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Dubai Business Women Council, Zayed University inaugurate ‘Emirati Young Women Entrepreneur Leadership Forum.

Forum part of broader initiative by DBWC to empower young women in the UAE
[UAE, 29 May, 2013] – Zayed University in collaboration with Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) inaugurated today (Wednesday, May 29, 2013), the first edition of the Emirati Young Women Entrepreneur Leadership Forum at the Zayed University Dubai Convention Center, Dubai Academic City. Organized under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emirati Young Women Entrepreneur Leadership Forum is being attended by speakers from DBWC who will share their experiences and offer advice to young and aspiring Emirati women entrepreneurs.

Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg, President of Dubai Business Women Council, who was the keynote speakers at the forum, said: “Entrepreneurship remains one of the key elements in our continuing thrust for women empowerment in the UAE. By encouraging more women to be entrepreneurs, we are harnessing the largely untapped potential of women to become key contributors to the social and economic development of the society. DBWC is therefore looking forward to further strengthen our partnership with Zayed University and other like-minded institutions to organize several more initiatives that promote entrepreneurship among women. The Forum has actually received a very enthusiastic response from women of different social status, and this is a clear indication that we are moving in the right direction towards creating a new generation of successful women entrepreneurs in the UAE.”
 

Raja Al Gurg, President of Dubai Business Women Council.

Founded in 2002, DBWC motivates women to be productive members of the society, while encouraging role models to rise up from the ranks and inspire other women around the world, especially in the Arab region, to discover their true potential. DBWC organises the high-profile monthly event ‘Network Majlis’ to provide information about the latest knowledge, skills and best practices for women entrepreneurs and leaders. For more information about recent DBWC activities, log on to the Council’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dubai-Business-Woman-Council-DBWC/146645812070341

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HBMeU showcases Middle East’s first e-learning initiative based on Facebook.

Social Online Learning under the spotlight at Digital Media Forum 2013
[UAE, May 28, 2013]As part of its commitment to achieve a radical change in education, which is a key component of the UAE Vision 2021, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU) recently participated in the second annual Digital Media Forum (DMF), the region’s first-of-its-kind conference which was held in Dubai with the participation of high-profile international figures from digital media and social networking. HBMeU Chancellor Dr. Mansoor Al Awar joined some of the leading regional and international experts and professionals to discuss the latest industry trends and exchange knowledge and expertise to help raise the bar of excellence in digital media.

Dr. Al Awar delivered a detailed presentation on the University’s social online learning initiative; Cloud Campus, which serves as the Middle East’s first-ever e-learning platform based on Facebook. Talking about the platform’s operating mechanism, Dr. Al Awar explained that the initiative provides e-learning services through the learner’s personal account on Facebook, under the highest standards of excellence and quality to reach a larger segment of learners in the Arab world and allow them direct access to Arabic online content to help create positive changes in local communities.
Dr. Al Awar further added that the Cloud Campus initiative draws upon an integrated concept that promotes contemporary, world-class learning for learners of different nationalities and age groups by offering them a convenient learning environment and an innovative and interactive e-learning experience under the supervision of senior professionals providing all levels of support and academic advice. Dr. Al Awar further shed light on the University’s strategic offerings, ranging from the various certified programs to financial aid and scholarship schemes and programs.

HBMeU’s Chancellor pointed out the educational, social and cultural aspects of the Cloud Campus initiative which aims to promote social responsibility, encourage the young generation to optimally leverage the available online interactive platforms and information resources and reinforce the culture of e-learning among the youth, in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the University, to reach as many learners as possible in the UAE, Arab world, Africa and Asia. The goal is to effectively contribute to re-shaping the future of education through creativity, while also contributing to sustainable human and social development in the region and worldwide.
To enable millions of clients and employees to use social learning services, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University has maintained close partnerships with leading banks, mobile operators and other institutions in the Middle East, Africa and South West Asia, such as, Emirates NBD, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, ARAMEX and Zain Group.
On the sideline of the forum, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar held a meeting with Guy Yalif, Head of Global Product Marketing, Twitter, US, to discuss the cooperation between Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University and Twitter.
Cloud Campus initiative is the result of a strategic partnership with Global Learning S.A.R.L and offers best international curricula with over 1,200 interactive online lessons in the fields of mathematics, sciences and IT for elementary to secondary grades. It also includes business skill development for adults, providing 10 certified programs in Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Talent Development, Operation Management, Marketing, HR Development, Islamic Banking and many more. There are also more than 600 online lessons in English language for all age groups, from 3 year-olds to adults, based on the Cambridge curricula and exams.
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Dubai Maritime City Authority and Dubai Police launch student awareness initiative on maritime safety in summer.

Initiative aims to regulate use of jet skis and life jackets, as part of efforts to promote maritime safety
May 22, 2013
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
As part of its strategic and ongoing collaboration with Dubai Police, Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of the maritime sector in Dubai, has announced the launch of a new student-oriented initiative to increase awareness on best practices for the use of jet skis. The move complements DMCA’s strong efforts to promote maritime safety across Dubai’s waters.

The launch of the latest initiative is in the framework of the Maritime Authority’s efforts to organize the operations of jetskis and to ensure the highest levels of maritime safety, particularly during summer, when there is a surge in marine sports.
The initiative is based on an integrated approach through which school and university students are introduced to the latest regulations and procedures for use of jet skis to guarantee the highest levels of personal safety, with a particular focus on the use of life jackets. A group of experts from Dubai Ports Police will be delivering a series of lectures on safety standards and optimal use of life jackets to ensure safe usage of jet skis.

Major-General Abdullah Al Mazuod, Manager of Ports Center, Dubai Ports Police, said: “The new initiative is poised to increase student awareness on the proper use of safety equipment and the importance of abiding by the traffic and maneuver management rules, operating and anchoring areas and the precautionary measures to avoid accidents. This move is part of an integrated strategy aimed at regulating random water sports in line with best international practices through developing industry regulations and guidelines to reduce human and material damage while also promoting maritime safety standards to create a safe and ideal maritime environment to practice all kinds of water sports.”
“We commended DMCA for their continuous efforts to develop regulations governing water sports and introduce leading initiatives to promote maritime safety in Dubai. He further underlined the new student awareness initiative as a step forward to meet common goals of improving maritime safety and protecting lives, the environment and operating facilities. “We look forward to building on the cooperation with DMCA to benefit national interests and protect maritime facilities in Dubai”, Al Mazuod added.
Ali Al Daboos, Executive Director of Operations, DMCA, said: “The new awareness initiative is crucial as it targets young students from schools, universities and colleges who represent the largest segment of jet ski users, especially during summer when this water sport sees maximum popularity across Dubai’s coastline. We are delighted to have worked again with Dubai Police, which has always played a vital role in supporting our efforts to regulate, develop and promote the maritime industry in line with the vision and directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to position Dubai among the world’s top maritime destinations. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to work hard and collaborate with our strategic partners at Dubai Police and other local government authorities, in order to establish a safe and highly developed maritime industry in the emirate.”
New rules have recently been issued concerning the use of jet skis, which include 300-metre buffer zones imposed around three Dubai beaches at Dubai Marina, Umm Suqeim 1 and 2 and Jumeirah 2 and 3 to keep jet skis out of swimming areas. This is the result of DMCA’s mutual cooperation and ongoing collaboration with Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and other relevant parties. 
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Book is inspired by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for leadership, management, excellence and future challenges

HBMeU presents employees with copies of Sheikh Mohammed’s ‘Flashes of Inspiration’ at opening of e-book club
 [UAE, May 21, 2013] – Building on its position and efforts to set new standards for the provision of integrated and interactive learning platforms, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU) celebrated the launch of its new e-book club in a special ceremony recently held at its campus and attended by the university’s department heads, faculty members and staff. To commemorate the launching of the new initiative, HBMeU presented attendees with copies of the Arabic version of ‘Flashes of Inspiration,’ a book written by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The token gesture reflects HBMeU’s eagerness to keep its academic and administrative staff informed and apprised of the vision and drive of the UAE’s leadership to forward academic excellence and improve the quality of education in the Arab world.

English speakers who were present during the launch were presented with copies of ‘My Vision,’ a book also written by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed that offers a detailed account of the vision that transformed Dubai and the UAE on the global economic map, based on knowledge economy and investment in human capital. According to HBMeU, the presentation of the books demonstrate the university’s continuing move to provide employees with comprehensive and integrated references that can be used to help drum up the march towards excellence and leadership—achieving new breakthroughs for learning and aid in the preparation of a generation of young people who are socially and academically qualified to lead the country to more growth and development.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, said, “HBMeU decided to celebrate the launch of ‘Flashes of Inspiration’ book by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as it represents an intellectual platform and is regarded as a comprehensive reference and a major source of inspiration for today’s youth to further advance the ambitious goals of our wise leadership, aimed at achieving comprehensive development based primarily on building the human power capable of challenging the impossible, as well as enhancing the status of the UAE as one of the leading developed countries globally on all cultural, architectural, scientific, economic and social development levels.”

Al Awar added that the token presentation of ‘Flashes of Inspiration’ and ‘My Vision’ is in line with the university’s commitment to adhere and remain inspired by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed’s vision for leadership, management, excellence and future challenges. Al Awar also urged HBMeU’s academic and administrative staff to adopt an approach to excellence in terms of self and institutional development, which in turn, can help enhance the position of HBMeU as a leading University for e-learning in the Arab world and the first academic choice in the UAE and beyond.
“The e-book club initiative represents a massive addition that supports our constant endeavor to keep abreast of the latest developments in the world of modern technology and employ them optimally to transfer knowledge and establish a culture of excellence and quality management in the UAE and the rest of the Arab world,” said Al Awar.
The e-book club holds strategic importance as an exclusive initiative based on cutting-edge technologies and advanced interactive channels such as blogs, videos, and others. The club provides its Arabic and English-speaking members with the opportunity to review the latest scientific research, literary, monetary and educational releases, as well as exchange views and constructive ideas in an interactive environment that conforms to international best practices. Members must be active and participate effectively through comments, opinions or published materials. Membership to the e-book club will be cancelled automatically in the event of non-contribution for a period of three months.
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HBMeU’s experience comes under spotlight at Second International Conference on Arabic Language.

University presents paper on “Impact of e-Learning in the Spread of Knowledge”
May 15, 2013
As a leader in the field of e-Learning across the Arab world and a key contributor to sustainable social and human development in the region and around the world, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU) recently participated in the Second International Conference on Arabic Language, one of the Arab region’s leading cultural and academic events which was held in Dubai under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, under the theme “Arabic Language in Danger: All Are Partners in Protection”. The event featured a dedicated seminar on “Teaching the Arabic Language over Latest Needs”, during which Dr. Talal Mohammed Al Darwish, Head of HBMeU’s Centre for Arabization and Program Integrity (CAPI), presented a paper entitled “Impact of e-Learning in the Spread of Knowledge… HBMeU’s Experience”.

Al Darwish commenced discussions with a focus on “Our Children and Knowledge”, underlining the Arab region’s current cultural status where the young generation tends to use foreign languages at the expense of their native Arabic language, known to be the language of eloquent literature and articulate expressions. Al Darwish pointed out that factors such as poor quality of school and university learning; dissemination of modern technology; and a learning environment which fails to find a balance between educational needs and real world requirements, as the main reasons why young Arabs are reluctant to boost their knowledge and enhance their native language.
Al Darwish further touched upon HBMeU’s extensive experience in the launch of leading initiatives that address the fields of university learning and e-learning across the Arab world; one of which is Cloud Campus the Social Online Learning initiative which follows the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMeU, to strengthen the culture of e-learning and promote optimal adoption of advanced technologies and social networks to spread knowledge among the Emirati and Arab youth.
“Cloud Campus embodies the true vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve a real change in education, which is considered a key pillar of the UAE Vision 2021”, Al Darwish said. “This initiative is not limited to education alone, it is based on an integrated approach that reinforces social responsibility among young people through the direct and effective use of the internet.”
For his part, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMeU, said that the Cloud Campus initiative is instrumental in raising the bar of e-learning through social networks and is poised to make a positive change in the industry as it offers online content in Arabic language in order to reach a larger segment of learners in the Arab world.
He added: “The Second International Conference on Arabic Language is a key demonstration of the UAE’s approach to safeguard and protect the Arabic Language from the emerging challenges of cultural globalization. HBMeU is committed to strengthening the role of Arabic Language in scientific and knowledge-based events in the region and worldwide.”
The conference was organized by the International Council for Arabic Language in cooperation with UNESCO, the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States and the Association of Arab Universities, and in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office. It attracted around 1,000 high-profile Emirati, Arab, Islamic and foreign personalities from 70 Arab and non-Arab countries to discuss nearly 370 research papers over 63 sessions that included private seminars and open panel discussions.
The Centre for Arabization and Program Integrity (CAPI) is one of the leading intellectual forums in the Arab world, where high-profile Arab practitioners and academics work together to enrich the Arabic Library with leading researches, studies and Arabized books. The mission of CAPI is to become a center of excellence in facilitating learning in Arabic while meeting latest needs. It offers Arabization, research, proofreading and editing services, based on the core values of authenticity, linguistic precision, subject area knowledge, methodology, consistency and standards to ensure best Arabic translations. 
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HBMeU’s Prof. Mohamed Zairi awarded by Australian Organization for Quality for Contributions in Global Quality

Dubai, UAE, May 5th, 2013 – Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), has announced that Prof. Mohamed Zairi, Growth & Corporate Strategy, Assistant Chancellor at HBMeU, has been recently awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Global Quality’ recognition medal by the Australian Organization for Quality (AOQ). The prestigious award was unanimously approved by National Chairman of the AOQ Acn. Shan Rupral JM and the entire Board of the AOQ NSW.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, said: “The award validates the enormous contributions of Prof. Mohamed Zairi towards promoting global quality. Moreover, this distinction also reflects HMBeU’s strong focus on quality and excellence as cornerstones of our mission to cultivate a culture of e-Learning and quality management in the Arab region. HBMeU will continue to focus on developing e-Learning programs that add value to the professional development of learners in the Arab world, while setting new quality benchmarks in the global academic community.”

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, which is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, seeks to constantly identify knowledge needs, support research and development programs and create an outstanding environment for e-learning.