The workshop, the sixth and final in the series, will include presentations and recommendations by the seven countries to their respective Ministers and policy-makers. Representatives from Dubai, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Oman, and Palestine will attend the workshop.

The Dubai School of Government (DSG) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) are partners for the event, and sessions will be divided between their offices.

The programme, the Regional Network for Education Research Initiative (RNfERI), is funded by a World Bank grant to the National Center for Human Resource Development (NCHRD) in Jordan. Their staff have been mentoring the country teams, along with the World Bank team. The World Bank’s partner in this initiative is the Islamic Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

The World Bank wants to raise awareness among senior policy-makers, such as Ministers of Education of the participating countries, of the importance of continuing analysis of future student assessments in order to provide the evidence needed for appropriate decision-making.

World Bank Education Sector Manager, Mourad Ezzine, said, “For children to be enrolled in schools and sitting in classrooms is no longer sufficient. The benefits of education can only accrue if countries ensure that children are learning. This critical initiative brings together researchers and education policy makers to build capacity for evidence-based policy making, so that MENA countries may translate assessment findings into policies that improve student learning and tackle school performance issues. Only this type of approach will enable significant, sustained and widespread gains in outcomes.”

The RNfERI is tasked with encouraging the analysis of data from international assessments such as TIMSS and PISA, so that policies are based on evidence and targeted to each country’s most urgent needs. Many MENA countries have participated in these assessments, and the series of workshops has focused on teaching people in the region’s education community how best to analyse the results, and use them.

The workshop is also designed to be a forum where the country teams can obtain feedback from their high-level policy-makers. Members will discuss the best way in which the network can stay together in the future to continue its research and develop its conversation with policy-makers.

KHDA is hosting the 6th workshop, and as a result of its participation Dubai now has 14 Emiratis trained in the analysis of TIMSS data who will be able to train others. It is partnering with Dubai School of Government for the event, and with other organizations to analyze its own TIMMS 2007 results.

KHDA spokesperson Rabaa AlSumaiti said, “We want to share Dubai’s story with other MENA countries, and we want to listen to other country teams so that we can learn from each other. We encourage all schools to use the data and recommendations to support their own unique journey of development. Our next round of TIMSS results will be announced in December of this year and we will again be using them to improve our teaching and learning of maths and science. KHDA is committed to achieving the highest standards of education in Dubai and we have always said that the only way to improve is to know where you are starting from. That is what our analysis of results is really for.”

Manchester Business School (MBS) Middle East International Executive Centre at Dubai Knowledge Village has recorded the school’s largest ever intake of MBA students by any MBS international centre worldwide, with 142 working professionals joining one of the four part time MBA programmes offered by MBS to students in the Middle East.

Following the record January student intake, the Middle East centre in Dubai Knowledge Village now supports more than 1,200 part time MBA students in the region. The Middle East centre continues to be the largest and fastest growing in the MBS international network of seven centres worldwide, less than six years after opening in the region in 2006.

Of the Middle East January 2012 intake of 142 new students, more than 10 per cent are women and half of all the students are resident in the UAE, with a significant proportion based in Saudi Arabia. More than 40 nationalities are represented in the new cohort (students representing 85 nationalities in total are supported by the MBS Middle East centre), including Emirati students.

Ms Randa Bessiso, Director Middle East at Manchester Business School, comments: “MBS is delighted to announce the record enrolment of new MBA students in the Middle East, which continues to be the most dynamic centre in the MBS network. Just as important is the quality and diversity of the intake, including a strong cohort of female students, and many of the new students already hold a masters degree. We are also seeing rising numbers of our students being supported financially by their employers, which is very encouraging. The new students are experienced working professionals in mid career and come from a wide range of companies in the private and public sectors, operating in a range of industries - Telecoms, manufacturing and energy/utilities accounting for the largest share.

“Demand in the region for an MBA from the one of the world’s top business schools remains strong and we are continuing to add new modules to help students tailor their programmes more specifically to their needs. An MBA is a career and life changing experience and our part time students have the great advantage over full time students in that they take their learning into the workplace every day, whilst continuing their careers, and still benefiting from substantial exposure to MBS faculty,” Ms Bessiso adds.

The MBS Middle East Centre offers four, part-time, post experience MBA programmes for working professionals – Global MBA; Engineering; Finance; and Project Management. The Manchester MBA is triple accredited and awarded by the University of Manchester.

Almost a quarter of the new class enrolled on London Business School’s Executive MBA (Dubai) programme are female, the highest proportion ever seen at the School’s Dubai Centre.

The female students make up 24 per cent of the new intake, the highest ever since its opening in 2007, and among them are two female students from Kuwait and one from Qatar. The trend reveals the increasing popularity of the Executive MBA (Dubai) programme not only amongst women, but also nationals of the GCC with 15 per cent of students coming from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

The intensive 18-month programme of study will see the students balancing full-time jobs at the same time as studying, giving them the opportunity to apply their learnings in the workplace so that the impact on their careers is immediate.

New student Mona Salam, who is Head of Marketing and Promotions for Universal Music MENA, recently completed Orientation Week:

“I’ve enjoyed the numerous opportunities given to network with fellow students from both the Dubai and London streams.  I enrolled this year because London Business School paves the way to not only adding individual value through education, but to developing valuable lifelong relationships that render beyond the classroom.”

And for the first time students from Australia and South Africa have joined, making the commute from Perth and Johannesburg to Dubai and bringing up-to-the-minute insights on business in their countries with them.

Ruth Martel, London Business School’s Executive MBA Programme Director, said:

“Around 35 per cent of the class are based outside of the UK or UAE, which shows the global appeal of this programme.

“The class brings a variety of personal and professional achievements and the fact we are now attracting students from as far afield as Australia indicates to us just how diverse this program has become and the way in which the world is doing business.”

The average length of professional experience for the new class is just over 10 years management experience each, which amounts to a combined 1,378 years worth of experience and insight they contribute as a class to the global business community. There are 14 industries represented, including IT, telecom, legal, finance, education, media and oil and gas, with a number of students once again coming from finance and banking.

London Business School students will take modules every three to four weeks at the Dubai International Financial Centre, before going on to take electives in both Dubai and London in year two.  The students’ second year of study will also see them complete an international assignment before finishing the course with two modules alongside their London-based colleagues.

“Combining the two streams at the beginning, middle and end of their programme builds their global perspectives, providing them with a rich and diverse network beyond their own stream experience,” added Ruth.

At least half of the students in the 2013 class were referred to the School by current students or alumni.

The Executive MBA programme in  is taught exclusively by London Business School’s own faculty.

The programme gives students, who have a strong, proven ability in business management, a thorough grounding in all key areas of business.  EMBAs can also specialise in their chosen fields through the School’s diverse elective portfolio. 

MBS DBA programme seeks innovative research ideas from senior Middle East business people

31 January 2012 (Dubai, UAE): *One of the world’s top business research doctoral programmes aims to recruit experienced senior business people in the Middle East to undertake cutting edge research. Manchester Business School’s (MBS) global programme admits only 30 students per year, worldwide, and there are currently more than 20 students from the region on the programme. The MBS Doctoral programme is a world class qualification, which has once again been ranked number one in the world by the Financial Times in its 2012 rankings published on January 30th 2012.

The DBA programme emphasises the application of knowledge to research issues. The DBA research is intended to apply state of the art knowledge to a specific management issue to directly improve the quality of the decision making. Through the DBA programme, senior business practitioners can undertake a substantial piece of research work, whilst remaining in a real business environment and with minimal disruption to their lives, and focus on the practical business application of the research.

Speaking during her visit to the UAE to meet prospective DBA candidates, Professor Jikyeong Kang, Director of the DBA programme at Manchester Business School, commented; “We are delighted to have the MBS DBA reconfirmed as the world’s top ranked programme by the FT in its 2012 rankings, which is important to students considering investing a substantial amount of time and effort in embarking on this rigorous programme. Research is at the heart of Manchester Business School and we are fortunate to have a very strong base of faculty to supervise our doctoral programme students. The Middle East is very important for the DBA programme, with students from the region accounting for more than 10 per cent of the current global student base and I have been impressed  by the candidates we have met during my visit.”     
The MBS DBA programme combines self-study with residential workshops at the Manchester Business School campus in the UK. The programme is delivered using a blend of self study and face-to-face teaching in year one, providing solid foundations for refined research methods in order to carry out research of a commercial nature. The DBA typically takes 4-5 years to complete, offering flexibility for working professionals.

The DBA is ideal for those business professionals entering the consultancy business, for those in company charged with ideas generation, business research, and development, and those seeking to advance their career in those directions. Academics also choose the DBA as a path to career development, in particular consultancy work.

Manchester Business School has over 250 academics available as supervisors, covering a broad spectrum of research interests, many of them at the forefront of their chosen fields.

Randa Bessiso, Director Middle East for MBS, added: “The DBA programme is highly specialised and intended for very experienced and senior business people, who are looking to undertake an original piece of serious research. We currently have more than 20 senior business people from the region following the DBA programme and we expect that number to grow substantially.”
http://www.mbs.ac.uk/programmes/dba/

According to a study by GETEX, demand for vocational and occupational education in the UAE has been growing in recent years, particularly for courses that offer opportunities to make an immediate entry or advancement in careers in key industries such as aviation, hospitality, fashion, nursing, teaching, creative arts and public service. Moreover, vocational training presents several benefits to individuals, including improved employment opportunities, better earning potential, greater job satisfaction and improved interaction in the workplace.

GETEX 2012 will run from 19th to 21st April 2012 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, gathering more than 500 institutions and no less than 2,500 academic, vocational and training programmes on offer. More than 30,000 visitors from across the Middle East are also expected to attend GETEX 2012.

Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, International Conferences and Exhibitions (IC&E), organizers of the event, said: “The UAE government has been aggressively implementing initiatives and strategies to enhance the state of vocational and occupational education in the country. This is a very encouraging development that will create a positive impact in efforts to produce a high quality workforce. These initiatives serve as a huge incentive for us to promote vocational courses as a viable option of higher education at GETEX 2012.”

“Complementing the government’s efforts to enhance the technical proficiency of UAE nationals, GETEX 2012 will offer  several options of occupational courses, particularly for those who want to pursue a job-oriented programme leading on to a rewarding career” added Godinho.

An exhaustive number of academic programs will be offered by higher education institutions from all over the world at GETEX 2012. Universities from USA, UK, Australia, Canada, India, Lebanon, Turkey, Malaysia and 30 other countries will be represented at the event.

The portal contains subscriptions to five major databases for a wide range of media: journal articles, e-books, newspapers, dissertations and theses, country reports, case studies, video seminars, and citations and abstracts, amongst others.

All 15,000 ADEC employees can now have full-text access to over 11,000 journals and 70,000 books from more than 500 publishers, approximately 1.2 million dissertations and theses, and more than 2,000 newspapers in 54 languages from 95 countries, in addition to many other forms of media.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Rafic Makki, Executive Director, Office of Strategic Affairs at ADEC said: “This project will help empower every single staff member, whether a policy researcher, curriculum developer, urban planner, school principal, or teacher with nearly unlimited amounts of up-to-date and authoritative information on the latest literature and best-practices in education, as well as cater to their professional development needs.”

Interested candidates signed up for a two hour training session to learn how to access/use the portal throughout a three day workshop held at ADEC on Thursday January 26th, Sunday January 29th and Monday January 30th 2012.

“The mission of the portal is to promote and encourage ADEC staff to engage in research to better inform their work and professional capacities, and to build their e-literacy and research skills by developing the ability to better evaluate the reliability of general and online resources, and the tools required to engage in that process” continued Dr. Makki.

“In addition, it builds an foundation within ADEC for one of the priorities of the Abu Dhabi Higher Education Strategic Plan, which is to build and maintain a research ecosystem to drive an innovation-based economy by fostering an environment of scholarship and discovery.”

“The whole idea is to go beyond public information, often unfiltered, and retrieve credible and updated information and news on education or any other field.  For instance, individuals can access dissertations and theses written by doctoral candidates all over the world.  These are valuable resources for any of our staff who may be considering furthering their studies, who are already engaged in their studies, or who wish to read only the abstracts to gauge trends and gain general information on a particular topic related to their work.” added Dr. Makki.

The portal contains publications by the world’s largest and leading publishers.  Publishers include organizations such as the OECD, World Bank, UNESCO, US Department of Education, and WHO; private publishers such as Economist Intelligence Unit, Elsevier, Routledge, McGraw-Hill, and Taylor & Francis; and University Presses of Oxford, Cambridge, University of Chicago, Yale and Harvard, amongst many others.

The 6th Quality Conference in the Middle East under the theme “Innovation-based Competitiveness and Business Excellence”, commenced with a speech by Professor Peter Hines, Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff Business School, who talked about the Lean Business System, which plays a central role in achieving quality management and keeping pace with rapid developments in various fields. Professor Hines also discussed the importance of establishing a clear and sound foundation that includes setting ambitious goals to improve performance and achieve the desired results, and excellence on both a personal and institutional level. During the conference, participants discussed the role of total quality management in the promotion of competitive advantages and furthering sustainable development, which is a pressing concern in all modern societies.

The 5th Conference on eLearning Excellence in the Middle East was held under the theme “Sustainable Innovation in Education – Capacity-Building, Blended Learning and Beyond”. It was attended by Dr. Frits Pannekoek, President, Athabasca University in Canada, who discussed the role of innovative approaches in promoting competitiveness, creating an environment for learning, and developing competencies to take advantage of available technologies to improve blended learning. Prof. Alain Senteni, Chair of the eLearning Conference and Dean of the School of e-Education at HBMeU, delivered a speech wherein he emphasized the importance of innovation in enhancing intellectual abilities and achieving personal success particularly with the advent of the Information Society, which has enabled societies to evolve and keep pace with rapid changes. Prof. Senteni noted that the conference has succeeded in strengthening its role as a forum for those involved in the creation and evolution of management methodologies in learning, innovation and excellence in e-learning. It also provides an interactive platform to exchange experiences and best practices through the participation of leading experts and thinkers who have invested considerable time and expertise in preparing the agenda of the event.

The “4th e-Health and Environment Conference in Middle East” which was held under the theme “Building an Innovative and Competitive Vision for e-Health and Environment in the 21st Century”, discussed the key issues and challenges related to e-health in developing regions, with the participation of Professor Maurice Mars, Head of Department of TeleHealth at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, who delivered a speech titled “Health in the Developing World: Is the Health Divide Widening?

The speakers and participants of the three parallel conferences lauded the efforts of HBMeU in organizing the Annual Congress 2012, which continues to consolidate its position as an interactive platform that cultivates scientific interaction and promotes a culture of excellence, innovation and quality among the academic, social and business communities. They also highlighted the pioneering role of the university in continuing the drive for academic excellence and promoting the concept of e-learning.

HBMeU is the first e-learning institute in the Arab World that was established with the vision to develop a new learning process through the implementation of learning practices characterised by flexibility, quality and diversity to strengthen self-leadership among learners and prepare them socially and academically for a future career through integration in the job market. HBMeU’s philosophy is based on vital methods that have been developed through extensive research and development by specialists from all over the world. These methods include offering high quality programs, supporting the pursuit of lifelong learning, promoting the freedom of information, reinforcing the culture of excellence and innovation and providing education for everyone in line with the highest standards of comprehensiveness and credibility. The university seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.

The Forte Foundation is a consortium of leading business schools and multinational companies which aims to provide and enhance the tools and resources for women to achieve successful leadership careers within business.

The impact on women is business education is important but as Diane Morgan points out the work done for women in the global business atmosphere is invaluable.  “I’m proud to promote the work that Forte has done for women in business schools but more importantly, for women in global business since Forte was launched in 2001.  Being part of an organisation that provides access and support to education for women who would not have otherwise had the resources to be in front of some of the world’s top companies is a privilege.  Efforts like Forte’s, combined with efforts like the UK’s 30% Club, are providing opportunities for women from entry to board level to make an impact on business and institutions like London Business School to identify and partner with future business women and companies.”

Commenting on the latest appointments to the board, Elissa Sangster, executive director at the foundation, said they will determine the organisation’s future success.

She added: “This diverse and powerful group of officers brings with them an amazing range of backgrounds and experiences that will enable Forte to reach a broader audience of women and influence them in a more significant way.”

London Business School is active in promoting the leadership of women in business by offering a number of scholarship opportunities for women, including one from the Forte Foundation and a campaign to increase the female student population in coming years.

London Business School’s affiliations with Forte and with the 30% Club have allowed the School to both commit to, and achieve the goal of having a third of the full-time MBA class made up of women for the first time ever.   This capable group of LBS women, some of whom are Forte Fellows, will soon be leading the LBS Women in Business Conference  on 2 March at the Royal Society, titled: Inspiration: Women Moving Business Forward.

Diversity and commitment to the Forte Foundation are among the attributes the board’s nominating committee looks for in potential candidates.

The Dubai campus of London Business School was set up in 2006 and has since established itself as a global hub for the school. Both the London and Dubai programmes are synchronised providing the exact same standards of teaching and excellence that has come to be expected of the school. Based at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Dubai programme offers the opportunity to study and network in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

His Excellency Humaid Mohamed Obaid Al Qutami, UAE minister of education and chairman of the 12th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness 2012, highlighted the significance of the event, which will take place under the theme “Nurturing Talent, Growing Potential.” His Excellency commented on the significance of hosting the event has to the UAE.

He said, “Giftedness 2012 is scientific forum and a gathering of the brightest minds from across the globe with their educators, parents, administrators and professors. Giftedness 2012’s objective is to create educational benchmarks for our gifted youth, to build a knowledge centre to identify nurture, develop, protect and support individuals whose intellectual uniqueness and innate predispositions hinder their social wellbeing.”

His Excellency further explained that the UAE has been making exceptional efforts in its public initiatives, especially in the fields of education and empowerment of human resources, with plans to implement its national curriculum for gifted children. Through the organization of the exhibition as well as the country playing host to leading experts in science and research, it will provide unrivalled access to the latest studies, research and practices within this sector.

Dr Jamal Al Muheri, secretary general of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance and president of the supreme committee for Giftedness 2012, added, “Dubai is the first Arab country in the Middle East to be chosen to organise this event. We are honoured to host the 12th edition of The Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness. The UAE has positioned itself as one of the driving forces behind raising the standards and quality of education across the Middle East, at all levels, and we are quick to realise that the gifted minds of young children require special tools to help nurture their talents, ensure their happiness and grow their intellectual acumen.”

He added, “This conference provides an unrivalled platform for those from across the globe to share experiences, put forward innovative solutions and best practice to maximise human potential and provide an education system that helps grow our children’s talents.”

Khawla Bahlooq, head of the gifted department of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance and conference director for the Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness 2012, discussed the activities that will take place during the event, which will run for five days.

The conference and the exhibition will include workshops as well as the Children and Youth Summit with more than 2,000 participants from around the world, specialized in the field of education, particularly the education of gifted and talented children, and gifted children with special needs.

There will be experts in psychology, scientists and innovators in the fields of science, literature, mathematics and music, who will discuss the latest development and legislation in the field of education and gifted education.

The Children and Youth Summit will cater to the needs of 500 gifted children from the Asia-Pacific region from an age range of nine to 18 years old.

Mariam Al Ghawi, the chairperson of the Children and Youth Summit emphasized that the event is a chance to promote the gifted intellectual abilities through participation in innovative programs designed to develop their creative problem and teamwork.

Professor Helen Siu Yi KU-YU, Honorary Secretary of the APFG, commented, “This is the first time that Giftedness will take place in the Middle East region, and it is fantastic to see that the conference’s success has grown to encompass such a emerging educational market. The Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness was founded 24 years ago, on the premise of highlighting the need for specialised education curriculums and facilities to be put in place for children with exceptional talents, and at an early age. This is important not only so that these talents can be nurtured and developed, but so that the child can learn to grow with them through social interaction and self-enhancement.”

Four members from the Asia- Pacific Federation on Giftedness, representing China, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore, is meeting this week with the supreme and organizing committees in Dubai to see the progress that has been made since Sydney 2010, where the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance was officially chosen to host the 12th edition of one of the world’s most prestigious educational gathering.

Professor Aouad has spent the last 20 years teaching and researching subjects related to the areas of Information Modelling and Visualisation, simulation and process mapping within construction.

Professor Ghassan Aouad says: ‘I am excited about joining dynamic team at a rapidly progressing higher institution. I am looking forward to working with a strategy of growth with our students, staff and stakeholders to strengthen UOWD’s position in the UAE and the region.’

He joined Salford University in 1992 as a Research Fellow and has progressed through to the role of PVC Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science & Technology, responsible for some 400 staff and 6,000 students.

Prior to joining Salford University, he spent five years in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University, where he obtained his MSc in Construction (1987) and his PhD entitled ‘Integrated Planning Systems for the Construction Industry’ (1991).

Before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor in July 2008, Professor Aouad was Dean of the Faculty of Business, Law & the Built Environment at Salford University (August 2006-July 2008). Prior to this, he held the position of Director of the Research Institute of the Built & Human Environment which achieved the RAE 6* status in 2001. Between 2003 and 2006 he was Head of School of Construction & Property Management

(since renamed the School of the Built Environment) at Salford.

During his time in Salford, Professor Aouad successfully supervised 22 PhD students, externally examined 52 PhD students, authored 3 major research books and co-authored one book, generated more than £10M in research funding as Principal Investigator and £8M as Co-Investigator, published 92 papers in top rated refereed journals, delivered more than 50 keynote speeches and invited lectures, and presented his work
in more than 40 countries.

Professor Aouad was appointed as Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in March 2010.

Professor Aouad has been very active in community work raising funds for charity in excess of £25k in the last 4 years for organizations such as Kidscan, The BBC Children in Need and the Mayor of Salford nominated charities, amongst many others.