Abu Dhabi University (ADU) hosted the international 2018 European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)* Middle East and Africa conference, an event aimed to create a platform for dialogue on the future of business education in the region. The conference shed light on new avenues for business schools to deploy innovative technologies and new business models that enhance student and other stakeholders’ engagement.
The three-day conference, organized by ADU’s College of Business, was attended by a stellar lineup of academics and industry experts from leading organizations and educational institutions in the UAE and worldwide. The event consisted of a mix of facilitated discussions, table discussions and plenary sessions that ran under the theme of “Building Relevant Business Schools for the Middle East and Africa”.
The plenary sessions began with an introductory overview of the history of the education system in the Middle East, followed by a discussion highlighting views on the relevance of business schools in the region from a corporate standpoint. The sessions also focused on the important role business schools play in shaping society.
The conference featured a series of interactive sessions entitled “World Café on future skills”, addressing key topics such as the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on future jobs, combined with helping students develop a business-savvy mindset in preparation for new opportunities in 2020. The discussions also included ways to engage and empower students for this next transformation stage. Speakers highlighted the critical value of technology in reinforcing a strong foundation for student engagement. The event also included table discussions with students titled “Let’s talk about relevance”.
Participating private organizations included Schlumberger Middle East, Etisalat Telecommunications and IBM. The event also saw a wide range of speakers joining from local, regional and internationally-recognized institutions and business schools including EFMD, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC Middle East and Turkey), Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Toulouse Business School, Lagos Business School, ESSCA – Ecole de Management, emlyon business school, HEM Business School, American University of Beirut, and Ajman University.
*EFMD is an international, not-for-profit, membership organisation of business schools and corporations, based in Brussels, Belgium, with offices in Asia and the Americas. It has nearly 900 member organisations from academia, business, public service and consultancy in 88 countries, creating a unique forum for information, research, networking and debate on innovation and best practice in management development.