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Showing posts from May, 2014

Fake degree racket in UAE

Fake Certificates Dubai, (UAE): Beware of the fake degrees! You may offer a degree certificate by a bogus institute for a price, but of no value. Recently a secret police operations have busted a racket of fake degree at Dubai. This racket was offering degree certificates without attending classes and writing exams. Racket was operating in connection with some UAE-based institutes that openly offer degrees for a fat pay packet. They even offer embassy-attested certificates also.  Through a sting operation, police have recorded the name of the UAE-based institutions which offer certificates to the racket. These institutions are under police observation. It is said that the black market for fake certificate is thriving in UAE. As a higher degree certificate has the potential to bring good fortune to the user, there is a high demand for fake certificates. It is said that a coveted fake degree has a value of  $1000-2000. For as little as Dh20,000 one can buy an MBA degree cert

UAE students scored a 99% pass in CBSE exams

Vineet Nair Dubai, (UAE): Around 99% of the 3,962 students who took the CBSE grade 12 exams have passed this year. Out of the 3,962 students who came from 31 Indian schools in the UAE, 23 students received more than 90 per cent. Annalie Gracias Only 23 students failed the examinations this year.Eighteen-year-old Vineet J Nair who attends Delhi Private School in Dubai scored the highest across of the UAE in the science stream with a 98.2 per cent.Vineet hopes to study Mechanical engineering in the United States to follow in his father and brother’s footsteps who are engineers. Sachin Nair Sachin Nair, who goes to Indian High School in Dubai, scored the highest on the level of the country in the commerce stream with 97.6 per cent. While Annalie Gracias who also goes to the same school received the highest grade in the arts stream with 96.4 per cent. Shraddha Ramesh, 17, another CBSE topper who received the second place in the science stream on the level of th

DPS student is on cloud nine

Twins Vineet and Vivek during a science show in Dubai DUBAI , (UAE):  Delhi Private School(DPS)  Dubai is on cloud nine as its student, Vineet Nair, has become the top scorer in CBSE exams in the UAE. This is the first time a DPS student gets into the pinnacle of CBSE rank. Vineet Nair, whose parents are hailing from the state of Kerala, India, scored 98.2 per cent in the science stream. “We are extremely proud. It’s a great sense of achievement and pride and, I mean, we are at the top of the world.”- said Rachna Prakash, DPSD headmistress.  “I was shocked,” a rather meek Vineet Nair’s first response was like this. Vineet lives in Dubai with his parents and twin brother, Visakh. Although Visakh did not score as high as his brother, he still achieved an overall score of 95.2 in the science stream. Visakh and Vineet  kept a strict schedule on their study regimen that included tutoring three times a week for two and a half hours, and twice-daily enrichment classes. Vineet credite

Singapore and Korea: Asia’s new Education power houses

NUS students Singapore: Singapore and Korea is slowly taking the upper hand in higher education and swiftly moving towards the status of knowledge economies of Asia. Old academic power houses like Japan and Hong Kong lose its sheen due to innumerable inadequacies.   Both Singapore and Korea are dedicated to set up new facilities, initiating policies to attract foreign students, researchers and faculty as well as branch campuses of foreign institutions. And this way, these two countries are dropping its local and regional tags for acquiring the new label of “truly international hub” of higher education. This new change reflects in the recently announced world-famous QS(British-based Quacquarelli Symonds) ranking of Asia rankings. QS ranking confirms Singapore and Korea have overtaken Japan and Hong Kong as Asia’s academic powerhouses. The two Hong Kong universities make way for the National University of Singapore, or NUS, which, for the first time, is Asia’s top institution.

India plans to open new IITs

Delhi, (India): The new government under the leadership of Narendra Modi is planning to open new IITs. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is India’s finest technical education chain and world’s reputed brand in education. There is a popular saying among technocrats that the Brand IIT has changed the image of India from a nation of snake charmers to a nation of (computer) mouse. At present India has 16 IITs. The wish of the newly appointed Narendra Modi Government to set up new IITs has become a discussion point when Smriti Irani, the new minister in charge of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, declared that a set of new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) might be created. Last time India set up eight new IITs in 2009 and thus India’s total number of IITs has gone up from eight to sixteen. In her first meeting with the Education Ministry officials she has enquired about the possibility of setting new IITs in states which do not have one. Still many India states do

Two Emirati students wins Second Place at Los Angeles

ISEF Fair stalls Abu Dhabi: Two female Emirati students have stolen the limelight at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles last week. In the fair they won with the flying colors in their category, the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development announced in a statement said. The duo, Shamma Al Bastaki and Hayat Abu Al Hassan from Al Ittihad Private School, presented a science project named “Grains of Gold”. They were among 16 Emirati scientists who were selected for the Emirates Foundation’s Think Science competition to participate in the fair. Finalists at the Intel contest were judged on their creativity, scientific thought, skill, and ability to showcase their visions in their projects. ‘Grains of Gold’ won second place in the category of Environmental Sciences and Management for its applicability in real-life situations.The project demonstrated how to use hydrophobic sand — sand that is chemically manipulated to resist water — as a way to minimise w

NTU students' satellite in space

Nanyang Technical University Singapore: Singapore’s first locally-built satellite has travelled nearly 700 million kilometres, taken 8,000 photographs and completed 4,400 successful telecommands while orbiting Earth. All this was achieved while surviving several solar storms, hazardous radiation and more than 30 near-collisions with space debris. The X-SAT satellite will mark three years in space this Sunday, 20 April. The 105kg micro-satellite, developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and DSO National Laboratories, was launched into space on 20 April 2011 on a three-year mission. It has performed beyond expectations to survive the harshness of space and is still fully operational. The extended lifespan of X-SAT beyond its three-year mission is due to the robustness of its hardware design and its battery which has gone past 15,000 charge-and-discharge cycles. Most lithium-batteries can undergo 500 such cycles before its capacity starts to degrade. The longevity of its b

NTU in the eye of a storm

Prof. Cherian George Singapore: Nanyang Technological University (NTU), one of the biggest and reputed Tech Universities of entire Asia, has been trapped in a loop of controversy over academic freedom. This unfortunate event happened over a denial of tenure to a Journalism Professor by NTU lately. The Journalism Prof. Cherian George is said to be an outspoken professor for his open and fearless political comments. Cherian George was denied tenure last month. Tenure would have meant he that could not be sacked from his job without just cause. George was previously denied tenure in 2009 when he was promoted to the position of associate professor, which was seen as unusual by local experts as academic promotions are normally accompanied by tenure. An overseas assessor of his case, Karin Wahl-Jorgensen from the University of Cardiff in the United Kingdom in a tweet described George as “a true public intellectual with broad 'registers of impact' in Singapore and abroad”. Sh

TCS gets right for CAT

Delhi, (India): Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) has emerged winner for conducting the Common Admission Test (CAT). With this, TCS will be the CAT-conducting partner of Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs) for the next five years, from 2014 to 2018. CAT is a highly competitive examination for selecting students into various Management programmes of Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Institute of Technology (NIT), Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) and few other institutions. From 2009 to 2013, US-based Prometric was in charge of computer-based CAT examination with IIMs. This time TCS grabbed the contract by beating four institutions who participated in the bid. Those institutes were Prometric, Aptech, Equity career Technologies, Merit Trac Services. TCS was chosen as the authority for conducting CAT exam for the next five years- from 2014 to 2018. From $40 million to $5 million The CAT exa

University of Chicago opens office in India

University of Chicago's logo New Delhi: As part of its journey to open branch campus in India, the University of Chicago has opened a research centre in India. They are now trying to capture a portion of the growing market of executive education and other research partnership opportunities. The University of Chicago had opened a centre in Delhi two months back. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known Virginia Tech, is opening its centre in May. Harvard Business School has an Indian research centre in Mumbai, and Deakin University, a well-known name from Australia, has a centre in New Delhi. A couple of foreign institutions are likely to open centres this year as well, an official from the human resource  development ministry said on condition of anonymity. While experts say India is a huge market to be ignored by anybody, including the education sector, universities said brain drain is no more the key focus and to capture the education potential of

Oman literacy rate goes up 50%

HE Dr. Madeeha Bint Ahmed bin Nassir Al Shibaniyah Musct, (Oman): “Oman could decrease adult illiteracy by 50 per cent. This is considered a good indicator for sustainable development,” said H E Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed bin Nassir al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education at the Global EFA (Education For All) annual meet on Wednesday at Al-Bustan Palace, Ritz Carlton Hotel. The report points out that the Oman has recorded a 50 per cent increase in adult literacy from 1999 to 2011, meeting the fourth goal from the list of six set at the World Education Forum (Dakar 2000) with 2015 as the deadline. It is also close to meeting the second goal of providing free and compulsory primary education to all. “Oman has helped more than 98 per cent of children in the sultanate to get primary education,” she said talking about the second EFA goal of providing free and compulsory primary education to all. Also, Oman has crossed by a big margin the 25 per cent target on expanding early childhood care

Middlesex University offers early enrolment grant

Middlesex University Dubai Dubai, (UAE): London’s first University in UAE, Middlesex University, Dubai has offered a grant of 4000 AED for the new applicants to its 19 undergraduate programs under 9 categories. But the catch is that, the grant deserves only the students who apply and and enroll before May 31st. University authorities prefer to call this grant as early enrolment grant. Below are the simple steps to take in order to avail this offer. · Fill in the application form. · Bring the following documents: All Academic transcripts and Certificates Passport Copy CV (applicable only if you are applying for Postgraduate studies) 2 Employment Reference letters (applicable only if you are applying for Postgraduate studies) Personal Statement (minimum 200 words) · Receive an Offer letter. · Make a minimum payment of AED 7,000 towards your 1st installment (tuition fee). This grant will be deducted proportionally towards your 1st year tuitio

Job: JRF position available at Bits Pilani

Goa, (India): Applications are invited for Junior Research Fellowship(JRF)  in the Department of Biological Sciences for the Project titled “Development and demonstration of two decentralized wastewater treatment systems". Research should be done under Centre for Research Excellence in Water (CORE).  The duration of the project is 3 years and the salary is as per the rules of BITS Pilani. Workplace: Goa, India Qualifications: M.Sc / M.E in life sciences, Chemical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Biochemical Engineering Applications with detailed bio-data should reach the PI by 31st May 2014. Applications have to be sent by email only.    srikanth@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in Personal Interview:  - Dr. Srikanth Mutnuri, Associate Professor, Applied and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences., BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar Goa 403 726, Phone: (0832) 2580125

SP Jain Global BBA: entrance in India

SP Jain BBA students Bangalore, (India): S P Jain will conduct an Entrance Test for the Global BBA program on Sunday, May 25, 2014 in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Indore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune from 10.00 am – 11.00 am. The test venue addresses and timing will be available on the hall ticket. The hall ticket can only be generated once a student has registered for the test and made the payment by credit card as per the timelines given below. The Entrance test conducted by S P Jain is intended to test a student's IQ, mathematical ability, logic and reasoning capacity, and general awareness. The paper would be divided into different sections based on these areas. The test is for a duration of 1 hour. The format of the test may change from time to time but the testing would be on the mentioned parameters. The Entrance test will be a paper based test. There is negative marking - different questions may have a different scale of negative marking, an

51 BITS Pilani students selected for Google project

Google Summer of Code 2014 logo Delhi, (India): Once again the names of BIT Pilani students break the news. This time by grabbing a free and open-source software coding project from Google! According to a press release from the campus, it was revealed that 51 of BITS Pilani students have got chance to participate in this Google programme. All these students belong to different BITS Pilani campuses from across India. The Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is an annual program, first held from May to August 2005, in which Google awards stipends (of US$5,500, as of 2014) to all students who successfully complete a requested free and open-source software coding project during the summer. The program is open to students aged 18 or over – the closely related Google Code-In is intended for students under the age of 18. The event draws its name from the 1967 Summer of Love (of the 1960s counterculture), and the idea for the SoC came directly from Google's founders, Sergey Brinand Larry Page

Education Zone is going to open office in Bahrain

Dubai, (UAE): Education Zone, an organization facilitating quality higher education for Arab students, is going to open its office in Bahrain. Campus France and Education Zone has made an agreement earlier to offer career planning advice to the students. This decision was taken during the GHEDEX, Oman's leading higher education exhibition, at Oman in April 2014. Campus France is a service of French Embassy to promote higher education of France. Campus France Agency is a public institution in charge of promoting higher education and managing the reception and international mobility of students, researchers, experts and guests. Thanks to its global network of 180 Campus France Espaces, the agency informs international students about French higher education, guides them on their choice of training, helps them complete their application form and gain a visa. “Education Zone (Ezone) consultants are dedicated to counsel students from the UAE & Gulf countries looking to study abroa

UOWD partners with TAHPI to launch courses in Heath Planning

Health matters..... Dubai, (UAE): The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has decided to start Short Certificate Courses in Health Planning to meet increasing demand for skilled professionals. In this regard, The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has entered into a collaborative partnership with Australia-based TAHPI Pty Limited (Total Alliance Health Partners International). As the UAE’s healthcare industry continues to experience unprecedented growth, the new agreement will see UOWD and TAHPI establish Short Certificate programmes to meet an increasing demand for skilled professionals to drive the development of the sector. TAHPI opened its offices in Dubai Healthcare City in April this year. TAHPI is the largest specialist health design firm in Australasia, with an unmatched depth of experience and specialist technology. TAHPI or Total Alliance Health Projects International provides a complete range of consultancy services for Health Facility Planning, Design and Co

What are India's fake universities?

Delhi,( India): What are India's fake Univesities? Now they were caught redhanded, and their list is out. The University Grants Commission(UGC) has published this list of fake Universities here in India. UGC is a statutory organisation set up by India Government to co-ordinate and maintaining the standard of Universities in India. UGC has released a list of unrecognised institutions in nine states, which are in violation of the provisions of the UGC Act, 1956. The list of the institutions has been posted on its official website. Uttar Pradesh has the most number of such institutes with 10 fake varsities while Maharashtra has the least with just Raja Arabic University identified on the list. Most of these varsities have been on the fake varsity list before this, but the UGC and Government authorities could not have taken any action against them. Section 22(1), of the UGC Act states that only universities established by an Act of Parliament or the State Legislature or an instit

AMA signs MOU with TWO French Universities

Manama, (Bahrain): A French delegation composed of Dr. Lamia Rouai, Director of Programmes Exchange and Ms. Julie Pidell, Director of International Relations representing universities of ECE and IT - Eiffel Paris, a well known private university in France is now in Bahrain to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with AMA International University – Bahrain (AMAIUB). The MOU between the two institutions will include exchange of programmes and students in Engineering and Business Studies, exchange of faculty members in these programmes, in addition to carrying out joint research endeavors. The institution is the only private university in France that was given a research grant by the French government; hence, it reflects the high research and academic status enjoyed by this institution in the French educational system. ECE which specializes in Engineering and IT - Eiffel which specializes in Business Studies are accredited by CTI, the French accrediting and licensing body of en

AUS students develop award-winning app

Sharjah, (UAE): Students from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) College of Engineering have developed a mobile solution that can help completely paralyzed patients communicate using a mobile app and a brain/computer interface. This project recently won first place at the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2014 UAE, and the team will now participate in the Pan Arab Semifinals to be held in Qatarlater this month. Basic communication needs for paralyzed people with lost motor skills is a major concern. The AUS student team—Nada Ali Obaid, Aya Belal Ali, Rana Omer Mahmoud and Mohammed Al Nabtiti—developed a smart phone app called iConnect that can determine the patients’ thoughts and feelings by reading brain signals. After interviews with doctors and the director of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, the student researchers developed a set of commands that would allow patients to convey hunger, thirst, pain and the need for basic motion. Prerecorded EEG neural signals were taken as a ba

Synthetic diamonds course at Indian Diamond Institute

Indian Diamond Institute Gandhinagar, (India): The Indian Diamond Institute (IDI) is going to start a new course in synthetic diamonds. This programme aims to teach students to learn a new technique called the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). This technique helps to create a diamond from the raw hydrocarbon gas mixture within laboratories. Synthetic diamond (also known as laboratory-created diamond, laboratory-grown diamond, cultured diamond or cultivated diamond) is diamond produced in an artificial process, as opposed to natural diamonds, which are created by geological processes. Synthetic diamond is also widely known as HPHT diamond or CVD diamond after the two common production methods referring to the high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD)crystal formation methods, respectively. The decision of starting this new course was announced during the IDI’s 36th convocation and foundation day that held on 13 May, 2014. In the event, the IDI cha

Indian School Muscat goes to e-World

Indian School Muscat Muscat: Indian School Muscat (ISM) have gone to the next stage of education and pedagogy by adopting e-World platform. E-World is believed to be improved students' learning abilities and the teaching skills of teachers. With e-World in place, the school will be provided with digital content, special webpages for both parents and children and SMS assistance. As part of the project computers, smart boards, projectors and speakers have been installed in classrooms. There is an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software also came in place, which will help teachers to improve their teaching and manage their volume of work effectively. the e-initiatives launched recently are working smoothly. In addition to lower the workload of teachers, the new system will also enable parents to keep a tab on their children's education. A big advantage for the parents is to get to know the performance of their children in real-time by logging into the school server a

IIT-B offers training for professionals

IIT Bombay logo Mumbai, (India): Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) goes a bit beyond regular stride. This time IIT-B is reaching out professionals for brushing up their old talents. Under its Department for Continuing Education Programmes, the move for building up a dedicated working professional have already started.  “We would like to give working professionals an opportunity to better their skills”- explains Dr Bijnan Bandyopadhyay, Professor- in-Charge, Continuing Education & Quality Improvement Programmes Office, IIT Bombay.  Now working professionals does not want to get outdated. They have an apetite to be globally competitive. To serve this purpose IIT-B is holding hand with the working professionals.  IIT Mumbai classroom Multiple choices Certificate Course on Piping Engineering is now available to engineers in both the contact as well as the online mode.In serving industry, IIT-B is redeeming itself. Last year, IIT-B conducted 50 open c