Students from the UAE and Qatar visited the RRS Discovery at Discovery Point in Dundee today (Friday, June 25) to learn about Captain Scott’s epic Polar expedition in the early 1900s.
They are among a 36-strong party in the city for a three-week Summer School organised by the Al-Maktoum Institute.
“We are extremely grateful to Dundee Heritage Trust for organising the visit to what is a fascinating exhibition about Captain Scott and his historic scientific mission to Antarctica,” said Professor Malory Nye, Principal of the Institute.
This is the seventh such Summer School and the 10th visit of UAE students to Scotland in all when the Institute’s Academic Training Programmes, held in January/February, are taken into account.
The students, from eight different colleges and universities in the UAE and Qatar, plus eight chaperones arrived earlier this week, bringing the total of female students from the UAE to visit the city in the past seven years to almost 350.
The Institute estimates the twice-yearly visits represent a £200,000 boost to the local Dundee economy.The Summer School – focused on learning about Scotland and in particular the history, culture, and traditions of Scotland in the contemporary world – also includes a visit to the city’s Verdant Works, a museum which is also the responsibility of Dundee Heritage Trust.
Mark Munsie, Operations Director for Dundee Heritage Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Institute has chosen Discovery Point and Verdant Works as part of their Summer School visit for the students.
“We hope they find their visit interesting and informative as we are dedicated to the preservation and portrayal of Dundee’s Heritage in ways that educate, inspire and enlighten current and future generations.”
