Dr. Kharbash says UAE-Harvard Programme for public sector innovation reflects UAE's commitment to drive greater efficiency in government operations

The programme provides executive training for senior government officials with the aim of enhancing their leadership and management skills and is run in collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and Industry and Harvard University, represented by the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Delivering the welcome address at the launch of the programme, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Khalfan Bin Kharbash, said: "The conduct of this programme is a reflection of the UAE's commitment to driving greater efficiency in government operations and delivering on our promise of high performance government".

Dr. Kharbash also noted that the skills and techniques shared at the two previous modules of the programme had considerably benefited the participants and allowed them to display their enhanced abilities not only at local or regional levels but also at international levels. "Our performance capabilities were put to the test during the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in September with a view to understanding what leadership means and how it is implemented in the Middle East. We took that opportunity to explain to our partners and our peers, what we here in the UAE are doing to promote high performance government", Dr. Kharbash said.

Module III of the UAE-Harvard Programme will focus on a range of topics ranging from pubic leadership to policy considerations, innovation and negotiation.

A special attention will be given to private-public partnerships. "The focus on private-public partnerships is of particular relevance to the UAE since there has been a rapid and unprecedented growth in this area over the past few decades not only in the provision of utility services, but also in sectors that were traditionally exclusive to the government", added Dr. Kharbash.

Senior officials including ministers, undersecretaries, Central Bank officials and members of UAE University and the Zayed University will attend the programme. Renowned experts and thinkers of the field will conduct the course including Professor Gowher Rizvi: Director of the Institute of Government Innovation, Iris Bohnet: Associate Professor of Public Policy and Faculty of the Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Programme, John White: Lecturer in Public Policy and Chair of the Kennedy School Middle East Initiative, and Peter Zimmerman: Senior Associate Dean for Programme Development and Executive Education and Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy.

The programme will run from the December 13-17 and will be followed by a graduation and alumni celebration. On the 16th evening, UAE University will witness the formal launching of the Harvard-UAE club, chaired by H.E. Dr. Kharbash and aims at providing a forum for the exchange of views between the UAE-Harvard graduates and Harvard's knowledge community.

The first module of the UAE-Harvard Programme was conducted in July 2002 and the second module took place in May 2003 at Harvard University, and was attended by 21 senior officials. The fourth and final module will be held in Boston during the spring of next year.