Expo 2020's University Visit Programme will see 140,000 students across the UAE's 120-plus universities experience specially-curated tours during the six-month World Expo in Dubai.
Students will be able to connect with peers, industry leaders and global experts, thus making connections and acquiring real-life knowledge as part of the programme and tour.
The initiative was launched this week at the University Leadership Forum, held at Expo 2020’s Opportunity District and attended by more than 80 senior leadership executives from the UAE’s public and private universities. The forum kick-started a series of discussions that will align the content of the programme with the learning objectives of institutions and build awareness and excitement among students and faculty members.
"With 192 countries in one location, each showcasing the very best they have to offer, the educational tours will help fuel the curiosities of students, spark new ideas, encourage new connections, and inspire our youth to become the leaders and change makers of the future," said Manal AlBayat, Chief Community Engagement Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai.
The programme, which mirrors the successful Expo School Programme, reflects the breadth of experiences the Expo has to offer and focuses on seven areas, Innovation and Technology; Urban Planning and Future Cities; Media and International Studies; Science and Sustainability; Mega-event Planning and Operations; Design, Architecture and Engineering; and Business and Entrepreneurship.
The educational tours will include the opportunity to explore some of the site’s most iconic structures, take part in hands-on workshops, network with peers from around the world, and learn from industry experts behind the event, the largest ever to be held in the Arab world.
The visits are one of several initiatives designed to ensure the youth are at the heart of Expo 2020, including apprenticeship and internship programmes and the Expo 2020 Volunteer Programme. The UAE University will also have its own pavilion at Expo 2020, centred on its "University of the Future" initiative, which aims to revolutionise the providing of tertiary education in the Arab World by 2030.
WAM