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HBMSU launches first-of-its-kind ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014’

Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program, Learning and Teaching Centre Macquarie University, eTechan International, Bahrain Institute of Public Administration, Dubai Airports, win accolades at ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Award’

UAE, October 20th, 2014 – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has kicked off ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014,’ the first-of-its-kind event that encourages the exchange of best practices in smart learning in international educational, academic and training institutions to boost smart education. The event’s first edition attracted a wide global participation including delegations from the United States, Australia, Russia, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE.

 

H.E. Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and Dubai General Security and Chairman of HBMSU Board of Governors, led the opening of the HBMSU Smart Campus, one of the key pillars of promoting smart education through the use and integration of modern technology.The Smart Campus offers modern, high-tech services that meet the needs of learners and faculty and administrative staff, including submission of proposals and suggestions, exchange of information, access to courses, submission of assignments, registration in assessment exams, and access to grades and academic records through smart devices. The Smart Campus also provides a smart platform to promote effective communication between new and existing students and report technical malfunctions. It also allows users to conduct an online inquiry of e-wallet balance as well as an electronic follow up outstanding financial transactions and payments.

HBMSU launches first-of-its-kind ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014’

H.E. Dahi Khalfan Tamim was pleased with the launching of ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014,’ which provides a strategic platform to discuss steps to advance the education system through the integration of the latest smart technologies. “Organizing this prestigious international event falls in line with the efforts of the Dubai Government to position the emirate as a premier destination for most prominent and largest global events. It is also aligned with the ‘Smart City’ initiative of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai. We are delighted to launch Smart Campus, which reflects HBMSU’s commitment to promote smart learning as a means to achieve sustainable development and as an essential element that will re-shape the future of education in the Arab World.”

The “Smart Learning Best Practice Award” was held on the sidelines of the ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014.’ International jury composed of academic professionals and leading experts in developing and transferring best practices and smart learning systems in information technology and academic fields comprised the panel of judges. The winners were Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program which bagged an honor in the Smart Learning Technology Exploitation category; the Learning and Teaching Centre – Macquarie University and Bahrain Institute of Public Administration of Smart Partnerships category; eTechan International, Technology Exploitation category; and Dubai Airports got an appreciation award of Smart Learning category.

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMSU, said: “We are privileged to honor these leading institutions that have demonstrated outstanding excellence in the application of international best practices that aim to boost smart education. The “Smart Learning Best Practice Award”  is the first initiative which centers on the efforts to integrate best practices into educational institutions’ procedures and processes in order to promote smart education and sustainability. The first day of the event witnessed a series of breakout sessions tackling seven key themes, namely ‘Smart Learning,’
‘Learner Centricity,’ ‘Excellence Orientation,’ ‘Smart Partnership,’ ‘Technology Exploitation,’ ‘Resource Utilization,’ and ‘Process Innovation.’ A workshop session, titled ‘Middle East e-Learning Quality Framework ‘MelQ’: Standardizing quality in technology enhanced teaching and learning” was also held.

The ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum 2014’ provides an ideal platform to encourage the exchange and sharing of best practices in smart learning in educational institutions and corporations across the world. It strives to support continuous growth and development of smart learning. Smart learning includes the ability of learners to acquire innovative ideas, evaluate their relevance, subject their ideas to scrutiny to gauge their innovativeness, and guide them through a rigorous, systematic process of implementation to ensure tangible and intangible benefits.

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Entrepreneurship and economic creativity in Arab World on top of agenda

HBMSU hosts a roundtable to discuss entrepreneurship education with Stanford University professor
UAE, September 23rd, 2014 – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has hosted Prof. Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering and Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University, who held a roundtable to discuss a series of issues, including the requirements of the partnership with the private sector, universities involvement in venture capital and how to promote entrepreneurship education at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. The roundtable was held in the presence of HBMSU’s Faculty, deans and administrative staff. The event comes as part of Prof. Sutton’s visit to the UAE to participate in the ‘Smart Living City- Dubai 2014’.

Prof. Robert Sutton met Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, who gave a detailed presentation about HBMSU and Cloud Campus, the social online learning initiative which is the first-of-its-kind in the Middle East based on an innovative concept of providing high quality, cost-efficient e-Learning services via social media, in order to support the efforts to transform Dubai into a smart and sustainable city, in line with the directives of H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Prof. Sutton praised HBMSU for its leading position and high-quality programmes that meet the requirements of the job market. He pointed out that HBMSU has a proven track record of success in enabling its graduate learners, holding the Master of Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Master of Science in Innovation & Change Management, to excel in business sector through launching added-value projects in various sectors.
The round-table witnessed in-depth discussions to exchange visions and ideas about entrepreneurship education, with a focus on LaunchPad, a program adopted by Stanford University to promote entrepreneurship. The round-table also discussed how to encourage and promote creativity in entrepreneurship and the main challenges that hinder the implementation of entrepreneurship programs.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar said that the round-table was of a great importance as it offers an interactive platform to take advantage of Stanford University’s expertise in implementing entrepreneurship programs and projects. He stressed that HBMSU is keen to exchange the best international practices with leading universities and academic institutions from around the world, including Stanford University, in order to establish itself as a main contributor to the development of entrepreneurship education in the Arab World and to the UAE’s leading status in encouraging entrepreneurship and economic creativity on regional and global levels.
Al Awar thanked Prof. Robert Sutton for sharing his high-level experiences and expertise in the field of entrepreneurship with the faculty and administrative staff of HBMSU which is looking forward to encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting economic creativity through offering high-quality programmes that focus on developing young generation who is able to excel in entrepreneurship and contribute to the sustainable development in line with UAE Vision 2021.
HBMSU had participated in the Smart Living City- Dubai 2014 as the official academic partner. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar was one of the keynote speakers and also headed a panel discussion on ‘Future of Education’ and participated in a discussion on ‘Creating a Smart Ecosystem’. Prof. Nabil Baydoun, Assistant Chancellor of Institutional Projects, HBMSU, also participated as a keynote speaker in the ‘Future of Education’ session, whereas Prof. Alain Sentini, Dean, School of e-Education, HBMSU, was a keynote speaker in a session entitled with “Creating Innovation hub’.