Innovation Arabia 9 features 283 research papers and 40 presentations from 52 countries

Innovation Arabia 9 features 283 research papers and 40 presentations from 52 countries

 University praised for its role in supporting comprehensive development through strong intellectual convergence and enhanced innovative & research capabilities

 HBMSU launches ‘Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management’ book to introduce new approach to innovation for GCC entrepreneurs

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) concluded the Innovation Arabia 9 Congress today (Wednesday, March 9, 2016) with positive response from regional and international participants. The attendees underscored how the strategic discussions that took place during the congress will help strengthen intellectual convergence and lay a solid foundation for fostering innovative capabilities and research skills towards the Arab World’s comprehensive development. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU, the ninth edition hosted a series of workshops, panel discussions and training sessions during its three concurrent conferences titled ‘Quality and Business Management,’ ‘Health and Environment,’ and ‘Smart Learning Excellence.’

 Held under the theme ‘Accelerating Innovation Towards Sustainable Economy,’ Innovation Arabia 9 provided a strategic platform to help create a culture of innovation, creativity and excellence in smart learning, business management, health and the environment – all of which are considered the main pillars of building an integrated knowledge-based economy in the Arab World. The congress offered an ideal opportunity to masters and doctoral learners from 52 countries to submit and present their scientific research papers. A total of 40 presentations were made along with 283 research papers chosen out of the 364 papers submitted for the congress. A total of 117 research papers discussed various critical issues on smart learning excellence, while 98 papers focused on exploring the future of quality and business management. Another 68 highlighted the main topics related to health and the environment.

 On the second day of Innovation Arabia 9, HBMSU launched a new book titled ‘Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management: A New Approach to Innovation for GCC Entrepreneurs’ published by HBMSU Publishing House in line with its efforts to enhance the country’s research capabilities in various disciplines to better meet knowledge requirements. Co-authored by Dr. Khalid M. Al Khazraji and Mr. Shawn N. Olds, the book attracted high attention from congress the participants and speakers. It provides insights on the GCC’s business system and practices and discusses the future of entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while presenting the challenges and opportunities in building an innovative environment. The Smart Learning Entrepreneur Day was also launched under the theme ‘Innovation@Work’ during the second day. The initiative focused on the success story in implementing best practices in the UAE and discussions on practical ways to achieve sustainable entrepreneurship.

 Dr. Mansour Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, said: “We are thrilled that Innovation Arabia 9 attracted positive response from the regional and international academia, research community and government sector. We are also excited with the launching of our new book, ‘Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management: A New Approach to Innovation for GCC Entrepreneurs,’ which will help disseminate knowledge in line with our scientific and academic commitment and responsibilities in our bid to become a leading hub for intellectual and cultural enlightenment.”

 Dr. Al Awar added: “Innovation Arabia 9 proved once again that it is a leading platform to strengthen international collaboration in the scientific and research disciplines and promote intellectual convergence among senior governmental officials, decision and policy makers, thought leaders, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs from around the world. The congress enabled them to explore new opportunities for achieving a better future and establishing an integrated economy based on knowledge, excellence and innovation. The panel discussions and training sessions provided an ideal opportunity to discuss current and future challenges and emerging trends, highlighting effective solutions that support the aspirations of the Arab World to build sustainable communities. Innovation is a main tool to enhance education, health and the environment, encourage the implementation of best practices, and support sustainable entrepreneurship.”

“The great success of Innovation Arabia 9 was achieved due to the unwavering support and patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. I would like to express my gratitude to H.H. for his continued support to achieve our growth objectives at the regional and international levels by promoting excellence in smart learning and providing a platform to foster innovation, creativity and scientific research. We would also like to thank our strategic partners and sponsors for their support and we look forward to maintaining our strong relations and collaborating with them again to ensure the success of Innovation Arabia’s next edition,” Dr. Al Awar added.

 During the second day of the Quality and Business Management conference, the forum held a panel discussion titled ‘Ecosystem for Sustainable Entrepreneurship.’ Supervised and moderated by Dr. Philippe Bouvier, the conference featured several renowned speakers such as Jack Kramer, Ellucian Senior VP – Customer Perspective; Wissam Otaky, Group CFO, Hatcher Otaky Holding Group – UAE; Mohamad Humaid Al Marri, PhD Learner at HBMSU; and Samer Choucair, VP, Crescent Enterprise. The UAE’s success story in implementing best practices was discussed during the keynote speech of H.E. Wesam Lootah, CEO, Dubai Smart Government, UAE.

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 A keynote speech by Abdulla Al Awar, CEO, Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), opened the discussions on the third day of the conference, followed by a panel discussion titled ‘Islamic Financial Landscape: Current Development.’ The panel discussion was moderated by Prof. Nabil Baydoun, Vice Chancellor for Enterprise & University Advancement, HBMSU, with the participation of Dr. Shamim Siddiqui, Faculty Member, Associate Professor, HBMSU; Suhail Zubairi, CEO, Dar Al Sharia Legal and Financial Consultancy; and Kamran Khalid Sherwani, Head of Sharia Advisory, Compliance and Quality Control, ADCB. The conference was concluded by a session on ‘Marketing in the Social Media Age’ under the supervision of Omar Abou Ezzeddine, Deputy General Manager, Managing Partner, Clear Tag.

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 On the second day of the Smart Learning Excellence conference, Mark Chaban, Area Education Director, Microsoft Middle East and Africa, started the session with a keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion titled ‘New Multidisciplinary Research Paradigms for Smart Learning’ under the moderation of  Dr. Khadeegha Al Zoubi. The participants included Dr. Suad Abdul Aziz Al-Furaih, Associate Professor, Kuwait University; Dr Philip Quirke, Executive Dean Foundations, General Studies and Education, HCT, UAE; and Dr Akram Zayour, Principal, Dubai International School. The conference also highlighted international best practices in smart learning during a speech delivered by Maxim Jean-Louis, President-Chief Executive Officer, Contact North | Contact Nord, under the title ‘Action Steps to Ensure Continuous Leading Edge.’ The ‘HBMSU Best Practice In Smart Learning’ was also put on the spotlight during a panel discussion titled ‘HBMSU Best Practice: The Success of Smart Learning.’

 On the third day, the conference started with a panel discussion titled ‘Leadership Frameworks to Nurture E-Learning Practitioners.’ The participants included numerous international speakers such as Prof. Michael Meimaris, Director of the University Research Institute of Applied Communication, University of Athens; Rafat Malik, Vice President Corporate Partnerships, FT - IE Corporate Learning Alliance; and Dr. Khalid Al Shahrani, Academic Relations Lead, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, KSA. The audience learned about the correlation between social media and education through a discussion titled ‘Social Media for Smart Learning: Fostering Creativity and Innovation’ by Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director, Orient Planet.

 Lastly, the second day of the Health and Environment conference featured the ‘Importance of Green Economy to Arab World’ via a panel discussion held under the supervision of Dr. Mayada Moussa. Among the participants were Dr. Pedro Banda, Director Research & Development for DEWA; Dr. Moaetaz El Sergany, Faculty Member, School of Health and Environmental Studies, HBMSU; and Rashed Karkain, PhD Learner at HBMSU. The agenda included discussions on the UAE’s success story in implementing best practices in the health industry. Dr. Zakaria Zaki Al Attal, Senior Consultant, Organizational Development & International Accreditation, UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, delivered a presentation titled ‘Best Practice in Implementing JCI Standards/MOH Success Story.’ Titled ‘Best Practice Story in Preservation & Protection of UAE Environment,’ the presentation of Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group-UAE, tackled the major features of the UAE’s success in applying best environmental practices, with the participation of Dr. Mishgan AlAwar, Director, Research & Studies Center, Dubai Police Academy.

 On the third day, Prof. Moustafa Hassan discussed the ‘Global Perspective: Excellence in Quality and Patient Safety’ during a panel discussion. The participants included Dr. Marwa Zohdy, Vice President, Joint Commission International; Dr. Ashraf Ismail, Managing Director, Middle East Office, Joint Commission International; Prof. Niyi Awofeso, Professor, School of Health & Environmental Studies-HBMSU; and Alanoud Salman, PhD Learner at HBMSU. The latest edition of the conference ended with a final session titled ‘Use of Social Media in Raising Awareness About Environment & Health-Related Issues and Solutions’ under the supervision of Sharif Muhammad, Head of Marketing, Imdaad.

 Innovation Arabia 9 attracted the support of a wide range of official sponsors from highly prominent international bodies, major banking and media institutions, business organizations, and private companies. The sponsors included du, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), Insurance Authority, Mohammad Bin Rashid Smart Learning Program, Financial Times – Corporate Learning Alliance, Dubai Media Inc. and other media partners.