Following a regional survey, MBS prepares to launch the school's first executive education programmes outside the UK - starting in the Middle East

25 March 2011 (Dubai, UAE): Following the recent presentation of the initial findings of the region's first survey into executive education, undertaken in partnership with Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village, Manchester Business School (MBS) is offering two executive education taster seminars, open to the public and free of charge, on March 27th and March 31st. MBS will launch its full portfolio of executive education programmes for the Middle East, in April 2011. The free seminars will be led by top MBS faculty member, Dr David Bamford - a distinguished industrialist/academic with consulting clients including PwC and BP - and will focus on project management.

Executive education seminars
Sunday, March 27th: Ensuring Project Success. Dubai Knowledge Village, Conference Centre at 6:30pm (I hour introduction to the subject)
Thursday, March 31st:  Project Management, Venue: Holiday Inn Express - Dubai Internet City; Timings: from 9:00am - 5:00 pm (1 full day, including lunch)

Sessions are open to the public but places are limited and pre-registration is required to confirm a place, please email on corporate@mbs-worldwide.ae  
 
Titled 'The GCC Market for Executive Education', the joint research covered over 500 human resources professionals and senior managers from companies in a range of sectors across the six GCC countries.
The region-wide study evaluated the effect of the global economic crisis on the training budget of the corporate sector. It also analysed the expected ROI (Return on Investment) for executive education, plus ways of assessing its value and the expectations of organisations from an executive education provider.

The research also highlighted the executive education priorities for the next 12 months - 'leadership', 'business planning' and 'strategy' were identified as core training areas by more than one third of the respondents. Longer term priorities include 'organisational development', 'leadership' and 'strategy'. 

According to the survey, many organisations in the region currently engage in executive education, however, a significant number of them (almost 60%) do not, representing a potential growth opportunity for executive education providers, according to the outcomes of the Middle East's first regional market  study.

Mr Saadeldine El Hajj, Corporate Relationship Manager at MBS in the Middle East, comments: "Our joint survey into the regional market for executive education clearly identified the management skills deficit in the region and we will launch the school's first executive education programmes outside the UK, next month in Dubai. The taster seminars and the first programme, will focus on project management which links to the strategy and leadership areas that were highlighted by the regional survey respondents as areas requiring special focus in the coming three years. 

"Executive - or management - education will play an important role in filling the regional skills gaps and Dubai is well positioned to provide this support to business. MBS will launch a series of executive education programmes targeting the most senior management levels, starting in April 2011."

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Biography
Dr David Bamford is an experienced industrialist/academic with multiple publications to his name, most recently a co-authored book (Essential Guide to Operations Management: Concepts and Case Notes, 2010). In 2009 he was awarded the University of Manchester Distinguished Achievement Medal, Teacher of the Year 2009. In 2006 he won the University of Manchester Award for Teaching Excellence. His research interests include operations systems reform and review, strategic leadership, change management and organisational systems design and in 2010 he was awarded the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) prize for the Best Application of Social or Management Science and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) Best Partnership Award, North East England. The awards recognise the most innovation-led successful research partnerships.

About Manchester Business School
Manchester Business School is the UK's largest campus-based business and management school. It provides a comprehensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate and custom-made executive programmes, for organisations from both the private and public sectors. Manchester Business School holds triple MBA accreditation - AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB. All successful MBA students are awarded a degree by the University of Manchester and no distinction is made between the different learning formats - all have reached the same high standard expected of a Manchester MBA

Manchester Business School set up the Middle East International Executive Centre at Dubai Knowledge Village, TECOM Education Cluster, in 2006 and currently supports more than 950 post-experience MBA students in the region. It is the largest centre in the MBS international network. Complemented by the additional benefits that Dubai offers as a regional business base, the TECOM Education Cluster that hosts the school serves as an outstanding hub for human development.

For further information on Manchester Business School, please contact:
Jonathan Walsh
WPR Dubai
M: +971 50 4588610
E: jon@wprme.com

© Press Release 2011