H.E. Khirbash opens first Harvard-certificated e-Government executive program in Middle East at Dubai School of Government

The Executive Education Programs are part of DSG's ongoing cooperation with Harvard University's prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG).

Dr. Khirbash told the regional delegates from UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Bahrain, Iraq and Syria: "This particular training program could not have been more timely. We are witnessing genuine change across public sector operations worldwide.

"Initiatives such as this executive program will continue to ensure that we have the knowledge resources to maintain our place at the forefront of modern government. This program is crucial to the future success of our bid to apply Information Communication Technology (ICT) to create good government."

He added: "E-Government is not merely an alternative way to deliver services. It is a culture and a state of mind. It is a culture based on modernity, excellence, and quality. Public sector employees need to embrace this culture if e-Government is to deliver the results we know it can."

"This executive program represents the definitive learning and experience in global e-government, which our region can assess and gain the tools to apply in our own countries.

The 5-day program is led by two world-renowned Harvard professors, Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger Mechling, KSG Associate Professor of Public Policy, MPA and PhD in economics and public affairs, and Jerry Mechling, KSG Lecturer in Public Policy and Director of the e-Government Executive Education Project. The program uses the famous Harvard Case Study Method customised to the Middle East region to highlight how technology is being used to streamline processes and drive large scale change in the public sector across the globe.

Earlier this year, DSG highlighted Dubai's expertise in e-government, presenting the Emirate's learning and experience at February's UNDP/OECD joint regional conference in Jordan.

DSG, as the first knowledge institution for government studies in the region, contributes to the study of government internationally and to a broader understanding of government initiatives in the Arab world. Last week, DSG hosted the Regional Forum on Reinventing Government in the Arab States organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the UNDP Programme of Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR).