Department Of Civil Service signs MoU with top Japanese international development school

The MoU, signed by Omar Bamadhaf, Executive Director, Training and Development, DCS and Professor Hisae Nakanishi, Dean of GSID, will see GSID share learning in public administration best practice; partner with DCS to build leadership and management capacity; help strengthen governance and accountability within Abu Dhabi Government Departments; and cooperate in the areas of research and consultancy.

The historic collaboration follows a visit to Japan last December by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, during which six agreements and MoUs were signed.

One of Nagoya University's fundamental educational objectives is to cultivate 'courageous intellectuals'.

To accomplish this, GSID is developing human resources which will take an active role in the field of international development, cooperation and communication in the future, while emphasizing the importance of practical education for its students.

The GSID MoU is the latest in a series of DCS-inspired international collaborations, and thought to be the first between a Japanese institution and Arab Government as Abu Dhabi makes rapid progress towards world-class administration status, a target planned for 2012.

GSID is also expected to work closely with DCS's Centre of Excellence by helping to identify the capacity development needs through to the design, development and evaluation of the most appropriate intervention.

Professor Nakanishi said:

"This is a beginning of the partnership between DCS AND GSID, Nagoya University. Through a range of capacity development programmes we will work together and learn from each other towards creating a new paradigm for the economic and cultural development of both Abu Dhabi and Japan in the 21st century. By strengthening the partnership between us, I truly believe that we will together construct a knowledge-based society in which art and science are harmonized in Abu Dhabi."

Omar Bamadhaf said the partnership with GSID highlighted the Emirate's and DCS' determination to identify institutions with the appropriate international credentials and cultural sensitivity to co-develop quality educational offers for the benefit of the public sector.

"DCS already has flourishing operational partnerships with leading international academic and business education institutions, such as Said Business School, University of Oxford; Singapore Civil Service College; Wharton University; INSEAD; and the UK National School of Government," he said.

"This is another major partnership that we hope will have far-reaching significance for the public sector. GSID has a formidable track record in producing graduates with the capacity for independent research and practical work, and a strong cross-cultural understanding," he added.