·       Dhahi Khalfan: "We congratulate the two leading universities for this new achievement which represents one of the real gains of the country’s leadership for valuing the role of education as we journey to the future with strength and confidence."

·       Mansoor Al Awar: The achievement is a giant step that no university in the UAE has ever made and we are committed to sharing our pioneering experience in making a radical and positive change in the education system of the Arab world

·       Hisham Jaber: “The new program is a valuable addition to the postgraduate programs offered by Alexandria University and is a first for fruitful cooperation with Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, a pioneer in the field of smart learning.”

By ; Basel Khaled

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University has launched the ‘Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management’ program in partnership with Alexandria University during a meeting of HBMSU’s Board of Governors, which was held under the patronage and in the presence of H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Chairman of the Board of Governors, H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Board, and members of the Board. The joint scientific degree follows the smart learning model is the first-ever in Egypt and is a new  achievement that advances HBMSU’s efforts to provide a unique educational and research product that aims to change the face of education in the Arab world.

This accreditation represents an unprecedented achievement for an academic and university institution in the UAE for being the first to receive accreditation from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt. It further reflects HBMSU’s efforts to obtain full accreditation in smart learning in line with its ambition to re-engineer the future of learning and education based on the pillars of smart technology, innovation, quality and scientific research.

The virtual event was attended by H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU; Dr. Hisham Jaber, Acting President of Alexandria University; Dr. Essam El-Kurdi, the former president of Alexandria University and the current president of the Al-Alamein International University, as well as a gathering of academics and dignitaries from the UAE and Egypt.

H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, extended the well wishes to both universities on the major achievement and the efforts made in building a unique scientific and academic cooperation which led to obtaining the first accreditation of its kind for an academic program offered by a national university outside the UAE. He pointed out that the fruitful partnership with a renowned  academic institution such as the Alexandria University paves the way for reshaping the future of education in the Arab world, in line with the rapid changes that the world is witnessing at present.

H.E. added: “The new achievement represents one of the real gains of the country’s wise leadership which values the role of education as we journey to the future with strength and confidence. We are proud of this major achievement which further enhances the leadership of HBMSU as a leading force, which prepares us for the future by investing in the creativity and energy of the youth, reinforcing what H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said:“ "We bet on youth. They're the engine of development and growth”.

H.E. concluded: “This exceptional success drives us to move forward in consolidating HBMSU’s partnership with Alexandria University in science and knowledge, which reflects the deep-rooted historical ties and the strong fraternal relations between the UAE in Egypt. We renew our commitment to share our leading experiences in grounding a culture of smart learning, and disseminating our pioneering expertise in adopting advanced technology to advance higher education and prepare new generations capable to lead the social and economic development in the Arab world.”

H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, said: “Accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt, the Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management represents a starting point for transformation in the move to deliver academic courses in the Arab World using our leading expertise in developing an advanced educational system that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional education, a method that is no longer efficient for a community striving to join the global race for leadership. The program will be offered through the ‘Blended Delivery Model’ that was recently launched by HBMSU, an optimal model in terms of combining Synchronous and Asynchronous learning.”

H.E. Al Awar added: “The recent achievement is a great leap forward that no other university in UAE has taken, and an important addition to our continued success in the move to reshape education locally, regionally and globally. It is a major step towards transforming future universities into intellectual, knowledge and innovation hubs in line with the directives of H. H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU.”

Al Awar stressed the importance of the joint program, which comes as a result of knowledge and educational cooperation between two of leading Arab universities, thereby representing a significant aspect of the UAE-Egyptian relations that are witnessing growth in all fields. “We are pleased to offer the top-notch educational program in cooperation with Alexandria University, one of the oldest and largest universities in the Arab Republic of Egypt, providing an added value to our leading achievement and reflecting our vision to build an effective strategic partnership in line with our core principle ‘Together We Grow.’ We are glad to share our gained experiences with the higher education institutes in Egypt to make innovation, quality and excellence the pillars of driving development and growth, as well as to share our successful practices in ensuring uninterrupted education despite all the challenges emerging worldwide, while continuing to identify and realize ambitious objectives. We reaffirm our commitment to foster knowledge and scientific cooperation with Alexandria University, and keep coordinating with the academic accreditation institutes to promote the adoption of smart learning across the Arab world according to accredited standards, thereby increasing the qualifications and skills of the graduates being key players in shaping the future.” Al Awar concluded.

For his part, Dr. Hisham Jaber, said: “The joint ‘Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management’ program between Alexandria University and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University offers an unprecedented specialized scientific degree in Egypt, in terms of qualifying the current and future leaderships of organizations to deal with global changes and keep pace with national trends, by relying on an educational method based on merging traditional education with smart e-learning. We are fully confident that the new program is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the postgraduate programs offered by Alexandria University, and a first for fruitful cooperation with Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University, the Arab and global leader in the field of smart learning and distance learning.”

Dr. Essam El-Kordi, stated, “We are pleased to cooperate with a leading academic institute such as HBMSU, the pioneer of smart learning in the Arab world, and the leader of reengineering education using academic and educational methods based on creativity, innovation and smart technologies. The accreditation of the program by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is a great leap forward for us in continuing with our efforts to empower the youth and encourage them to confidently pursue further education and enhance their knowledge. This step paves the way for us to maximize HBMSU’s capabilities in reshaping educational systems in the Arab world and across the globe, capitalizing on innovation, creativity, technology, and scientific research. We look forward to directing our joint efforts in creating an environment that supports and enhances creative and analytical skills, using innovative tools to meet the requirements of the digital era.”

Registration and study for the ‘Master of Science in Innovation and Change Management’ will open during the academic year 2020/2021, following the ‘Blended Delivery Model’ for postgraduate students in the Arab Republic of Egypt through the University of Alexandria. The program provides learners with specialized knowledge and skills on how to overcome resistance in the change process and achieve maximum learning and renewed thinking to anticipate and deal with the consequences of change. The program also prepares learners and prepares them to create a culture of innovation and develop innovative strategies and change management, as it addresses the complex issue of managing change using case studies after addressing it within the local and regional context.

Despite the global crisis caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, HBMSU manages to continue the delivery and execution of its programs, initiatives and projects, capitalizing on technological innovations, and the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and cold computing applications to ensure the continuity of knowledge building and the advancement of educational systems in cooperation with leading international institutes and technology giants.