A fantastic lifestyle and the chance to study in the fast lane of modern academia are some of the more obvious attractions of university life in Dubai - but does study in this Mid-East powerhouse really offer a rewarding alternative to familiar options closer to home?

Unlike choosing a holiday or even an overseas work contract, commitment to a degree course in the Gulf is a momentous decision. Realistically most of us will only make one, truly pivotal choice about where to study.

So while the glamorous surroundings and cosmopolitan society are a definite bonus, the real value has to be in the quality of the education - and with it the assurance that something “extra” is being added over and above the UK experience.

It is a mistake to think of British and Gulf further education to be in competition, because in fact there is a strong symbiosis between the two that has grown on the back of major research projects and long term business and academic relationships.

By the same token an institution such as the American University of Sharjah is firmly linked to main corporate drivers of the US economy, with a syllabus carefully devised to stimulate the enterprise and initiative modern industry absolutely relies upon in its drive to develop.

On the one hand university culture seems purposely streamed towards a thoroughly traditional approach to study in its broadest sense, while at the other the “hands on “ experience - for example in a mechanical engineering course - puts the student firmly in the driving seat.

It’s an approach designed to break down barriers and push beyond pre-set limits, while at the same keeping projects on budget and completed to schedule - the need for theory to blend seamlessly with practice is constant.

Many of the students at such a university will have specific career interests in the region, so that study in this multicultural entrepot becomes a natural preparation in any one of half a dozen prime sectors, from engineering to education.

However that doesn’t automatically have to be the case, and for some - for example someone on that mechanical engineering course may plan to work in the UK, at least short term - study in Dubai is mainly a way of getting that “extra” academic edge, relevant to a future career path.

At the same time the experience of daily living in such a climate - and studying one of its prime academic resources - can also help to shape the future in a variety of positive ways.

Dubai is consciously developing the reputation (following colossal investment in academic resources) of being an international star of further education, both on all the important quality indicators - including the “factor X” of personal satisfaction - and on its position as a crucial interstice of high level global commerce.

It is a sustained drive that has used wealth to create long-lasting value infrastructure, adding depth and strength to a dynamic economy - one which can clearly benefit from having skilled graduates honed to excellence in its universities.

At the least, study in Dubai promises a valuable supplement to the typical UK experience, but beyond that it can potentially open a whole new stream of future career possibilities.

It’s a prospect ambitious students increasingly take on board while surveying a list of further education options.