DSG PROGRAM 3 TIMES OVERSUBSCRIBED
Dubai, UAE: UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry H.E. Dr. Mohamed Khalfan bin Khirbash, today opened the first Harvard-certificated program in the Middle East on E-Government Leadership, greeting high-ranking attendees from the governments of Arab States who attended the 3 times oversubscribed DSG program. 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).
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Dubai School of Government:
DSG is the first knowledge institution in the region dedicated to public sector management. Established in 2004 under the directive of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum DSG, in cooperation with international schools of excellence like Harvard University's J.F. Kennedy School of Government, develops targeted regional programs, facilitates the exchange of ideas on public policy, and furthers the development of talented regional leaders. www.dsg.ae
Harvard University:
Founded in 1936, John F. Kennedy School of Government specialises in the study and research of public management and major public programs. Its executive degree programs are designed to build upon the knowledge, skills and perspectives of today's leaders and to allow them to benefit from collaboration with academics, public officials and others concerned with public issues.
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© Press Release 2005
