Alaa K. Ashmawy addresses the IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference in Dubai. Supplied picture

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

There are many engineering marvels in Dubai like Burj Khalifa, Dubai Metro, industrial units like Dubai Aluminium in Jebel Ali which are highly appreciated by students and professionals in the engineering sector around the world and they express great interest to study them.

This was stated by Conference Chair Alaa K. Ashmawy, Dean, Professor of Civil Engineering School of Engineering, American University in Dubai while talking with Gulf Today on the sidelines of a 3-day IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference held at a local hotel in Dubai.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Professor Manue Castro, IEEE EDUCON Steering Committee Chair of the IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference.

Professor Ashmawy mentioned that the conference has been held annually in a different city around the world.

“It is the first time the global event has been taking place in Dubai and being attended by over 300 delegates including engineering students, professors and professionals from all over the world, making this education conference a truly global event. It aims to discuss the new trends in the engineering sector from theory, practice as well as innovation in technology,” he said.

“These conferences help the young generation of engineers to tackle the challenges that we expect in the 21st century. There are a lot of educational technologies, new techniques, and new methods and we ensure that the youth are well prepared to tackle the engineering challenges of the future,” he said.

The conference in Dubai has attracted around 40 per cent engineering students from GCC universities and rest from the Europe and Latin America.

Responding to a question, he said that the quality of education in the country is excellent.

“Academic institutions in the UAE and especially in Dubai always engaged with the international education community, we do provide quality education and at the same time we continue to be engaged in dialogue with global institutes and professionals to learn new things and share with each other,” he said.

He stressed on holding education conferences to exchange the knowledge and expertise with each other as part of the continuing process of learning.