In line with its mandate to increase public awareness about the UAE’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo, the Expo team this week launched two outreach programs to encourage students and academic faculty to participate in this important nationwide campaign.

The Expo team hosted an informational kiosk at “What Works” – a conference organised by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority representing 500 educators from every private school across the emirate. Held at Zayed University, conference attendees learned more about World Expos and how their students can support the bid and be part of this truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The team also opened an Expo 2020 kiosk on the campus of Canadian University in Dubai to generate support for the bid and highlight the many benefits the Expo can provide students, such as increased economic opportunities, a platform for new ideas and a chance to learn first-hand about innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.

The Expo team encouraged the academic community across the country to join the campaign, commenting that these ongoing outreach initiatives are key to raising awareness among students and strengthening the UAE’s bid to welcome the world in 2020.

Dubai, UAE, is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the 2020 World Expo, including Ayutthaya (Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey); and Sao Paulo (Brazil).

The winning city will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 161 member nations of the Bureau International des Expositions – the international organisation responsible for overseeing the bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.