By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

The two-day Qatar Global Education Fair, which opened Tuesday, attracted a large number of visitors to explore the possibilities of studying in top-ranked universities and colleges overseas.

More than 50 universities, higher education institutions and government organisations have set up information booths at Sheraton Doha to give details on study options and opportunities to study abroad, academic programmes, and non-academic services, among others.

“It is an invaluable opportunity to join other local, regional and international academic institutions, and engage a new audience of prospective students and faculty,” Qatar University vice president and chief academic officer Dr Mazen Hasna said in a press statement.

He added that the education fair is also an opportunity to bring more awareness of QU’s position as a leading academic organisation in Qatar and the region, and a strong partner in promoting quality education at home and abroad.

The event, which concludes Wednesday, is sponsored by QU and Hamad Bin Khalifa University and organised by BMI as part of a series of fairs taking place in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait.

Lund University (LU), Sweden, which hosts students from 130 countries, attracted many visitors at its booth. One of the oldest learning institutions in Scandinavia, LU is ranked 60th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2014/15) and regarded as the best student city in Sweden. The European country is also one of the safest in the world and ranked as one of the best to live in.

LU offers five bachelor programmes, 100 Master’s degree programmes and 500 stand-alone courses all taught in English.

Students who have excellent academic records have the opportunity to get “prestigious merit-based” scholarships.

The Campus France highlights the strong points of French higher education: its variety of degree programmes available in any given discipline. “France’s system of ‘national diplomas’ ensures that degrees have the same value regardless of the institution that confers them.”

Another exhibitor is the University of Ottawa, the largest bilingual (English-French) university in the world and the largest law school in Canada.

Other exhibitors at the event include QU, HBKU, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar Skills Academy, UCL Qatar, British Council in Qatar, Embassy of Canada to the State of Qatar, Bath Spa University, Chapman University – Computational and Data Sciences, Education USA, English UK, Mississippi College, Pace University – New York, SMU Lyle School of Engineering, The University of Derby, Thompson Rivers University, University of California - Irvine, University of Debrecen, University of Essex, and Universiti Sains Malaysia, among others.

“All the fairs in the Middle East have had a great attendance but in Qatar we had nearly twice as many as in Dubai,” BMI president and CEO Samir Zaveri said in a press statement. He noted that the Qatar government has prioritised education in the country. "Judging by the number of parents who accompanied their children, it is a top priority for them as well,” Zaveri added.