Over 40 future global business leaders in UAE Capital visiting key organizations and networking with local executives

Abu Dhabi 27 October 2009 – INSEAD, the leading international business school, has welcomed a group of 40 Global Executive MBA (EMBA) participants to Abu Dhabi, as part of a globally integrated programme that has taken them to Singapore, France and now Abu Dhabi.

The students visiting the UAE Capital took modular courses on risk management using their time in Abu Dhabi to learn about the economic development of the region and to meet prominent local business executives. Companies visited included the Tourism Development Investment Company (TDIC), with speakers from AON, Shell, Masdar and Mubadala giving the group insights on the current local market dynamics.

Speaking about the visit, Paul Hiriart, a French national currently working in banking in Tokyo, said. “This is my first time in the region and I am positively surprised and encouraged by all the activity taking place here. It was good to learn about what the Emirate is doing to diversify beyond oil and I was impressed by the developments taking place here, particularly in the tourism industry''.

Gregory McNair working in real estate from New York added: “Abu Dhabi is much more international than I expected. I certainly did not expect it to be so cosmopolitan. From my arrival at the airport I could tell I was in for a vibrant experience. One reads about the developments, but it’s different seeing it happen.''

In conjunction with the students' visit, INSEAD recently launched a section of its Global EMBA programme in Abu Dhabi which recently rose from 6th to 5th place in the recently published 2009 Financial Times’ global Executive MBA rankings.

Participants based in the Middle East will be able to take core courses in the Abu Dhabi campus in the first half of the programme, and then integrate into a global cohort for several joint modules with Global EMBA participants based in Europe and Asia, starting 2010/2011. This announcement marks a significant milestone for INSEAD Abu Dhabi’s growth and comes at a time when the global school celebrates its 50th anniversary.

-Ends-

About INSEAD, The Business School for the World
As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and transform organisations. This worldly perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of our research and teaching.

With three campuses in Asia (Singapore), in Europe (France) in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and an office in New York, INSEAD extends the reach of its business education and research across three continents. Our 145 renowned faculty members from 35 countries inspire more than 1,000 degree participants in our MBA, Executive MBA and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 9,500 executives participate in INSEAD’s executive education programmes. With the INSEAD-Wharton Alliance, we deliver MBA and co-branded executive education programmes on Wharton's U.S. campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, as well as on our campuses in Asia and Europe.

This academic year is an important milestone for INSEAD as we celebrate half a century of success. Fifty years ago, INSEAD pioneered the concept of international business education – and we’re still innovating across all of our programmes, not to mention our cutting-edge research. The world and INSEAD have developed dramatically in the course of the last fifty years, but the core values on which INSEAD were founded have remained constant. These principles have enabled INSEAD’s entrepreneurial spirit to evolve and the school has grown into a truly global force.

Today’s organisations need leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere in the world. This is why business turns to INSEAD – to develop the next generation of transcultural leaders.

More information about INSEAD can be found at www.insead.edu

Contact for press:
Rola Tassabehji,
INSEAD Abu Dhabi Centre
Tel +9712 4460808 ext. 113
Email rola.tassabehji@insead.edu 

© Press Release 2009