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By Hassan Cheruppa
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Gulf Madhyamam Educafe aims at helping Indian students in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to address a number of potential challenges facing them in pursuing higher studies and sitting for competitive examinations back home, according to Hamza Abbas, chief editor of Gulf Madhyamam daily. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, he said that there has been an overwhelming response from the Indian community to participate in the Mideast’s largest Indian education and career exhibition, to be held at the Boys Section auditorium of International Indian School Jeddah (IISJ) on Saturday.
Abbas noted that even the highly talented and meritorious Indian students in the GCC states most often fail to perform well in the Indian competitive examinations. “Most of the students face problems in adapting to the situations and cope with the prevailing stiff competitive environment when they reach India to pursue higher studies as well as to seek future career prospects. Hence, Gulf Madhyamam has taken this initiative to enable them to meet the challenges by providing proper awareness and infusing confidence and courage,” he said.
Abbas noted that there are not sufficient arrangements for students in the Gulf schools to prepare for competitive exams. Students also do not have facilities for proper career guidance. These factors contribute to psychological problems in their adolescence period. The educafe is meant to address such problems through motivation, counseling and career guidance, by bringing together experts and renowned figures in the fields of education, training, career guidance, counseling and motivation.
Abbas said close interaction of well-known educators and trainers with students and parents will be the major highlight of the festival of knowledge during which information on higher education, career opportunities and skill development will be exchanged. He noted that the two editions of Educafe held in Dubai in 2016 and 2017 were a resounding success drawing thousands of students and parents. “Several officials, representing off campuses of prestigious American and British universities in the UAE attended the fest and they were highly impressed by the event.
The success of the Dubai fest was the inspiration to hold such an event in the Kingdom for the first time,” he said, while unveiling plans to conduct similar festivals in other regions of the Kingdom.
Indian Consul General Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh will inaugurate the fest in the presence of dignitaries such as Mohammed Shahid Alam, deputy consul general and the school observer, Dr. Siddeek Ahmed, chairman and managing director of Eram and ITL Group, Hamza Abbas, Mohammed Iqbal, chairman of IISJ managing committee, Syed Masood Ahmed, principal of IISJ, Muhammad Rafeeq, general manager (marketing) of Madhyamam, K.M. Basheer, chairman of the Saudi executive committee of Gulf Madhyamam, and Najmuddin, Jeddah coordinator of Gulf Madhyamam. Dr. Siddeek Ahmed will launch the travel magazine of the Gulf Madhyamam called ‘Arabian Safari.’
The following are the topics of the main sessions and the speakers: Go beyond with Mohammed Haneesh — APM Mohammed Haneesh (IAS), eminent education expert and former director of Kerala Public Education; Insomania: powerful mindreading technique — Aathi Adarsh, celebrity mentalist; Infuse youth behavioral changes in teenagers — Dr. Jason Fitzsimmons, international career expert from Australia; How to select a career for better future — Sayid Sultan Ahmed, renowned trainer from Bangalore; and Learn to learn — Eng. M.M. Irshad, well-known Saudi trainer.
There will be parallel sessions on topics such as media, all about entrance, know your aptitude, challenging gender roles, how to become an entrepreneur, career counseling, psychological counseling, and parenting. The speakers include L. Ramnarayan Iyer, executive editor of Saudi Gazette, Sreedevi V. Menon, principal of Jeddah’s New Al Wurood International School for Girls, Rasheed Ameer, Abdul Aziz T.K, and Ajmal Jabbar.
All the preparations for the event are well in place, according to Rashid Khan, marketing manager of Gulf Madhyamam KSA. The registration for participation in the festival of knowledge has been closed after it hit the maximum number.
Educational institutions from the GCC and India will have stalls on the sidelines of the festival. There will be a host of mind games with exciting prizes for the winners, he added.
