Students at the KT University Expo 2025 showed a keen interest in emerging fields, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and healthcare management.
The trend reflects a shift in academic aspirations, with students increasingly seeking technology-driven careers as well as opportunities to develop leadership, analytical, and operational skills — areas that were less popular just a few years ago.
Universities at the expo also highlighted the importance of blending theoretical learning with practical experience, ethical awareness, and interdisciplinary skills in their programmes.
Jyoto Manoj, assistant manager at De Montfort University Dubai, noted that the UAE market is witnessing a growing demand for technology-oriented programmes.
“Specifically, in the UAE market, we see high demand for cybersecurity as well as psychology-related programmes. These two other programmes are also receiving a lot of interest these days, specifically because of the demand in the fields of artificial intelligence and computing. But if you check our records in terms of the student numbers, the most needed programmes are still for business management.
“That’s along all the universities. But the interest of the students is actually beginning in cybersecurity, psychology, and marketing communications. Some of these are the new emerging fields that the students are interested in.”
Students are also increasingly exploring specialised online courses, certifications, and research opportunities that equip them to tackle real-world challenges while providing clear career pathways.
Amro Mohamed, Marketing and Outreach Manager at GBS Dubai, described healthcare management as an emerging “trend” alongside AI and cybersecurity in the coming years.
He said, “We have an exciting program called Healthcare Management. Many students initially think they want to become a doctor, nurse, or surgeon — but not all of them do. Some want to work within the healthcare system in a broader capacity, running hospitals and managing operations. That’s exactly where healthcare management comes in, and we’ve seen growing interest in this field.
“Students can complete two years of Healthcare Management at GBS Dubai to earn a Higher National Diploma, and then continue their studies at other locations. GBS is actually a part of a bigger group called Global Education. Under this, we have GBS Dubai, UK, Malta, along with affiliations with several universities around the globe. We are present in around 14 locations (we also have a Pearson list of universities). We have over 60,000 students globally.”
For many students, the expo offered guidance on academic choices and career paths. Luca Erkol, a Grade 11 student at the German International School Dubai, said, “I was mainly just looking for a direction, because when you talk about college admissions, in general, I was relatively clueless. So, this event has given me a direction…what I want to study, or where do I even want to study, and what kind of universities would I want to be looking at for my future. Especially if I am looking at staying in Dubai. This was a great opportunity to look at what education in Dubai has to offer, and also look at what kind of institutions we have here in Dubai.”
“If I were to be looking abroad, I’ll look at England, or the US,” he added, showing that while local options are attractive, global opportunities remain on students’ radar as well.
Year 13 student, Aakansha Rao said, “I learnt about new subjects like Public Health. I am also interested in AI . So, using technology to improve healthcare services and support data-driven decision-making to run hospitals more efficiently could be an interesting field to explore. I haven’t decided anything, but all this has got me thinking.”
© Khaleej Times
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