Dubai, June 1st, 2011 (WAM) -- Dubai eGovernment Department received yesterday, a student delegation from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) University, Switzerland, led by Prof. Philipp Mueller.
The delegation included Senior Manager Marianne Tremblay, and a group of Executive Masters students in eGovernance. The visit, was part of the students training program and organized in collaboration with the universitys research centre in Ras Al Khaimah to support the research activities of the students under the course "ICT, Public Sector Reform, and eGovernance in the Middle East". The delegation was received by Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment, accompanied by Department Directors and employees. During the visit, a presentation was conducted on Dubai eGovernment in promoting the "e-Transformation" of Dubai, laying the foundations of an integrated knowledge-based digital community in line with the inspired vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. The students also attended a presentation by the Departments Directors, during which Huda Al Hashimi, Director of Systems Development and Acting Director of Government Resources Planning Systems, showed how government departments are integrated using GRP systems, which help government departments conduct effective management of their primary resources and facilitate commercial transactions with the government. Matar Al Humairi, Director of Infrastructure Management, further talked about the systems as the cornerstone of the infrastructure of Dubai eGovernment and the backbone of the high-speed connection between governmental and semi-governmental organizations. In addition, the systems ensure cost-efficient, safe and secure information exchange between these entities. On the other hand, Ms. Sumaia Hammad, Director of Communication & Business Development, conducted a presentation about shared services for government departments and the public using a Customer First approach. The presentation was followed by interactive QA sessions between the master students and the Directors who answered various queries from the students. Marianne Tremblay, Sr. Manager at EPFL said, "The main focus of our university is to undertake international development initiatives related to advanced technology and scientific research, while also building strong academic relations and activating constructive communication channels. In this regard, our master students have travelled to seven countries to study eGovernment systems and we were delighted with the unique Emirati hospitality and to be familiarized with Dubais leading experience in eTransformation, which complies with the highest eGovernance standards. In particular, we are very impressed to note how the vision and strategy of Dubai eGovernment is driven by great political will at the highest levels, demonstrating that successful eGovernments go beyond technology and require leadership, connectivity and collaboration."Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2011.
