Emirates NBD managers graduate from u21global

The seven-month customised blended course for managers of Emirates NBD was designed to provide learning with immediate real-world business application.

Launched in the first quarter of 2008, the programme blended virtual classroom "webinars" with face-to-face sessions led by U21Global professors.

A Certificate in Management (CIM) was awarded to participants during a graduation ceremony held at the Sheraton Deira Hotel Dubai.

The programme facilitated the learning of advanced management skills across various business areas and functions.

Participants also gained knowledge to help them further develop strategic relationships with customers around the world.

The graduates were the first batch of Emirates NBD managers to undergo the course, with two more batches set to start in 2009.

"The regional banking environment has only become more competitive since we started this course seven months ago. At Emirates NBD, we are committed to the career development of our staff members, providing them with international courses that enable them to better perform in their duties. We found U21Global's programme to be instrumental in enhancing the leadership, decision-making and interpersonal skills that enable our managers to bring out the best in their teams,"

said Husam Al Sayed, General Manager Human Resources at Emirates NBD.


Dr. Ramakrishna Movva, Head, Strategic HR and Organisation Capabilities at Emirates NBD, added, "We had very clear objectives for this course that were exceeded by wide margins and delivered a return on investment far beyond our expectations. In particular, our managers who participated in the programme praised the value of the blended format, the immense flexibility it provided and the learning outcomes which have demonstrated real-time applicability."

The course drew on the international resources of U21Global, while keeping it grounded in a real-world business context.

Alongside carefully selecting study materials and assignments chosen to address the unique business requirements of Emirates NBD, the course included individual and team assignments, a reflective and integrative final project, online webinars and face-to-face sessions.

Nick Hutton, CEO of U21Global, said,

"We design bespoke programmes with the needs of individual corporates in mind - needs that include the delivery of immediate benefits through enhanced management skills, and minimal time away from their job responsibilities. What's more, by customising the course to each company's requirements, we better enable the achievement of the organisation's strategic business objectives."

"Our blended format achieves these aims by providing the right mix of face-to-face and virtual interactions with world-class professors, fellow students and relevant media-rich coursework," Nick Hutton added.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Rick Pudner, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates NBD; Dr. Ramakrishna Movva; Dr. Nelson D'Souza; Nick Hutton; Vikram Tah, Managing Director of U21Global in the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan; CIM graduates; their family, and friends.

One important aspect of blended programmes is that they reflect the modern global work environment, where teams of disparately located employees work together virtually on a variety of real-life projects.

The Emirates NBD Certificate in Management course increased participants' abilities to gain and use knowledge, improved communication skills and enhanced problem-defining and problem-solving abilities.

The flexible online portion of the class helped participants deepen their understanding of the topic, collaborate with other participants, interact with the teaching faculty and reflect on specific concepts and ideas scheduled for each module.

This was complemented by classroom sessions that involved case-analysis facilitation by U21Global faculty members from different parts of the globe.

Since its launch in 2003, U21Global has partnered with leading private- and public-sector companies to deliver customised executive education programmes to their employees.

These include Wipro, IBM, Tata Motors, Citibank, Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Satyam Computer Services, Aditya Birla Group.