Dubai, January 28, 2010: The region's corporate sector and business students need to master case writing skills from a regional perspective, said Professor James A. Erskine, an internationally renowned expert and trainer for Case Study Writing and Teaching, from the Richard Ivey School of Business.

The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), organized a Case Writing and Teaching Workshop from January 10th to 14th in association with Canada's Richard Ivey School of Business. The workshop, for academics and professionals in the UAE region, was conducted by Professor James A. Erskine from the Richard Ivey Business School.

The intensive five-day workshop provided the participants with the knowledge and skills to write original field-based cases and teach effectively using cases. "The participants worked really hard going through all the steps of the case writing process and I am very impressed with the high quality of cases written during the workshop, all technically sound and based on original field-based data from the region" said Professor Erskine.

Professor Whelan, President of UOWD, said, "Staff at UOWD always strive to provide the most stimulating learning environment for our students. We also have a well-earned reputation for close collaboration with our local community and industry partners. The workshop represents a significant enhancement of these relationships."

Cases were developed in collaboration with leads from various UAE based organizations including Economic Zones World (EZW), JAFZA, Jumeirah Group, Production Services Network (Dubai), National Bank of Dubai, Excel Sports, Selective Marine Services, Aqua Chemie, Promo Seven Sports Marketing , DAMCO, Dubai and TMH, Dubai.

John Deykin, CEO of TMH, a leading brand management consultancy, headquartered in Dubai Media City, said "We understand the importance of partnering with the Universities in the region to facilitate a discussion between academics and industry professionals sharing each other's experiences in, and insights into, specialized fields such as marketing and branding".

"The cases written will provide students and academics with further insights into doing business in the region and will facilitate stimulating, contextually relevant discussions and further research," said Elrona D'Souza, General Manager, Production Services Network Int'l Ltd (Dubai Branch).

Professor Mohamed Khalifa, Vice President (Academic), UOWD, said, "This workshop will pave the way for the setting up of a Business Case Centre at UOWD.  The centre will develop business cases within the regional context, further strengthening the industry-academic linkage".

"I am very impressed with the overall success of the workshop, the quality of the cases that were written, the strong support we received from industry and the high level of satisfaction from the participants", said Professor Khalifa at the closing ceremony - organized by UOWD to honour the guests, participants and industry partners.

The case method, as followed in leading business schools, requires the development of real-life scenarios that reflect success stories and challenges faced by decision makers, bringing academics closer to actual organisational issues and enabling learners to learn by doing.

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About the University of Wollongong in Dubai
Established in 1993, UOWD was the first foreign university in Dubai to be licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research. Located at Dubai Knowledge Village, it boasts 3,600 students representing almost 100 nationalities. It is closely associated with one of Australia's best performing research and teaching Universities, the University of Wollongong, Australia.

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© Press Release 2010