Over 300 delegates from 10 different countries and 26 different schools were at the American University in Dubai (AUD) this weekend for the Harvard Model Congress Dubai (HMCD), organized for the first time in the Middle East and one of the largest high school conferences of its kind in the region.

The event is the result of hard work and collaboration between the AUD Model United Nations organization (AUDMUN) student club and the Harvard Model Congress team in the US.

“I am pleased that AUD is able to host the Harvard Model Congress and that AUD students figure among those responsible for organizing this event,” commented Dr. Lance de Masi, President of AUD.

“The educational outcomes of the conference - knowledge of government and governance, communication skills and the art of finding the middle ground - so coincide with the capabilities citizens demand of their leaders. The opportunity to participate in such an undertaking, for both university mentors and high school novices, is nothing less than priceless. This is simply education in action,” he added.

HMCD is a government simulation conference run entirely by Harvard students who are passionate about international relations, government, and teaching. Organized by Harvard College Model Congress Middle East, a student organization at Harvard University, HMCD is committed to providing an immersive educational experience for high school students from across the globe.

Since the first Harvard Model Congress Boston conference in 1986, HMC has emerged as the leading international and government simulation programme for high school students. Attending the closing ceremony on Saturday, January 26, 2013, were Ambassador of the United States to the UAE Michael H. Corbin and Dr. Lance E. de Masi, President of AUD, along with other members of the AUD Community.

“For me, the Harvard Model Congress, as a student-run, international initiative, highlights the important role that the United Arab Emirates, coupled with partners from the U.S. higher educational system, can play in reaching out to youth across the Middle East. I congratulate the American University in Dubai for playing such an active role in organizing and hosting the programme, which I know will be extremely useful to the students participating in it,” commented Ambassador Corbin, who answered questions from the delegates on foreign policy and the relations between the USA and the UAE.

Eric Cervini, President of HMCD said, “We are incredibly lucky to have partnered with the American University in Dubai to host the inaugural session of Harvard Model Congress Dubai. More than 300 delegates from 11 countries debated, learnt, and interacted in a dynamic government simulation run entirely by 35 Harvard undergraduate volunteers. We are thrilled to have promoted our mission of furthering international cooperation and intercultural understanding during this event - the first of its kind in the region. Additionally, this conference would not have been possible without the incredible dedication, creativity, and hospitality of the AUD Model United Nations organization.”

Delegates gained knowledge and skills crucial to confronting the global challenges of the 21st century. Students learned both from the programme curricula and from engaging with one another. As they became more comfortable in presenting original ideas to their peers, delegates developed priceless argumentation and public speaking skills.

Topics discussed in the various committees, included Peaceful Development of Nuclear Technology and Nuclear Non-Proliferation; Child Soldiers and Achieving Millennium Development Goals; The Guinea-Bissau Political Crisis and Intervention in Syria.

Philip Apaza, President of The AUD Model United Nations organization explained, “The AUDMUN team is very excited to have hosted the HMCD staff in their inaugural conference in the Middle East. We hope that this conference helped high school students in the region recognize the opportunities laid out before them and helped them discover their true potential as the leaders of the next generation. An immense amount of work went in from the Harvard team and the AUDMUN to ensure the best experience possible for these delegates.”

Internationally acclaimed German watchmaker A. Lange and Söhne is pleased to announce the opening of its first boutique in the Middle East at the recently opened Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi.

Following the launch of Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Dresden, the boutique will be the brand’s sixth worldwide. Watch enthusiasts and collectors alike across the UAE, and neighbouring countries, will soon experience first-hand the works of art bearing Lange’s interpretation of the quality seal “Made in Germany” in the UAE capital and luxury hub.

Anyone who has visited the Lange manufactory and looked over the shoulders of master watchmakers at work understands the craftsmanship, precision, and above all passion that go into the timepieces bearing the esteemed signature “A. Lange & Söhne”. However, it is a long way from Abu Dhabi to the idyllic watchmaker’s town of Glashütte, near Saxony’s baroque capital, Dresden. Although connoisseurs have had the pleasure of enjoying.

A. Lange & Söhne’s creations at regional authorized retailers, the new boutique in Abu Dhabi will bring the ultimate of watchmaking artistry one step closer to followers, offering fascinating insights into the world of fine haute horology.

Etihad Towers is a true reflection of Abu Dhabi as a whole: contemporary, sophisticated and deluxe. It is this reason that the location was selected to house Lange’s first regional boutique - for its exclusivity, prestige and uniqueness. “This opening is a logical milestone for the brand in the Middle East. We will continue to develop perceptions of A. Lange & Söhne, enhancing the brand’s image and relationship with our ever increasing number of aficionados. The boutique will become a place where time is at home, where visitors are invited to encounter the history and philosophy of Lange watchmaking artistry and become one with our values,” said Mr. Matthieu Dupont, Middle East Brand Manager.

With roots dating back almost 170 years, A. Lange & Söhne has become reputed as a leader in the realm of precision watchmaking since being re-established almost two decades ago. Its constant quest for perfection is always reflected in the unrivalled technical excellence and perfect quality of the brand’s exclusively manufactured calibres. Only a few thousand fine mechanical watches leave the Lange workshops every year, commanding respect the world over. Lange is often referred to as the ‘pearl of fine watchmaking’, and prides itself on having masterminded some of the most ground-breaking technologies in the watchmaking world, with an unmatched degree of craftsmanship in the making.

A. Lange & Söhne has presented over 40 in-house developed movements, hand-crafted to perfection. These include the iconic LANGE 1, with its decentralized dial design and patented outsize date, the TOURBOGRAPH “Pour le Mérite”, which is limited to 101 watches and unites three grand complications: a tourbillon, a rattrapante chronograph, and a fusée-and-chain transmission, and the LANGE ZEITWERK which broke ground as the world’s first mechanical numeric time reading watch.

The decor of the A. Lange & Söhne Abu Dhabi boutique reflects the personality of the brand shaped by the motto “state-of-the-art tradition”. The furnishings and ambiance are welcoming, and embodying the same spirit of perfect craftsmanship and technological innovation expressed in the watches of A. Lange & Söhne. However, it is the art of watchmaking that takes centre stage here: almost the entire collection of elaborately crafted timepieces from Saxony can be experienced at A. Lange & Söhne Abu Dhabi - including the RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite” HANDWERKSKUNST, a limited edition of which only 15 exist in the world.

Two day initiative focused on sharing best practice, latest advances, challenges and solutions in the field of pain and management of chronic inflammatory disorders

Dubai, 13th, March, 2010: Over 180 of the most eminent regional pain and chronic inflammatory disorders management specialists attended the first Middle East Pain & Inflammation Academy. The two day initiative, held on the 12th and 13th of March, 2010, was organized by Pfizer Africa and Middle East and accredited as a Continuous Medical Education (CME) program by the local Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

The pain and chronic inflammatory disorders management experts - representing medical organizations from the UK, Germany, Canada, UAE and Saudi Arabia - provided workshops, presentations, panel debates and question and answer sessions with senior regional healthcare professionals. The key objective of the Pain & Inflammation Academy was to provide a platform to develop strategies aimed at improving the quality of life of pain sufferers.

Among the subjects up for discussion were neuropathic pain (nerve pain), often associated with diabetes, as well as chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis (severe inflammation of the spine and pelvis); and Musculoskeletal pain, such as lower back pain or pain that arises from ankle sprains.

As well as the technical and scientific steps that pain management and inflammation medicine has taken, the academy also looked at the financial and emotional burden of chronic pain and the action needed to enhance quality of life and help family support.

Dr. Ayman Mofti, Arthritis and Rheumatism Specialist, has been at the forefront of diagnosis and non-surgical management of pain associated with rheumatology disorders for twenty years. “I have seen some highly effective changes and advances in that time,” he said. “My area of rheumatism and arthritic pain is one of the most common and chronic forms, and it takes a great deal of effort and resources to ensure that each individual is managed with maximum effect. You will always have certain priority issues and must be able to assess the patient’s comfort as well as their dependents’ needs. Most patients suffering from chronic and acute pain are managed by a multidisciplinary approach. This can involve pharmacotherapy, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, and even surgical procedures.” 

Dr. Ehab Youseif, Regional Medical Director, Pain and Inflammation, Pfizer, described the event as an excellent way to widen the understanding of both diagnosis and management of pain and chronic inflammatory disorders. “We have had world-class international and regional experts giving the latest updates and breakthroughs in their particular fields. On a geographical and practical level, this is a great platform to reach new audiences with new practices.

Dr Thomas R Tölle is Head of the Interdisciplinary Pain Clinic and Professor of Neurology Technical University in Munich, Germany.”Enormous advances have been made in the management of neuropathic pain (nerve pain),” he said, “but they are not necessarily conveyed effectively as well through publications or online literature as they are on a personal, face-to-face platform. In this region particularly, diabetes is so prevalent that updates and advances need to be broadcast as soon as possible.”

The media were also encouraged to play a part in the academy with a roundtable discussion with the panelists to emphasize the implications of mismanagement of pain and inflammatory disorders.