Business Continuity Management is vital for economic resiliency

ADUKG holds seminar on how to thrive during economic downturn

16^th April 2011 - An effective Business Continuity Strategy is one of the key tools that would ensure an organisation's resilience against unforeseen events such as the economic downturn, said the Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG), the professional training and development arm of Abu Dhabi University (ADU).

According to Ahmed Badr, CEO of ADUKG, Business Continuity, as a part of business resilience, has achieved global recognition as an essential requirement for every organisation. This, he said, assists in the management of risk, protection of investment and support for strategic objectives and initiatives.

Business Continuity Management is now taught as an integral part of business management courses and is expected to be developed and managed as part of the regular management disciplines.

Aiming to provide local organisations with the required knowledge on this area, an interactive workshop, entitled "Business Continuity: Strategic Planning for Times of Crisis", is jointly organised by ADUKG's International Center for Business Resilience and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). To be held on 17th April at the Khalifa City Campus of Abu Dhabi University (ADU), the seminar will discuss the importance of Business Continuity Management (BCM) and how it can contribute in establishing an economic-proof organisation.

"Managing risk has become one of the key concerns to the public and private organisations and communities worldwide. The International Center for Business Resilience was founded to equip UAE-based companies with practical knowledge, including training development, that would allow them to deal with emerging threats and challenges in the region," said Badr.

"The Business Continuity Seminar is our first activity since the Center's launch early this year. Through this seminar, delegates will be able to explore the key principles and stages of implementing BCM infrastructure, whilst emphasising its background, nature, purpose and benefits," he added.

John Bartlett, an expert in Business Continuity Management in the MENA region, will be the course trainer during the full-day seminar. In a straightforward and understandable manner, Bartlett will provide a realistic and practical understanding of the scope of Business Continuity, the benefits that can be obtained and what steps are needed to be taken in order to achieve them.

The seminar will also focus on building a clear strategy and identifying the true benefits for implementing business continuity within the organisation. Delegates will learn about the essential tools in initiating successful business continuity programmes as well as the resources and budgetary requirements to start up the programme.

A hands-on 'real life' experience will also be conducted during the workshop to ensure practical and realistic discussions. Delegates will have a high level overview of BCM and what it means to their organisation, and in the achievement of their strategies and objectives. The seminar is based on industry's best practices and provides an introduction to the content, structure and requirements of the Abu Dhabi Business Continuity standard as well as discussing other international standards.

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About Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG)
The Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group (ADUKG), professional training and development arm of Abu Dhabi University, is the united face for a number of specialist and knowledge-oriented institutes. ADUKG provides a wide selection of innovative courses designed to develop the potential of people and, by extension the organizations they work for now and in the future. On a broader level, through a combination of research, academic excellence, responsive course structuring and key sector focus, ADUKG makes sure that organizations throughout the region are competitive, sustainable and equipped with highly qualified and enlightened people to lead them.

The institutes that make up ADUKG are the Institute for Continuing Studies (ICS), the Institute for Vocational Development (IVD) and the Institute for Executive Development (IED). These organizations are dedicated to offering comprehensive, customized training and development solutions to address important issues facing organizations such as Nationalization, Leadership Development, Customer Service Improvement, Human Resource Development, Project Management, Industry-specific Issues and Major Cultural Change across the UAE and the Region. ADUKG serves as a single point of call for all the specific training and development needs of businesses, government institutions and individuals.

Press Release 2011