INSEAD inaugurates Centre for Executive Education and Research in Abu Dhabi

INSEAD, the leading international business school is officially opening its Centre for Executive Education and Research in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi this week during an inauguration ceremony to be held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday's launch event to be held at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Mubarak Al Shamsi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) said: "The opening in Abu Dhabi of the world's leading graduate business school will establish the UAE capital as the region's executive education hub and be a catalyst for the Emirate's increasing reputation as a world renowned innovation and research centre.''

"INSEAD's inroads into the GCC's executive education and development sectors are a landmark development for the region's local and expatriate business. It is also a vivid demonstration of the UAE's growing importance as a global business centre and is in line with Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming an internationally recognised venue for higher education and cultural destination," he said.

At INSEAD's two comprehensive and fully connected campuses in Singapore and France 143 renowned faculty members from 32 countries inspire 882 MBA participants, 59 Executive MBAs, over 8.000 Executives and 59 Ph.D. candidates. On both campuses, faculty conduct leading-edge research projects with the support of 16 Centres of Excellence.

"Our Centre in Abu Dhabi will play a central role in INSEAD's global business education network, ensuring a permanent presence in the Middle East," said Frank Brown, Dean of INSEAD.

'Establishing a centre in Abu Dhabi - with its international outlook and vibrant business community - underscores INSEAD's vision as 'The Business School for the World' bringing together people, cultures and ideas from around the world. We are grateful to the Abu Dhabi Education Council, whose generous contribution made the centre a reality. INSEAD looks forward to an enriching experience in academic and cultural exchanges with the community in the Middle East' he said.

INSEAD will launch, as its first open enrolment programme for the region, the Managing People in the Middle East programme in April 2008. This programme is an opportunity to gain practical insights in aligning people and corporate strategy in enterprises in the Middle East and North Africa.

The research activities at the INSEAD centre will focus on issues in the Middle East, and cover areas such as humanitarian logistics, human resources management, and information and communication technology.

In the area of research on women and leadership, the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre is planning a study on the leadership characteristics of successful women and executives in the Middle East.

In the area of healthcare research, INSEAD is providing, through the INSEAD Healthcare Management Initiative, a collaborative research programme to make a sustainable contribution to health and life sciences in Abu Dhabi and the region.

Research findings on the Arab Innovation Index, an index to measure the degree to which Arab nations respond to the challenges of innovation, will be released in the next months. In addition, the school plans to develop an Arabic version of the INSEAD Knowledge portal which showcases faculty research (www.knowledge.insead.edu).