The UAE Alumni Group’s Schools Outreach Programme celebrated recent successes and organized a networking session for alumni and prospective Oxbridge applicants and their parents, kindly hosted by Dubai College on 5 September 2016. The event was filled to capacity of 100 and included schools University Counsellors.

The early September date was chosen to allow the latest recruits, about to go up to Oxford and Cambridge, to join existing alumni to share their experiences with students from a number of different schools across Dubai all aspiring to follow in their footsteps.

In this last year of the Schools Outreach Programme, over 20 students from UAE schools received offers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities.  For the 2016 intake there were over 20 offers received by students from Dubai College alone, with final figures for the UAE still to be confirmed. It is therefore clear that the Alumni Group’s support in the form of mock interviews, reviews of personal statements and mentoring, as part of a co-ordinated effort with schools and students, is having a significant impact on the numbers of UAE students gaining access to an Oxbridge education.

Hoda Barakat, who has overseen the programme, welcomed everyone with news of the most recent acceptances, and introduced each of the speakers. Mark Beer OBE, Chairman of the UAE Alumni Group, gave an introduction to the UAE Alumni Group; Mike Lambert, Principal of Dubai College and an alumnus himself spoke about his experiences at interview, and his school’s 5 step Top Up programme for Oxbridge candidates. Professor James Williams offered valuable insight into what he and his fellow academics look for when faced with a large number of well qualified applicants, followed by Gill Shepherd (incoming school liaison officer) and Aaditya Sarna who spoke about Life at Oxford and the Said Business School respectively.

A general Q and A ensued, concluding with the self-introduction of all 15 alumni present before breaking into small networking groups for more focused discussions with specific alumni over drinks and light refreshments.

Munira Rajkotwalla, a Year 13 student from GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis hoping to study Human, Social and Political Science at Cambridge, described the event as ‘absolutely inspirational’ and many of the school representatives in attendance said that they had acquired a better understanding of what more they could be doing to support students wishing to apply to Oxbridge.  The event succeeded in motivating all concerned not least the UAE Schools Outreach Programme alumni volunteers who are looking forward to developing further their successful partnership with local schools in the forthcoming round of applications for the 2017 intake.