Even the smallest moments at university have the potential to influence a student’s life. An interesting lecture can change a course of study. The perfect internship can launch a better-fitting career.
For Fardeen Shaikh, it was discovering the Shorelight office across the street from Heriot-Watt University Dubai, shortly after the new campus opened in 2021.
“If Heriot hadn’t moved, I wouldn’t have interned at or even known about Shorelight,” said Shaikh, who is now a grad student at the university and a full-time member of the Shorelight product team. “And now Heriot and Shorelight are the foundation of who I am.”
Since starting as an undergrad, Fardeen has:
Earned a degree in international business management
Interned in enrollment services at Shorelight
Started a full-time position in admissions
Advanced to Shorelight’s global product sales team
Enrolled in Heriot-Watt Dubai’s digital marketing postgraduate program
At Shorelight, “I originally interned as an enrollment service advisor for India, then I moved up to the admissions team in South Asia,” said Fardeen. “Now I’m with the product sales team globally.”
Fardeen is a business-minded graduate student who found his career, community, and calling while studying at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. Read on to learn more about his journey.
Is Heriot-Watt Dubai Good for International Students?
Heriot-Watt University Dubai is one of five Heriot-Watt campuses, three of which are in the UK, including the original 1821 Edinburgh campus. Besides Dubai, the other global campus outside the UK is in Malaysia.
Dubai is one of the world’s safest cities. International students report feeling comfortable in Dubai — which is also a diverse place to live and study. More than 90% of the city’s population comes from one of 200 countries other than the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Fardeen grew up in Dubai City, so he isn’t technically an international student. However, he did face many of the same challenges, coming from a school that taught the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum.
“Heriot-Watt uses the Scottish curriculum, so it was completely different and a bit difficult to adapt to at first,” said Fardeen. “CBSE students are not given that much exposure to the real world. But here, they want you to be out there, expressing yourself in a more open environment. The academic advisors on campus helped us get acclimated, and my professors were amazing. Soon, I was more than comfortable.”
Living and Studying at Knowledge Village, Home to Heriot-Watt Dubai
Fardeen’s classes included lectures, tutorials, and experiential opportunities with businesses in Knowledge Village, the same neighborhood as campus.
Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) — or Knowledge Park — is more business-minded than Academic City, where the old campus and many other Dubai-based universities are.
There are more than 500 global enterprises and organizations in the DKV area surrounding the new campus. Students at Heriot-Watt Dubai now have more immediate access to professional opportunities.
“My first semester, I visited some major organizations through Heriot, including noon, which is like Amazon for the Middle East,” said Fardeen. “We actually had a chance to explore the company and see their day-to-day jobs.”
How Is the Campus at Heriot-Watt Dubai?
The DKV campus is right across the famous Palm Jumeirah artificial island in Dubai. It features a central academic building and several purpose-built spaces such as labs, research facilities, workshops, study spaces, and libraries. More than 200,000 square feet of learning space is available to students.
“The way they have divided the main academic building is very systematic: You have your engineering floor, computer science floor, your business floor,” said Fardeen. “But, after visiting Edinburgh, I can say they’ve managed to provide a smaller, copy-and-paste version of all the UK campus has, except over here in Dubai.”
Where Are Classes Conducted at Heriot-Watt?
One six-floor building hosts most of the classes at Heriot-Watt Dubai. Here’s how the academic building is set up:
Floor 1: Reception and student collaboration areas
Floor 2: Library featuring millions of online and physical resources
Floor 3: Staff and PhD student area, a great place to meet with instructors
Floor 4: Design Hub, where students bring their ideas to life
Floor 5: The business school and executive educational area
Floor 6: Engineering and innovation area for building the next cutting-edge breakthrough
How Did Fardeen Find His Internship at Shorelight?
Shortly after COVID-19 restrictions lessened, Fardeen began looking for professional internships and opportunities in the new neighborhood.
“We have Cisco Systems, Google, General Electric, Microsoft, and all of these channel partners who we work with through the university,” said Fardeen. “That’s how I learned about the opportunity at Shorelight.”
Fardeen heard about Shorelight from the career services team at Heriot-Watt. They helped him reach out to a Shorelight human resources representative and draft a letter of introduction.
The Shorelight hiring managers responded to Fardeen’s query. They told him of an internship position available on the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) enrollment team. He then interviewed and was offered the position. Not much later, he was hired full time.
“I have met tons of people throughout my three years here at Shorelight, and they have assisted me throughout my journey from student to colleague,” said Fardeen. “I have huge plans for myself and what I can dedicate to this organization.”
Fardeen’s Advice for Incoming Students
From undergrad to master’s degree, internship to global product position, Fardeen has learned a lot in a short amount of time at Heriot-Watt.
When asked, he advises incoming students to reach out to professors and advisors, reminding them that the community is there to set them up for success.
“First things first: communicate. If you’re studying at Heriot, word of mouth is the key to finding the best opportunities,” said Fardeen. “That’s how I found out about Shorelight.”
Fardeen encourages international students to network. Take advantage of the experiential opportunities available in the DKV area.
“I have been with Heriot-Watt for an undergraduate and graduate degree. Then, to find out that Shorelight is now partnered with Heriot-Watt, that was an added bonus,” said Fardeen. “It’s like Heriot-Watt and Shorelight are meant to be a part of my life.”