Dubai International Academy holds third annual Induction Programme

Staff strength increases from 69 to over 160 teachers in 24 months; student population rises from 510 to over 1,400 from 74 nationalities

Dubai, 01 September 2007: Dubai International Academy held its third annual Induction Programme to educate the new batch of teachers on the school's vision, values and expectations, and set fresh goals for its returning staff in the new academic year, which commences on 2^nd September, with over 1,400 students from 74 different nationalities.

The week-long Induction Programme at the Emirates Hills located school that opened in 2005, served as an orientation course for the new batch of teachers from diverse nationalities, as it also gave them the opportunity to learn about the UAE and how to make a smooth transition into the multicultural setting of the country.

Asked why they chose to join DIA, most of the new teachers said they decided to join the school because of its unique vision, its multicultural environment, and the programmes that it was following within the framework of the renowned Geneva-based International Baccalaureate (IB) organization.

DIA has been authorised as an IB World School and is endeavouring to become the first school in the country to offer the continuum of all three IB programmes, the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).

The highlight on the opening day of the Induction Programme was a presentation titled "The Power Of One" made by Mr. Hamdi Osman, the Senior Vice President of FedEx in charge of over 81 countries located in the Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and CIS region, and Founder Partner and Board Director of Dubai International Academy.

Addressing participants of the induction programme, Mr. Osman drew many similarities between high achievers in business and in other spheres including education, and pointed out that teachers were cast in the role of service providers, parents were their customers and the children, their products.

'If you are in the service business you are there to serve the customer well. You've got to differentiate the way you do business, and the best way to do it is by taking the service to a new level", he said, adding that the teaching staff of DIA had the ability to make a difference to the future of their students.

He also suggested that if only teachers could try to understand the psychology of the parents on an individual basis, they would be able to identify and resolve any issues quickly, intelligently and amicably, to help further improve the rapport between the school, staff and parents.

Emphasising the fact that one person could make a difference, Mr. Osman referred to the "greats" and "geniuses" including Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Edison, Isaac Newton and Guglielmo Marconi.

"Each of them made a difference that had a huge impact on the world. They are the kind of people who can see what others cannot see. Even in a team one person can make the difference. If the leader is successful the team is successful. Without a leader, the team will fall apart," said Mr. Osman, who is also a Board Director for the American Business Council, the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai Women's College, the American University of Sharjah, and a former Director of the American School of Dubai.

Providing an overview of the rapid growth of Dubai's economy, Mr. Osman said that Dubai will continue to champion innovation, dynamism and entrepreneurship. "So, whatever you do at DIA, is really going to benefit what's going to happen in Dubai. It will leverage the growing Knowledge Economy to become a regional hub for financial services, technology, education and healthcare services".

In her welcome address to participants, Ms. Poonam Bhojani, Executive Director of DIA observed that the school had made remarkable achievements during the past two academic years with the student population increasing from 510 in the first year to over 1,400 from 74 different nationalities, and the staff further strengthened from 69 in 2005 to more than 160 from over 20 different nationalities to date.

She said that the school had been able to make a tremendous impact on the local education scene in such a short time not only because of its commitment to pursuing excellence but also due to its penchant for challenging conventions and having a very committed team.

In her presentation, Ms. Bhojani highlighted the milestones reached so far that included becoming the first school in the UAE to be authorized by the IB to offer the MYP and DP programmes. She thanked parents, returning staff members, shareholders and the Board of Directors for their contribution towards propelling the school to the coveted position that it presently enjoys in UAE's educational sphere.

However, Ms. Bhojani cautioned against being complacent and asked whether being good was good enough?

"Being good is not good enough. We have to move from being good to great. We can achieve this by being passionate about our profession, our commitment to building winners and life-long learners, by treating our students as customers and serving them well, and by always looking at a better way of doing things", she said.

As part of its efforts to provide world-class standards of education, DIA is constantly looking at setting new targets in a number of areas including extra curricular and community activities, staff development programmes, rigorous academic preparation and allround development.

Supported by facts and figures from an Internet-based quiz presentation on education, Mr. Donavon Reinsmoen, Principal, Elementary School showed participants of the Induction Programe how important it was for parents, staff and students to be constantly engaged in a conversation for change that can ensure the success of students in a highly competitive world.

In his speech to the participants, Mr. Narendra Mehrotra, DIA's High School Principal, said: "The staff here at DIA is gifted and committed, who provide the structure, stimulation and challenge that young minds need. As excellence is the defining word at DIA, we have a challenging year ahead where proper implementation of the Diploma Programme and the continued progress of the Middle Years Programme must take place. It will require your full commitment and dedication".

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Dubai International Academy
Dubai International Academy, located at Emirates Hills, aspires to achieve and set, within the framework of the Geneva-based International Baccalaureate Organisation, world-class standards of education and an all-round development. thereby bringing the 'IBO World School' in the country. The school has a student body of more than 1400 students from 74 different nationalities plus over 160 staff members from over 20 different nationalities. It has over 80 classrooms and specialist rooms for music, art, dance, drama and language learning, well-equipped science and computer labs, networked libraries, climate controlled multi-purpose halls for a wide range of sports, swimming pools, playing fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a cafeteria in a vibrant and modern environment.

For more information, please contact:
Anosh Ahamath,
BPG Public Relations,
Tel: +971-4-295 3456;
Cell: 050-7853956
E-mail: anosh@batespangulf.com