Making his second visit to Dubai in two years, David Thomas, the dean of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, was on the lookout for something more.
Aside from connecting with the alumni in the UAE, he met with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to scout for opportunities to launch an MBA programme in the UAE.
In 2005, the Washington DC- based university opened the School of Foreign Service in Qatar. It is a branch campus of the Georgetown University Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service. But there are no such campuses for the business school outside the US. For now, the institution sends students to work with companies in the UAE, which are often part of the alumni network, for their projects term. Here Mr Thomas talks about the future of business education in the UAE.
What brings you here?
Dubai is a priority city for us. We have a significant number of alumni here. A major goal is to reach out through our alumni in the region to help us raise the visibility of Georgetown’s business school here, and also to help us connect to the business community because one of the growing areas of the business school is executive education. We have also been in conversation with various companies here about potentially designing programmes that would address the specific needs of companies in the region. One of the things that have been identified by both the Dubai and UAE government is the need to focus on the development of human capital here. As a result of the World Expo here, a tremendous number of middle and upper management people would be coming to help them manage that. Associated with that there would be skill development and educational needs. We are creating conversations to help us be a part of that. We have identified 12 cities that will shape global business in the 21st century and Dubai is one of those cities. We also met with the KHDA to understand the process of establishing an educational presence in Dubai. We are exploring the possibility. There are no major US business schools with a physical presence here, and that creates an opportunity for us.
How much does it cost for an MBA programme at Georgetown University?
The global executive MBA programmes cost $154,200 for the 2016-17 year. It can be completed in 18 months. The tuition for the regular, full-time two-year MBA programme is $56,892 a year.
What do you predict for the future of business education here in the Arabian Gulf?
The future is bright because I hear people talk about there being a level of technical knowledge that is available here, but not a lot of people that are trained in management and executive skills. A lot of expats are brought in to do the management work, but there is an interest in developing the indigenous population around management and executive skills. As a result of this – and this is looking long term – crisis in oil prices, a lot of Gulf states are going to take diversifying their economy more seriously, and that would focus on developing a set of skills, including management skills. Also, we will see more entrepreneurial activities in the region with the growing of small to medium-sized businesses. That also gives the opportunity for executive education.
How long have you been sending students to Dubai?
We have been sending students for projects in Dubai as part of the two-year MBA programmes as well as the executive MBA for at least 10 years. They have worked on projects in supply chain, real estate and marketing, among others. The projects last a semester. The students work half of the time in the US and come to Dubai for 10 days. They engage with the companies here, define their findings, and come back to the US. We send around 15 students each year to Dubai as part of those projects. We are talking with around eight companies in the Gulf region, many of whom have a presence in Dubai.
What are the future trends of business education?
One of them is lifelong learning. Anyone who goes through our programme, every two years they can take a course offered by the business school for free to stay current in their career. This builds a closer relationship with our alumni and they are critical to Georgetown University. For instance, scholarships are underwritten by a large part by the alumni. Other trends would include use of technology in delivering high-quality education and making business education more affordable and accessible between broader groups of people. For example, Starting a Startup that Matters is a programme where anyone can go online and watch [the class lectures] for free. It helps people who are interested in entrepreneurship but cannot attend Georgetown.
ssahoo@thenational.ae
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FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
