UTS and UTS College proudly partnered with the 2025 UAE Youth Circle, an annual gathering presented by the UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs. The Youth Circle brings together approximately 200 sponsored Emirati students studying in Australia, and acts as a platform for connection, encouragement, and inspiration, supporting students to excel academically and deepen their commitment to the future of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Growing ties based on shared interests
“UTS and UTS College are proud of our ties with the UAE. We welcome this opportunity to demonstrate our support for sponsored UAE students,” said Peter Harris, Executive Director, Future Students, UTS College. “It reflects the growing connections between UTS, UTS College, and the UAE through our shared interests in education, innovation, and technology.”
The event was hosted by His Excellency Sultan Saif Al Neyadi, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs. Among his many impressive achievements, Sultan is the first Arab astronaut to serve on the International Space Station and the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Other important guests included UAE Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Dr Fahad Obaid Mohamed Altaffag Almarashda, two accomplished UAE astronauts: Hazzaa Al Mansouri and Nora Al Matrooshi, military and cultural dignitaries from Canberra, and sponsored Emirati students from UTS and the Australian Group of Eight universities.
Delegates also included military and cultural dignitaries from Canberra, and sponsored students from UTS and Group of Eight universities.
Also in attendance were Peter Murray, UTS Head of International Student Recruitment, and Associate Professor Dush Thalakotuna, UTS School of Electrical and Data Engineering. The Sydney event was timely, following the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which was signed on 1 October between Australia and the UAE. This is a landmark agreement which strengthens ties across education, research, and innovation.
A focus on space and astronaut research
Pre-conference discussions were productive and positive, with visitors showing great interest in UTS’s strengths in engineering and innovation. Conversation focused on space and astronaut research and the UTS Tech Lab drew particular attention. The Tech Lab is a national hub where industry, researchers, and startups collaborate in space, defence, and advanced manufacturing. Its testing facilities, digital simulation labs, and prototyping workshops make Sydney a focal point for space advancement.
Professor Thalakotuna, subject matter expert (SME) on TechLab, said: "I joined Peter in meeting with Sultan Saif Al Neyadi and the other delegates. His Excellency expressed genuine enthusiasm about future collaboration - particularly around workforce development.”
There was special interest in ‘ride-share satellite payload opportunities.’ “These are where UAE students come to UTS, work with one of our teams to build a payload and launch it through one of our partners. They also conduct their own small satellite launches annually, which could provide additional opportunities for free joint missions,” Professor Thalakotuna said.
A growing destination for Emirati students
The number of UAE students in Australia has increased from 200 to 700 within a year, with further growth expected. One such UTS College student, Rashed Ramadhan Mohamed Hadi Alameeri, won the UTS College Dean’s Merit Award for UTS Foundation Studies which recognises his academic performance in Trimester 1, 2025. He plans to undertake a Bachelor of Games Development at UTS.
Rashed says, “I chose to study at UTS university because I absolutely love everything in terms of technology, especially if it has any correlations to anything creative, and with its prestigious ranking within Australia, I became very interested.” UTS currently ranks UTS 96h in the world in the QS World University Rankings.[i]
Rashed also appreciates the welcoming environment at UTS and UTS College. “I love how caring and supportive the teachers are toward their students and how nice they are,” he says. “After getting my degree I plan to start my career in a game studio or a tech company where I can apply the programming and design skills I’ve developed. However, the primary dream is to become a successful full-time game developer.”
As more students like Rashad choose to study in Australia, the connection between UTS, UTS College and the UAE continues to grow, as does the potential for exciting partnerships in advanced technology.