Learned Friend

What are the characteristics that you would like to see in the future generation, and what is the role of education in shaping the future of Dubai?

I believe that leadership is a key area that enables the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) to actively contribute to the future of the country. Our executive education programs target leaders seeking to enhance their expertise in leadership. Executive education programs offer a diversity of courses and topics. However, leadership is a top priority for us. We focus on empowering leaders and shaping the future through positive energy and positive leadership. That is more relevant to our country and our region. A positive leader is someone who instills motivation and takes advantage of opportunities and strengths to lead people in any entity or organization. Education will serve as the correct nourishment for our future leaders, and it will support them through their careers in any sector they might choose. MBRSG also offers the Master’s in Public Administration which is a unique program that qualifies graduates to enhance their individual as well as institutional performance. The program focuses on public policy, governance and best practices.

How does the MPA program impact the performance of your graduates in the business world?

Most of our MPA students have at least three years of experience in the public or private sector. More than 70% of our students are in the public sector. We work to increase their competencies and advance their skills. We provide them with the possibility to interact with experts in the field and learn about case studies taken from a variety of different scenarios in the UAE and the world. Our final goal is to mold our students so that they will be ready to be leaders in the future.

From where do you attract international students?

We have international students from both the Arab and Asian regions at the Master’s degree level. We are marketing this program in the Arab region in order to attract international students. As for executive education, most of our clients are government entities of the UAE. However, we have started marketing this program in the Arab world. We are now running the Arab Leadership and Excellence Program to bring in senior officials from governments and provide them with executive education. The program will start next November. It is an open enrollment training program that lasts two weeks. The students will learn about best practices. The course also comprises a visit to government facilities. We have received applications from non-Arabic countries, too. For that reason, we are also considering launching the program in English in the future—Dubai is certainly a pleasant place to come for a short training course.

What potential does Dubai have for international education businesses?

I believe that Dubai is a city with a great environment. It is attracting people to come here whether for study or business. This provides a perfect opportunity for educational businesses.

How do you select your guest professors?

We have already developed strategic guidelines for developing a global network of teaching personnel. We need to consider not only local, but also global perspectives. We hope to increase the number of international professors in the future.