winners of english language programme leave for the uk
Families, friends and HSBC officials gathered yesterday at Dubai International airport to see-off the winners of the English Language Programme sponsored by the HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation. The 18 young enthusiastic nationals are looking forward to spending five weeks studying English at some of the most advanced language schools in the UK.
Mohamed Almulla, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation, said: “This programme has proven to be both popular and successful since we launched it in 1996. We hope that the students will take full advantage of this scholarship, and gain experience which will undoubtedly help them.”
The courses together with flights, accommodation and living expenses, are provided by the HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation. The 18 secondary school students were selected based on a brief written and verbal competition run in conjunction with the British Council earlier this year. The students are from public schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaima, Al Ain, Khor Fakan, and Dibba.
During their five weeks stay students will undergo formal English training at Cambridge, Brighton, Oxford, and Hastings. They will live with English families to gain experience of the English culture and traditions and at the same time share their own Emirati culture with people of the United Kingdom. At the end of the language course, students will spend two and a half day in London during which they will have the opportunity to visit the city’s historical and cultural sites.
“The HSBC in the Community Middle East Foundation underlines the Bank’s long association with the UAE and its continued commitment to the region as a whole and its ongoing needs. Education is crucial to the development and prosperity of every country, which is why we are proud and eager to support various educational programmes for young nationals, including this English Language Programme,” added Mr. Almulla.
