Session witnessed record number of attendance due to major enhancements in MBA programs offerings creating a 800% increase in student numbers since last year

February 24th 2008, Abu Dhabi: To ring in the academic term, Abu Dhabi University (ADU) held a MBA information session led by Professor Dr Yosser Gadhoum, the university's Director of the MBA program. The event was attended by 100 working professionals who had inquiries about pursuing post graduate studies.

The high number of participants in the MBA information session reflects the radical enhancements that the program witnessed during this year including the introduction of the ENPC dual MBA program, all of which have increased the number of registered students by 800%.

After briefing the attendees on the MBA program, statistics were introduced to better illustrate the study environment. 75% of the enrolled students are local and 25% come from 19 different countries. Male/female percentage is 64% to 36%. People taking the MBA have an average of 8 years of experience and 36% of them come from senior management positions. 30% of the students are US/UK graduates.

The last part of Dr Ghadhoum's presentation covered an overview of the partnership agreement between ENPC-Paris and ADU. Founded in 1747, the Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussees (ENPC) was the original Grandes Ecole d'Ingenieurs, which is regarded one of the most elite schools in France. The ENPC Courses are delivered from the downtown Paris campus in the vibrant Saint-Germain des Pres quarter or on other international campuses such as ADU.

The ENPC MBA degree is formed with a truly "international leadership" orientation in mind. It provides the candidates who seek this dual degree an opportunity to study the additional courses in key industries/business centers around the world ranging from France, China, US, UK and Japan if needed.

When asked about the success of the information sessions, Dr Gadhoum responded: "These sessions allow me to learn more about the needs and the thoughts of the prospective applicants. In our program, we provide our students with a flexible and friendly learning environment and prepare them to keep up with changes and professional challenges in this digital era of global competitiveness. We want them to work hard but to enjoy their experience in a friendly and harmonious atmosphere."

Dr Gadhoum also added, "Our dual MBA ENPC program tackles challenges presented by today's ever evolving market needs in the World especially in high growth areas as the UAE and in particular Abu Dhabi. The specialized MBA courses that ADU offers are the best tool for ambitious professionals from all sectors who want to invest in theirs skills and wish to possess competitive advantages in a highly aggressive market".

The curriculum is broad-based and has a strong emphasis on analytical ability, critical thinking, problem solving, communication skills, and ethics.  MBA classes are taught by distinguished full-time senior ADU and ENPC faculty members who have earned international respect for their scholarly contributions in their respective fields.

Professionals from the oil, gas, accounting and marketing sectors were among the attendees. When asked about the effectiveness of this event, the participants commented that the benefits of studying for a MBA allows them to boost their confidence of their managerial skills, broadens their network and adds more value to their ongoing career prospects.

-Ends-

About Abu Dhabi University:
Abu Dhabi University was chartered as a private institution of higher learning in the year 2000 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and President of the University of Abu Dhabi Board of Trustees and Governors. The University is licensed by the Ministry of Education with all its degree programs accredited. The University of Abu Dhabi currently serves 3000 students at its two campuses in Abu Dhabi & Al Ain. ADU moved into its new AED500m campus in Khalifa City in October 2006.  All programs are open to eligible students from all nationalities. The University uses the American model of higher education for its Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering and Computer Science and English Language Institute.

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© Press Release 2008