DUBAI, 1st March, 2016 (WAM) -- The British Council in UAE has announced the launch of the UK-UAE Alumni Network during a reception held at the British Embassy in Dubai.
The event was hosted by Paul Fox, UK Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and Marc Jessel, Country Director of the British Council in the UAE.
More than 50 UK alumni attended the high tea event at the British Embassy, among which were Professor Abdullah Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor, BUiD, Dr. Sultan Husam Ulama, Director of National Research Foundation, MoHESR, Lubna Qassim, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Emirates NBD, Alia Al Serkal, Senior Director Talent Management at du, Essa Al Mulla, Executive Director ENDP, and Jamal Al Muheiri, Secretary-General of the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Makhtoum for Distinguished Academic Performance.
"UK educational institutions are among the best in the world, with 34 British universities featuring in the world’s top 200. Moreover, London welcomes more international students than any other city in the world. We are proud that so many Emiratis chose to study in the UK. The alumni network is about maintaining this connection. This first gathering was a great start and we hope the group continues to grow," said Paul Fox.
"The UK and the UAE have long-standing relations, strengthened through individual connections that many Emiratis enjoy with the UK through their attendance at academic institutions. The British Council UAE, with the launch of the UK UAE Alumni Network, wants to connect people who have worked and studied in the UK. The network will host activities that will provide members with the opportunity to meet and exchange experiences, to develop their careers, to support and mentor recent graduates and to inspire the next generation of leaders in the UAE," added Marc Jessel.
"We have built this UK-UAE alumni network to cement relationships between UAE nationals who have enjoyed an educational experience in the UK. It is extremely critical that rich study experiences of British universities continue to keep the Alumni connected," said Lubna Qasim, Executive Vice President, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Emirates NBD.
"I am a strong advocate of UK education because I was privileged to experience it from an early age of 15 when I was sent to a boarding school there, and continued until I attained my postgraduate Degree in law. I'm very pleased to chair the UK-UAE Alumni Network and it is my way of giving back for the years of great education in UK. The launch of the alumni has a true success bringing together Emiratis from different generations who studied in UK from the 1950s to 2000," Qasim added.
All residents in UAE are eligible to apply for membership to the network if they have studied for a UK qualification through a UK institution.