Dubai, 23 June, 05 (WAM) - Dubai Development and Investment Authority(DDIA) has announced launching of the Dubai Global Internship Program(DGIP), in association with Harvard University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Johns Hopkins University.

The objective of this program is to provide high potential studentswith exposure to top economic development projects in Dubai.

The DGIP will enable graduate students to apply their academic skillsto Dubai?s ambitious development initiatives across sectors includinghumanitarian, tourism, energy, industrial, financial, entrepreneurshipand policy development. The interns will interact with top business leadersand key decision makers in the Government of Dubai will be based in Dubaifor a period of eight to twelve weeks during the summer starting 2005.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Director General of DDIA noted, ?Education andknowledge creation are central to Dubai?s success and reputation as theMiddle East?s city of the future. The DGIP will help make the UAE an employmentdestination of choice for young, emerging leaders?.

?We are very pleased to develop long-term partnerships with high caliberacademic institutions and we foresee a strong and complementary long termrelationship. Our aim is to further expand the program as well as thelist of participants in the coming years to eventually attract talentfrom all corners of the world,? he added.

Dean Lisa Anderson of Columbia University's School of Internationaland Public Affairs (SIPA) said that "An increasing number of our studentsare taking courses related to the Middle East and are studying Arabic.

These students are very enthusiastic about the opportunity to participatein development projects in Dubai through the DGIP program." Dubai has embarked on development initiatives in recent years tomake the UAE the economic hub of the region through sustainable developmentand knowledge creation and extensively leverage international partnershipsfor success.

Graham Allison, director of the Belfer Centre for Science and InternationalAffairs at Harvard?s Kennedy School of Government has expressed his enthusiasmfor the program, ?We are delighted to be part of the internship programwith the DDIA. Last year we assisted with the formation of the DubaiSchool of Government. This new program will give our students an opportunityto take part in developing innovative strategies for economic growth anddevelopment.? The DGIP has already generated strong interest from some of the mostwell-known names in education. The program?s initial participants currentlyinclude Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government (KSG), ColumbiaUniversity, School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA), MIT, SloanSchool of Management and Johns Hopkins University, School for AdvancedInternational Studies (SAIS).