HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan praises role of University of Dubai in hosting first ever EFMD conference in the region Monday, 06 December 2010 17:30

Dubai, UAE (December 6, 2010) – His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, praised the role played by the University of Dubai (UD), a prestigious university in the UAE established by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for hosting the first ever conference held by the European Federation of Management Development (EFMD) in the region. He applauded the focus of the conference dedicated towards improving management education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Delivering the keynote address during this high profile three-day event, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, said, “By holding this conference in Dubai, you underscore that the key to driving the UAE’s progress lies in maximizing human potential. Many countries in the MENA region have some of the fastest growing economies in the world, and are an integral part of the global inter-connected economy.

“It is now obvious that the success of our economies is increasingly linked to the success of our business sectors, where educated, sophisticated and ethical managers play a vital role. Your conference provides a broad-based forum for discussing and analyzing the main issues that surround management education in our region.”

He added that the recent economic crisis clearly demanded innovative thinking as well as the exploration of new ways to conduct business and finance. In fact the economic conditions of the past two years have highlighted the importance of the work of colleges and universities in supplying the ideas, talent and leadership required in all aspects of our lives.
He said: “As you debate the issues in front of you, I want to briefly remind you that our goal in the UAE is to prepare business students to be active learners. Our students must take responsibility for their own learning and for their behavior. We must do our best to ensure that they leave the university imbued with the spirit of continued lifelong learning to maintain high standards of ethical behavior throughout their working life.”

Dr M. Omar Hefni, President of UD, pointed out: “We are extremely happy with the outcome of the conference as it gave us a chance to look at the latest advances in the realm of management studies. Thus we hope the results of the conference will go a long way in realizing the dream of creating a sustainable knowledge portfolio of regional students on a par with international standards.”

Thierry Grange, EFMD Conference Chair and Director, Grenoble Ecole de Management, maintained: “Though the MENA region has been providing quality graduates they have previously studied in Europe and not here as this part of the world was not seen as a centre of knowledge. Thus by bringing EFMD to Dubai, UD has done a wonderful job of creating a great opportunity for new applicants (universities) to acquire this accreditation which will help them gain visibility at the global level.”

Eric Cornuel, Director General, EFMD, stated: “As Dubai is the place where East meets West, it’s about time that the countries’ universities to invest in the development of skills and are able to create managers who can manage their countries well in future, carry out their own research and influence through knowledge. I congratulate the head of UD in sponsoring this conference as it will help academicians to develop necessary skills in their students vital to making informed decisions while living in this complex world. As a result the MENA region will develop a knowledge based economy.”