Dubai, UAE, September 28th, 2011:  Emirati students studying at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, have helped to showcase the diverse and vibrant culture of the United Arab Emirates.

Waleed Ali Salem Al Harbi, a 22-year-old Emirati studying a Bachelor of Forensic Science at Deakin University’s Geelong campus, located just outside of Melbourne, prepared the monthly cultural event along with other Emirati students at the university’s library. It was part of the university’s International Student Support Team’s ENGAGE program.

The students put on a spectacular show with miniature examples of some of the most famous architecture in the UAE on display, along with beautiful postcards and traditional coffee pots and perfume bottles.

Posters of striking scenery and promotional materials about the UAE were also given to the hundreds of guests and students who passed through. 

Waleed, who is from Al Ain and is in his second year of the course, said:

“Our objective was to educate people about the UAE and there was a lot of interest from everyone who passed by. We even offered people the opportunity to experience the UAE’s traditional dress and we had a lot of questions about our culture and traditions. It was a wonderful experience.”

John Butler, State Government of Victoria Commissioner to the Middle East and North Africa, said Victoria, Australia’s south eastern state including major regional cities such as  Geelong and its capital Melbourne, is a significant international education destination for the world.

“The state  offers  world-class qualifications, high quality learning and research infrastructure along with leading teaching staff. Cross-cultural events like this provide a unique platform for students to learn from each other.”

Melbourne was also recently named the best city in the world to live, according to the latest Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Survey, making Victoria an even more attractive destination for international students.

“International students are highly valued members of the Victorian community and its wonderful to see Emiratis showcasing their culture in Melbourne and helping to provide, in their own small way, further understanding about the UAE,” added Mr. Butler.

“Victoria’s universities offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, from business administration and management through to science, law and nursing and we are very pleased to see Emiratis selecting our universities for their education.”

Education links between the two countries was also boosted recently when 30 Emirati students from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain returned home after an unforgettable month-long visit to another major Victorian city, Bendigo. The students successfully graduated from the Summer Abroad Program, an educational and cultural partnership between the Abu Dhabi Education Council and Bendigo TAFE.

Ducab sponsors high-achievers from across the company in overseas immersion course, part of company’s National Development Program

Dubai, August 21 2010: As part of the company’s long-term investment in developing its UAE national workforce, Ducab—the leading manufacturer of power cables in the Middle East—has sponsored a team of six Emirati employees to complete a month-long practices and training course in Perth, Western Australia.  Selected on the basis of their exceptional performance, attitude and commitment, the group was recognized for their demonstrated professionalism with the opportunity to expand their talents at C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE and at various independent businesses and organizations.

According to Dr. Saeed Mohd Al Barwani, General Manager of HR and IT at Ducab, the six employees were chosen in recognition of their drive to explore leadership roles within the manufacturing sector and their excellent performance while at the company.  After reviewing the program’s applicants, Laila Marafi, Amal Bin Ghelaita, Maryam, Al Naqbi, Fahad Khalifa, Abdulrahman Al Mansoori and Aqeel Al Awady were chosen for this year’s journey.  The Australia trainees work in roles from the shop-floor level through to engineers, representing a diversity of internal departments such as QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety & Environment), Manufacturing, Finance, HR, Metals, Technical and Testing.

The Australia initiative is one of the many sponsorship development initiatives within the company’s National Development Program (NDP), and included a comprehensive curriculum aimed at enhancing technical, business and communication skills of employees.  This included tours of local government, manufacturing and engineering companies around Western Australia, enabling the trainees to gain valuable insight into their chosen industry and use it to promote leadership skills upon their return to the UAE.

Dr. Al Barwani says that Ducab’s commitment to attracting local talent has seen a significant increase in the number of UAE nationals among its staff, hence the creation of training initiatives like those in Western Australia.  Founded in 2008, the NDP had its first international posting in Australia during 2009, boosting career prospects for UAE nationals at both the experienced and student levels.

“This delegation won’t be the only ones who benefit from the secondment as this unique opportunity to learn about overseas practices and ethics has equipped them with knowledge that can be shared with co-workers back home, contributing to the further development of a talented local workforce and leaders of the future” adds Al Barwani.  “We are fortunate to have many self-motivated individuals in our organization, and this is but one of the ways for us to reward such leadership within our team.”

Fostering talent among younger UAE generations is one of the specific goals of the NDP, and has seen Ducab team up with a number of leading academic institutions across the country. The objective is to provide work placement training for UAE nationals from various leading colleges and institutions including UAE University, Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), IAT and VEDC

Ducab Vocational Educational Employees travel to Hofmann Engineering in Perth Australia

Left to right:Mr. Obaid Ali Tamimi, Mr. Andrew Shaw, Mr. Mohammed Al Zaabi

Ducab, the leading cable manufacturer in the Middle East, has arranged to send two of its top UAE National vocational educational employees to Australia for international training and experience for a month. Read the full story