Marwan Al Sawaleh, Undersecretary of Ministry of Education, opened today the International Education Show (IES) at Expo Centre Sharjah. The show is an important event in the academic calendar of students seeking to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational courses in leading educational institutes in the UAE as well as abroad. The show will also be a key platform for student counselors, policymakers, researchers, teachers and officials from local universities and agencies to check out new programmes and latest curricula additions and explore tie-ups with foreign educational institutions. Organisers say the higher education event in Sharjah has seen strong growth, confirming the trend of rising demand for higher education among nationals and expatriates. The four-day show, has registered a 31 per cent rise in the number of exhibitors, will showcase nearly 150 institutions, against last year's 104. Al Sawaleh said the show provides an ideal platform for students of public secondary schools to get insight into study options available in local universities. Parents, he added, can also share and consult with their children in regards to specialisations that fit them most and other alternatives. The International Education Show will be a dedicated platform for local and international institutions to target the ambitious student population in the region. The show includes several higher education institutions from all over the world, covering universities, colleges, polytechnics, business schools, technical institutes, management training centers, medical schools, tertiary institutions, professional management bodies, distance learning institutes. The International Education Show (IES) has managed to carve a niche for itself in the highly competitive education industry, thanks to its unique appeal among students and parents in the country and the region.