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More foreign students come from India: Dubai study

India is being seen as the fastest-growing international student target market in the next three years.

Dubai, UAE, October 9th, 2018 – India could overtake China as the fastest-growing international student target market for universities, according to a Dubai study on transnational student mobility and university trends.

The market research, carried out by Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and BMI Media, had responses from 104 universities across 41 countries, majority of which were from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and the UAE. Continue reading “More foreign students come from India: Dubai study”

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Dubai Center for Islamic Banking & Finance releases Takaful

Dubai Center for Islamic Banking & Finance releases Takaful-focused 3rd annual report on Islamic Economy

  • Global Takaful industry’s annual growth rate pegged at 9 per cent
  • Takaful economy expanding significantly in Arabian Gulf, North Africa, the Levant, Near & South East Asia
  • Global Takaful workforce grew 55 per cent between 2011 & 2015
  • 202 new Takaful worldwide enterprises formed from 2003 to 2015
  • Takaful institutions present in 51 per cent of OIC countries
  • Takaful companies advised to re-evaluate operational costs & upgrade marketing strategies to enhance competitive advantages & increase revenues

Dubai, UAE, November 27th, 2017 – The Dubai Center for Islamic Banking and Finance (DCIBF), an entity formed through a partnership between Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) and the ‘Dubai the Capital of Islamic Economy’ initiative, has released its third annual report on the Islamic economy entitled ‘Takaful: Sustainability and Growth 2015 to 2025.’ The publication reveals that the global takaful industry is growing at an annual rate of 9 per cent and is attracting broader attention worldwide. Continue reading “Dubai Center for Islamic Banking & Finance releases Takaful”

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Dhahi Khalfan congratulates H.H. Mohammed bin Rashid & H.H. Hamdan bin Mohammed on latest achievement of HBMSU

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University Master of Science in Innovation & Change Management program first to be delivered fully online in UAE

Academic Accreditation is unprecedented success embodying vision of leadership to make Dubai the smartest city in the world

Dubai, UAE, October 15, 2017 – H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai and Chairman of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) Board of Governors, dedicated the university’s unprecedented success in obtaining an academic accreditation to deliver its Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management program fully online in the UAE to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the President of HBMSU. Continue reading “Dhahi Khalfan congratulates H.H. Mohammed bin Rashid & H.H. Hamdan bin Mohammed on latest achievement of HBMSU”

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Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU)

HBMSU Management and Learners hold productive dialogue to heighten learning experience and study life at the university

UAE, October 15, 2016 – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU)’s Learning Council recently organized a meeting between top management led by Chancellor Dr. Mansoor Al Awar and a group of university Learners and Ambassadors to discuss ways to further enhance the learning experience and the study life at the university. The council provided an excellent platform for learners to actively participate by raising their ideas, suggestions and expectations. The management provided helpful feedback and agreed to further explore some of the key recommendations presented during the meeting. Continue reading “Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU)”

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HBMSU explores the future of education through launch of ‘Innovation Lab for the Future of Smart Learning’

First session discusses agenda of smart learning with participation of local & international academics from inside and outside the university

In a bid to uphold the UAE’s smart education sector, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has launched ‘Innovation Lab for the Future of Smart Learning’. The new Lab is a qualitative addition that will make strategic contribution in exploring the future of smart education in the UAE by stimulating innovation and creativity in developing knowledge.

It will also adopt a culture of continuous and sustainable development, confirming the pioneering position of HBMSU as a center of academic and scientific excellence in the Arab world. Continue reading “HBMSU explores the future of education through launch of ‘Innovation Lab for the Future of Smart Learning’”

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Pearson, Emirates Aviation University Applaud New Rules Governing Vocational Qualifications

Leading education providers in the UAE welcome recognition of international qualifications
Dubai, UAE, 17 May, 2016 – Dubai: The Emirates Aviation University and Pearson have announced their support of changes to the rules governing qualifications recognition in the UAE.
Recently, the UAE’s National Qualifications Authority (NQA) and Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced that international qualifications, such as Pearson’s BTEC qualifications, would be recognised throughout the UAE.
Pearson qualifications, including the BTEC National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas, are offered through a number of UAE educational providers. These qualifications, which have long been recognised by awarding agencies around the world, will now also be officially recognised by the UAE government.
Dr Naji Al Mahdi, Chief of Qualifications and Awards at KHDA, was enthusiastic about the benefits UAE recognition of international qualifications will bring. He commented: “This new recognition service will address challenges faced by young men and women ingetting their professional and vocational qualifications recognised in the UAE. The recognition service will provide an official confirmation and validation that an international qualification meets the requirements of a specific level on the National Qualifications Framework for the purpose of employment and progression to higher education”.
The Emirates Aviation University (EAU), which offers several BTEC qualifications, has applauded the announcement. Dr Ahmad Al Ali, Vice Chancellor of EAUbelieves changes will bring benefits not only to those learners undertaking a professional or vocational qualification, but also organisations looking to recruit suitable trained graduates. He says: “Undertaking a vocational qualification requires a significant commitment in both time and money.  Learners therefore want to be sure that they are embarking on a programme that will give them the best possible chance of success in future employment. By obtaining recognition, programmes like the Higher National Diploma have been given a mark of quality that assures learners that their chosen qualification adheres to rigorous guidelines. It is also great news for employers, who will now be readily able to identify candidates with a superior qualification and have an understanding of the level of capability associated with that qualification.”
Mark Andrews, Regional Director of Pearson Qualifications in the Middle East acknowledged the important role recognition plays in building a professional and competent vocational workforce. He says: “The UAE, and wider GCC region are affected by a skills gap where employers are routinely unable to find candidates with the requisite standard of qualifications and competencies, particularly in many vocational areas. The changes to the way vocational qualifications are recognised in the UAE will help to build a more professional vocationally-based workforce, and fill some of the gaps that currently exist in the labour market. By streamlining and simplifying the recognition process, we will hopefully see more people completing high quality vocational programmes and entering employment in in-demand fields”.
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Dubai Smart Government signs MoU with Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government

 MoU contributes to building leaders and qualified national staff
Dubai, UAE, November 4, 2015 – Dubai Smart Government Department (DSG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government. Under the MoU, the government partnership will be bolstered through exchange of knowledge and best practices at all levels and the streamlining of corporate communication channels between the two organizations.

Dubai Smart Government Department (DSG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.

The partnership will extend to fields such as training, education, leader preparation and empowerment programmes. It will also enrich the knowledge content of educational and training activities with practical government administration experiences, expertise and scientific research to support government performance. It will also enable the best government practices to be documented and disseminated, particularly those related to regionally and internationally reputed foundations with the aim of ensuring continuous development of excellence in the government sector.
This was announced during the signing ceremony of the MoU between H.E. Ahmad Bin Humaidan, DSG Director General, and H.E. Dr. Ali Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG). According to the MoU, a joint committee will be formed to follow up the implementation of its articles in the most optimal manner.
Expressing his happiness about signing the MoU, Bin Humaidan said: “Based on DSG’s strategy aimed at enhancing its employees’ smart skills as a basic element for building an enabled environment that would contribute to achieving our strategy, we are keen on training our employees, keeping them abreast of the scientific progress updates that serve their scope of work and familiarizing them with the latest innovations that help fulfill the vision and trends of the prudent leadership, particularly HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for Dubai to become the smartest city in the world.”
Bin Humaidan added: “Signing this MoU with MBRSG is a step towards building effective knowledge-based partnership relations between the two parties, enabling DSG to benefit from MBRSG’s experience in this field as this will reflect positively on enriching the knowledge of our employees and building qualified staff as per the world’s best standards.”
Meanwhile, Al Marri said: “We are pleased to sign this MoU, which is aimed at training and empowering DSG staff at all administrative levels with a view to building leaders and qualified national staff and helping them achieve advanced levels in corporate excellence. We also seek to benefit from DSG’s distinguished development and accumulated experiences as well as its employment of many best practices to enrich our knowledge-based content for the benefit of all our partnering government entities.”
The curriculum will feature training courses in creativity, innovation and smart management based on MBRSG’s role in enhancing the strategic vision of Dubai Government and the UAE, which prompts development and transformation to smart government, according to Al Marri. He also noted that the courses would be worked out as per the highest academic standards through which leaders would be prepared to face work challenges, own the ability to evaluate them, take the right decisions as government officials and enrich those courses with interactive activities, best practices and success stories from an elite group of UAE leaders.
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High-Quality Programs in Government Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Islamic Banking & Social Media

HBMSU launches human capital development training courses to meet local and regional needs of creative cadres
UAE, September 14, 2015 – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has launched a series of human capital development courses aimed at producing generations of Arabs who are capable of meeting the needs of the 21st century. The new courses, which will be offered until December of this year, have been designed to provide learners with enriched knowledge and high-level experience on leadership, institutional innovation, change management, entrepreneurship, Islamic banking and social media — all of which are main pillars driving the Arab World’s development today.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University

The training courses fall in line with the objectives of UAE Vision 2021 focusing on building a competitive economy by enhancing the knowledge of, and encouraging innovations among, the country’s citizens. They give emphasis on the most crucial issues of government excellence, economic recovery and sustainable development. The programs include ‘The Implementation of Innovative Initiatives through Change Management,’ ‘Using Three-Dimension Approach in Institutional Innovation,’ ‘Skills of 21st Century Leader,’ and ‘Creativity in Entrepreneurship.’

The second round of the professional diploma ‘Innovation Leadership in Governmental Sector’ training program is a major boost to ongoing efforts towards building a generation qualified to lead innovative public initiatives. The course also embodies the objectives of the ‘National Strategy for Innovation’ launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to position the UAE among the most innovative countries in the world by 2021.

As part of its commitment to help make Dubai the capital of the Islamic economy, HBMSU is set to launch the ‘Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ (CIMA) program focusing on Islamic Banking and Takaful. The learners’ digital skills will also be developed through two programs, namely ‘Using Social Media and Its Role in Enriching Education and Interactive Training’ and ‘Using Smart Phone Applications in Providing Information Services in Libraries and Information Centers.’ The university also offers an integrated workshop in the development of effective budgets and costs control, which is aimed at the development of accounting and financial skills of participants in the preparation and analysis of financial statements and government budgets in accordance with international standards of the government sector. The course offering also looks towards identifying the modern financial analysis methods in the areas of analysis and evaluation of projects, with the training of participants on the preparation of the budgets in different ways.

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMSU said: “Promoting a culture of innovation and creativity and instilling the spirit of leadership among young people are part of our strategic priorities. We remain committed to meeting the Arab World’s growing needs to build qualified human resources capable of leading an integrated knowledge-based economy for a better future. The recent launching of the new training courses is a strong push towards building generations with strong initiative as well as world-class leadership and creativity skills. This will help position the UAE among the top countries in terms of ease of doing business, global competitiveness, innovation, entrepreneurship and development.  We are in effect working towards achieving the objectives enshrined in UAE Vision 2021.”

Al Awar pointed out that HBMSU is one of the first academic and educational institutions to respond to the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed of turning Dubai into the future global capital of the Islamic economy. “Today, we are making further progress in our endeavors.  We are encouraging our students to make a positive impact on Islamic banking and finance through our valued programs which combine both modern technologies and innovative learning methods for effective transfer of knowledge.”

“Our efforts form part of our vision to make HBMSU as the top university of choice in the Arab World in shaping the future of education and learning through innovative solutions. In light of this, we are committed to develop and design innovative academic and training programs that stimulate creativity, leadership and success to help shape the future, enhance our economic competitiveness and develop a unified society. All of these efforts are aligned with UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Strategic Plan 2021,” concluded Al Awar.

The offered training courses are ‘Creativity in Entrepreneurship,’ ‘Innovation Leadership in Governmental Sector,’ ‘The Implementation of Innovative Initiatives through Change Management,’ ‘Using Three-Dimension Approach in Institutional Innovation,’ ‘Skills of 21st Century Leader,’ ‘Using Social Media and Its Role in Enriching Education and Interactive Training,’ ‘Using Smart Phone Applications in Providing Information Services in Libraries and Information Center,’ and ‘Integrated Workshop in the Development of Effective Budgets and Costs Control.’ All programs are offered in Arabic except for ‘Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ (CIMA)/Islamic Banking and Takaful, which is taught in English only.

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Empower participates in Dubai Women’s College Industry Week

The company seeks to provide better understanding on nature of jobs in district cooling industry
Dubai, UAE, September 14th, 2015 – Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, takes part in the upcoming Industry Week organised by the Higher Colleges of Technology – Dubai Women’s College from 13 to 17 September to give students a better understanding of what it is like working in district cooling industry.

“As part of its social commitment as a leading global service provider, Empower will highlight various aspects of district cooling operations allowing students to engage in lively discussion,” says H.E Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower. “We would like to help students understand the major opportunities available in this emerging industry.”
Industry Week will help students plan their future, boost their employability skills, and stand out from the crowd in the competitive UAE job market.
From 9 am to 3 pm all week long, Empower will showcase world-class advancements in this industry, as well as district cooling operations in various real-estate projects around Dubai. “We are confident that our team at the Industry Week will have fruitful interaction with talented senior students in their 3rdand 4th year of study, who might be interested to launch a career in this industry,” said Bin Shafar.
“Empower’s core business is to provide district cooling services. The significant increase of awareness about the benefits of this industry has resulted in a rise in the demand for our services, consequently, the continuity of staffing,” added Bin Shafar.
“As a unique industry, there are tremendous opportunities for developing a wide range of sophisticated competencies; especially in the technical, customer service, and project management fields, which means secure career progression,” continued Bin Shafar.
“The bottom line is that working for Empower is, in more than one way, a chance to secure an excellent career development, and contribute to the development of the UAE,” added Bin Shafar.
The structure of Empower comprises nine departments which are: Sales & Marketing Department, Commercial Department, Project Management Office, Operations & Maintenance Department, Technical Department, Finance & IT / SCADA Department, Business Support Services, Corporate Strategy, and Human Capital Department.
In its endeavor to bridge the gaps between employees’ performance and Empower’s standards; the company exposes its employees, based on the actual needs to different types of training programmes. “On the job” training is normally offered while conducting day-to-day work, and “off the job” training is offered either locally or overseas. Group in-house courses are also provided as and when required. Empower also encourages its employees to attend conferences and seminars with the objective of allowing them to keep abreast with the latest developments in business and industry. As soon as the employee officially joins Empower, he will undergo a comprehensive Introduction Program which aims at introducing him to the people and understand Empower’s activities, and its scope of operations. He will then be expected to submit a report to understand the level of his understanding.
Industry Week will be open to the whole Dubai Women’s College Community, including students, faculty, and staff members. It will help students gain current information on key industry trends; explore a range of career paths in line with the student’s programme/major, and work placement options; network with prospective employers, and practice essential professional skills; recognize key players in the UAE labor market of around 70+ employers throughout Industry Week; develop relationships with employers, which could lead to student internships; and engage with employers to complete -course work- Industry Projects.
“Interaction between students and industry experts interaction will create a memorable industry week, designed to inspire and develop the students’ career aspirations. We invite all students to join Empower to achieve their personal growth, secure excellent career progression, and contribute to the UAE’s development,” said Bin Shafar.
“It is not the first time Empower is engaging in such social events. We have recently organised a training programme in which many UAE students were familiarised with skills needed in District Cooling industry,” concluded Bin Shafar.
Empower operates more than 1 Million Refrigeration Tons (RT), providing environmentally friendly district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments, such as Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah,  Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences and Dubai Design District, amongst others.

–Ends–

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Group of UAE Trainees Tours Empower’s State of the Art Plant at Business Bay

Bin Shafar says that the organization pays special focus on training and inducting Emirati students, particularly at technical roles.
Dubai, UAE, August 23rd, 2015 – As part of its internship programme to familiarise UAE students on skills needed in the district cooling industry, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has run a visit for a group of trainees, currently doing internship at Empower, to its BB-2 plant in Business Bay, Dubai. The visit was part of the students’ curriculum to understand the process of district cooling adopted at Empower.
During the visit, Empower’s operations team at BB-2, led by the Supervisor in Charge, explained to the students on the details and technical aspects of how the plants operates  and how district cooling technology differs from other methods of air-conditioning.
Serving the requirements of the courses, the study trip helped in promoting the theoretical knowledge with the practical experience for those students who are doing majors in International Business, Electrical & Electronic Engineering and HR/Business Administration.
H.E Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer of Empower, said that this visit succeeded in honing the skills of the students in the fields of operations, maintenance and management.
Bin Shafar added: “This visit has given students with detailed practical knowledge on district cooling technology, its advantages and processes. The students realised the friendliness of this technology to the environment especially at Empower plants where we use Treated Sewage Effluent(TSE) technology coupled with the reverse osmosis technology that use recycled water to produce cooling to our end-users.
He added: “Our aim is to enhance the district cooling sector in the UAE since we are great believers in its role in conserving the natural resources and ensuring sustainability for future generations. We encourage all stakeholders such as banks, financial companies, private and public sectors, hospitals, hotels, universities, factories, real estate developers and others to take bigger part in the development of this sector in the UAE. We are also committed to encourage students to consider this sector for a potential career.”
The students who visited the plant come from universities such as Higher Colleges of Technology, University of Nottingham, American University in the Emirates, and International School of Arts & Sciences. Empower looks at those interns as ambassadors to promote district cooling technology to their colleagues at universities.
Empower currently operates plants across so many areas in Dubai such as Business Bay where students visited the plant as well as Jumeirah Group, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences and Dubai Design District, among others.