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Dubai - The new season of the Women and Leadership Seminar Series, organised by the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) in partnership with Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), got off to an exciting start with an inspiring talk by Aysha Al Kaabi, UAE Head of the Programme Unit at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) sharing her personal journey and distinguished leadership.
Aysha Al Kaabi, an Emirati woman with a diverse background, said her supportive environment in her childhood gave her the confidence to address criticism and stereotypes, enabling her to face educational as well as career challenges.
She has held various high profile positions, such as Assistant Secretary General and Head of UNESCO Department at the UAE National Commission for UNESCO and Head of Programme Unit of UNDP in the UAE. In between these positions, she shifted focus to do a stint in the Media and Broadcasting industry and became the first female Emirati news anchor for Abu Dhabi TV. She later joined Dubai TV, followed by her appointment as Media & Publishing Supervisor of “Kalima”, a huge translation project launched by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.
“From an early childhood, I was taught to speak my mind openly and not be afraid of taking risks. I have never missed an opportunity, and never thought of an excuse not to do something”, she said. “Leadership is about constantly asking yourself ‘Why Not?’ and not be defined by pre-conceived expectations and molds”, she added.
“If you want to succeed, you need to find a balance between your work and personal life”, she said. “Don’t use your family as a constant excuse to miss important work obligations – quality time is of more value than quantity time”, she added.
Ms Al Kaabi is also an experienced short story writer, artist and poet. She won The Emirati Woman Award in Literature and Art in 2011 for her book “No consolation for House cats” and was invited to do a solo art exhibition at the Abu Dhabi Art Hub to mark the 43rd UAE National Day in 2014.
“Being able to work with Ayesha Al Kaabi, Programme Head at UNDP and Gender & Youth Focal point of the UAE Office, has been a huge step forward for the UOWD-DBWC collaborative research on Women and Leadership. We look forward to strengthening this partnership to continue to contribute to leadership capacity development and economic contribution of women in the UAE”, commented Dr Payyazhi Jayashree, Associate Dean (Education) and Associate Professor (HR), Faculty of Business.
UOWD launched the UOWD-DBWC Women and Leadership Seminar Series with endorsement from Her Excellency, Dr Raja Al Gurg, Head of DBWC in October 2015, with the aim to contribute to narratives and action plans focused on gender parity at the workplace.
Enquiries can be made to: info@uowdubai.ac.ae or contact 042 781 800.
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About UOWD
The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) is one of the UAE's oldest and most prestigious universities. Established in 1993 by the University of Wollongong in Australia - currently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world – UOW in Dubai represents a pioneering Australian initiative in the Gulf region. The University has over 4,000 students and supports a network of over 8,500 alumni.
About Dubai Business Women Council
Established in 2002, under the umbrella of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Dubai Business Women Council is the official representative organisation for business women, both professionals and entrepreneurs, in the Emirate of Dubai.
Building awareness, educating, promoting opportunities and enhancing positive change in the community towards the acceptance of women in business is at the heart of the DBWC’s belief in empowering women and motivating them to be productive members of the society and economy.
The ‘Network Majlis’ events are hosted monthly by the DBWC in order to provide information about the latest knowledge, skills and best practices for women entrepreneurs and leaders. For more information about DBWC and their recent activities, visit www.dbwc.ae
MEDIA CONTACTEtresia Wolmarans
Communications Executive, UOWD
T +971 04 278 1723 Rajesh Prema
Associate Manager, Marketing & Communications
T +971 04 278 1724 Issued by Etresia Wolmarans, Communications Executive, UOWD
University of Wollongong in Dubai
T +971 04 278 1723 | E EtresiaWolmarans@uowdubai.ac.ae
© Press Release 2016
