with a commitment to innovation.”

In holding the VEF, Bayt.com and DIAC are demonstrating their commitment to furthering economic growth and talent development in the Middle East.

Assaf concluded: “Through the VEF, we aim to empower students with the best access to academic information and career assistance, and therefore act as a springboard to their future success. It is also a unique opportunity to nurture robust academic activity in the region, for future job-creation, scholarships and research and development, which will help create sustainable economies.” – TradeArabia News Service