Education and Human Resources Council on Saturday held its eighth meeting to discuss a number of issues relating education, seconded students at overseas institutions, job opportunities for graduates as well as education plans.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council, chaired the meeting and stressed the need for departments responsible for secondment to co-ordinate their efforts.

Engineering and business administration students account for 48 per cent of the total number of seconded students, Dr. Ahmad bin Abdulla Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, noted, citing a recent study.

Engineering graduates receive the highest monthly salaries (AED37,000) while medicine and health sciences graduates and business administration graduates receive AED29,000 and AED26,000 respectively, according to the study, conducted by the Ministry of Education where 4803 graduates from the Zayed University, the Higher Colleges of Technology and the United Arab Emirates University were polled.

Sixteen per cent of the graduates who were employed have obtained post-graduate degrees, the study revealed.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy threw light on a plan to create a leading research and educational institute for economy and financial services to serve both the public and private sectors in the UAE.

The council approved the minutes of the previous meeting.

Other officials who attended the meeting include Saqr bin Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Najla bint Mohammed Al Awar, Minister of Community Development; Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education; Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and others.