Does your university as a body provide specific expert advice to local, regional or national government (e.g. through policy guidance, participation in committees, provision of evidence)?

US Government Official and Communications Professional Visits CUD

April 16th, 2018: Canadian University Dubai welcomed Mr. Nathan Tek, a regional spokesperson for the US State Department, who facilitated a conversation on “Strategic Communications.”

Organized by Dr. Mohammed Abuhannoud, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, the event gave students and faculty the opportunity to hear Mr. Tek speak about his professional experience in the field of communications.

Mr. Tek outlined his role as an authorized Regional Spokesman for the United States government in the UAE. His function is to represent United States government foreign policy. Referencing recent developments in the Middle East, he explained how he spends a considerable amount of time addressing public opinion here and explaining various issues concerning the role of the US in the Middle East and further afield. He stressed the importance of building bridges between Middle Eastern countries and the United States. He also spends time in other countries in the Middle East training US diplomatic personnel in communication strategies and social media.

Mr. Tek received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Studies from Yale University in 2009. He studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo under the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad Fellowship Program. He joined the US Foreign Service in 2010 and has served at the US Embassies in Libya and Qatar. Mr. Tek has worked in the diplomatic community for nine years.

He is an accredited Civil Servant appointed by President Barack Obama and serves his country regardless of which political party is in power in the US. He emphasized the need to maintain impartiality while representing his country’s position in world affairs.

At the end of the presentation, Mr. Tek took questions from his audience, further explained the skills and capacities needed for this career path, and described the challenges that arise with the rapid developments in the world of information and communication. He thanked CUD for its kind invitation and hopes he will return in the near future.

Dr. Mohammed thanked him for taking time out of his busy schedule and expressed the hope that this event would be one in a series focusing on communication skills.

CUD Student Advises Future Contestants of Government Technology Challeng

October 18th, 2015: Canadian University Dubai (CUD) engineering student, Ahmed Farrag, has been speaking to aspiring contestants of this year’s UAE m-Government Service Awards about what it takes to go all the way in the annual technology challenge.

Ahmed was among a team of three students from CUD who reached the finals of last year’s competition with their innovative application, SmartCart. Along with teammate and CUD graduate, Mohammed Baziyad, Ahmed was called upon by the office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to share his knowledge and experience with future contenders of the competition.

Addressing more than fifty students and faculty members from across Dubai, Ahmed gave an overview of the application that saw the CUD students reach the elite top five ranking in last year’s competition. He also provided students with some valuable advice about the importance of defining and designating key task, and managing the process effectively throughout.

As in previous years, the 2015 competition aims to support the UAE’s Smart Government vision by bringing forward innovative solutions for the delivery of Government services through smart technology. It involves a special category dedicated to students enrolled at universities in the UAE, to engage young people in the development of new tools in the field of smart phone applications, mobile websites and SMS technology.

Architecture Professor Addresses Municipality Officials from Gcc State

October 23rd, 2014: Dr. Hoshiar Nooraddin, a professor in the School of Architecture and Interior Design at Canadian University Dubai, has addressed a gathering of municipal government officials from across the GCC to reveal the key ingredients for a livable Smart City.

An architect by trade, Dr. Nooraddin developed expertise in the Smart Cities initiative through research and professional practice during his time in Norway. As a specialist in the region, he was called upon to deliver the keynote address at the 4th annual GCC Municipalities and Smart Cities Conference held at the Burj Al Arab, Dubai.

The two-day symposium was attended by leaders and senior decision makers from several GCC government municipalities, and examined topics such as modern management, IT and e-Government, customer care services, education, and knowledge management.Dr. Nooraddin was at the head of the conference agenda, which saw an elite group of experts from the public and private sectors share their insights into international best practices in the field.

The Smart Cities initiative has become a priority for municipalities across the region in recent years. Dubai, under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has developed a raft of strategic projects to transform the Emirate into one of the world’s most connected and sustainable Smart Cities for the inception Expo 2020.

Introducing the notion of ‘livable’ Smart Cities, Dr. Nooraddin said, “The challenge for any city in this process is to work in parallel with innovations in technology to consider the social and human aspects of development.

“Smart Cities need to take account of lifestyle and environmental considerations to achieve sustainable growth. A livable Smart City is one that embeds quality of life in its evolution.”

Dr. Nooraddin shared lessons from the Norwegian city of Oslo, which was recognized by the European Union as an exemplar in the 2013 Smartest City Rankings. He revealed the eight strategic objectives implemented by the city to provide a good quality of life while delivering its Smart City objectives.

Among the key strategies, Dr. Nooraddin highlighted the importance of integrating the national culture of a country into the design of buildings and urban space, the need to focus on climate-friendly initiatives, and to develop a city oriented towards the use of public transportation.

He also stressed the importance of ‘smart continuous community participation’, saying, “Smart Cities must integrate knowledge of the initiative into education, support continuous media involvement, and promote active community participation in all Smart City related projects.”

He concluded that there is no ideal, prescribed model for a Smart City. “Each city needs to establish its own agenda and create sustainable strategies to ensure it is responsive to future changes” he said.

Smart Government Starts with Smart Processe

May 28th, 2015: Dr. Haniyeh Yousefpour has addressed a group of senior government officials from across the GCC about the importance of process-driven improvement in establishing and maintaining smart government and smart services across the region.

Dr. Yousefpour, Assistant Professor in the School of Business at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), was speaking at the GCC Smart Government and Smart Services Conference, held recently at the Ritz Carlton, DIFC.

An expert in the quality management technique, Six Sigma, Dr. Yousefpour was invited to give a presentation on the subject of continuous process improvement in smart government. As a professor of organizational behaviour and HR management, she proposes a people-centred approach to achieving excellence in smart services.

Dr. Yousefpour was among a line up of international speakers sharing their expertise at the 21st edition of the annual conference, which brought together executives, decision-makers and key policy makers from regional and global government organizations, to address the critical issues in smart government operations and infrastructure.

While the conference has been running for over two decades, the smart government concept has taken on a new dimension in recent years with the advancement of technology supporting process innovation, including the creation of mGovernment tools, where user interactions with government information and services can be conducted entirely through mobile devices.

According to Dr. Yousefpour, new technology provides an excellent platform for the smartening of government and services, but process improvements are ultimately driven by the people within the organization, and what’s more, it’s those at the operational level that often have the most insight into how process excellence can be achieved.

She said, “Often, a top-down approach is taken towards improvement-driven change, and yet it is usually those involved in the day-to-day delivery of services that are best placed to identify and implement process improvements.

“Technology gives us the tools to effect change in the delivery of smart services, but it must be combined with a shift in mindset, towards an organizational culture that promotes employee engagement in performance strategy and measurement.”

CUD was the official education partner of the event, which saw more than 600 delegates attend across the five-day conference.

CUD Delegates Attend International Communications Conferenc

Students and faculty from the School of Communication and Media Studies (SCMS) at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have heard from international experts in the field of global media about the power of communication, at the International Government Communications Forum (ICGF) held recently in Sharjah.

The CUD delegates were invited to attend the fifth edition of the annual Forum, which was hosted by the Government of Sharjah and opened by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The event focused on dialogues surrounding the importance of communications as a tool to connect government and the citizens or residents of countries.

Amongst the discussions, those that most fascinated the students were a panel session on how to counter extremism; communications in times of crisis, humanitarian, and natural disasters; the issue of communications and human rights; as well as examining the role of communications between government and civil society as a means to enhance social cohesion.

SCMS students were active over the two days, participating in workshops on Investigative Journalism hosted by the BBC, and Strategic Communications hosted by the EU Communications Department. Participating students raised important issues in these workshops, such as how to resolve the conflicting role of ethics and the need for public disclosure of information in investigative reports, as well as the role of communication officers in engaging key stakeholders.

Hala Nsour, a second year advertising student found the event inspiring, saying, “The topics were intriguing; we learnt about how extremism can be countered through effective communication.” Fellow second year advertising student, Salma Abdalla, added, “I loved Chris Gardner’s address to the Forum because he broadened my perspective about how we can be allowed to dream.”

Fourth year advertising student Michun Liu was inspired by the former Chair of the UN Human Rights Council, Mary Robinson, who she said, “offered a frank point of view about the UAE’s need to enhance its participation in Human Rights engagement”. Meanwhile, course mate Yara Younis described the experience as ‘fantastic’ because she found the Forum to be a great venue “in which we can take what we learned in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations.”

Second year advertising student Janine Pinto summed up the essence of the discussions, saying, “It was interesting because of the opinions shared by the world leaders about extremism; they offered enlightening views about a sensitive topic that might be considered taboo.”

Overall, SCMS students came away from the experience with a better understanding of how governments use communications, in all its forms, to enhance the lives of citizens and to ensure that the links between government and civil society remain robust.

Canadian University Dubai Dean Helps Kiribati Plan Its Futur

The Canadian University Dubai’s (CUD) Dean of the Faculty of Management and the School of Business Administration, Prof. Franco Gandolfi, was recently invited to act as a strategic advisor to the South Pacific nation of Kiribati in order to help them obtain financial aid from donors and development partners.   In addition Prof. Franco also conducted a week of intensive workshops on strategic planning and foresight for mid-level and senior-level public servants across all twelve of the government’s ministries.

Prof. Franco, who first worked with the island nation when he was Dean of the Faculty of Business & Economics at The University of the South Pacific, Fiji Islands,  spent two weeks in Kiribati serving as a technical advisor to its government during its negotiations for ongoing funding for its strategic plan and the Kiribati Development Project (2016 – 2020) with its key stakeholders, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations as well as the Governments of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

His two week visit culminated with a dinner banquet hosted by the President of Kiribati, H.E. Taneti Maamau and the First Lady, Madam Teiraeng Maamau where the Canadian University Dubai was officially recognized.

“The Government of Kiribati is focused on attracting investment and building the infrastructure it needs to optimize the potential of its fishing and tourism industries,” said Prof. Franco.  “However, as a nation of only 100,000 people who have primarily lived a traditional Micronesian way of life, they are eager to seek advice and guidance from international business leaders and academics who can assist them in capacity building and securing on-going funding for its ambitious strategic plans, which is why I’m glad to help.”

The Republic of Kiribati, formerly known as the Gilbert  Islands when it was governed by the United Kingdom, is a democratic nation spread over 34 islands with a total land area of 800 square kilometers spread over 3.5 million square kilometers of water.   Its main industries are Copra (products made from coconuts) and fishing.  To date its economy has relied heavily on international development assistance programs, fishing licenses and tourism.

“I am deeply humbled and honored by the opportunity to act as a strategic advisor to the Government of Kiribati and grateful for the opportunity to represent CUD at the highest political level by assisting the government to secure funding for its strategic plan and provide workshops to engage in capacity building for its senior level public servants across all ministries,” said Prof. Franco. “It is my hope that this will be the starting point for future collaborations between CUD and this wonderful Pacific Island nation”.

CUD Welcomes Chinese Delegation for Lessons in International Managemen

Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has hosted a delegation of senior Chinese businessmen and women as part of their recent study trip to the UAE.

The delegation, which represented a range of government agencies and business corporations in China, attended CUD for a customized training program on international strategic management.

Coming from sectors as diverse as technology, real estate, investment and education, the delegates heard from CUD professor, Dr. Rachid Alami, about the different strategic approaches to entering international markets, using case studies based in the UAE.

The program was developed and delivered for the group of senior decision makers and strategic business planners as a result of a partnership between CUD and Peking University, China. Following the training session, the delegation took a tour of the University and received their certificates of completion from Dr. Alami.

The customized course was part of CUD’s Corporate Training portfolio, which offers traditional and tailor-made training programs to business and government sector clients from the UAE and beyond.

Mr. Anuar Brahim, Corporate Training Manager at CUD said, “Our aim is to provide a range of corporate training solutions where customization is the focus. Working with overseas clients helps us to extend our reach globally and contribute to the mobilization of international business networks.”

Communication Students Engage with Industr

March 22nd, 2017: Students from the School of Communication & Media Studies at Canadian University Dubai have taken part in two recent visits to experience different aspects of communications and to interact with professionals in the industry.

First on the agenda was a visit to the Sharjah Documents and Archives Authority, where the students discovered more about best practices in the field of archiving and documentation. They also took the opportunity to explore the advanced systems used to document the work of government departments and authorities in the Emirate of Sharjah.

His Excellency Salah Salem Al Mahmoud, Director General of the Authority, welcomed the student delegation, while Asmaa Nasser, Deputy Director of the Documentation and Archives Department, presented the work of the organization, and its role in assisting the government departments in documenting their work.

Next came the UAE Public Policy Forum where the students participated as delegates in the two-day event that was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

The Forum brought together international speakers in policy debates and round table discussions to address the theme ‘Future Direction in Education Policy’. The students were able to witness the dialogue between experts and decision makers surrounding key issues, including education partnerships, standards, reform and technology.

Both visits were organized by Dr. Wided Dafri, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication & Media Studies.

Indian Educators and Policy Makers Benefit from CUD Expertis

Director of graduate studies programs at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), Dr. Marc Poulin, has been sharing his expertise in business education with government officials, educators and business students from India during two recent events focusing on higher education policy and practice.

Dr. Poulin was invited to share his insights at the seventh edition of the World Education Summit held in the Indian capital, New Delhi. Joining a panel of senior university personnel from across the country, Dr. Poulin contributed to discussions on the theme ‘From Education to Employment’, revealing the key factors involved in nurturing industry-university partnerships.

Organized by technology media and research company, Elets, the World Education Summit convenes government officials and senior representatives from leading education institutions to exchange ideas on the future of higher education. This is the second time CUD has been invited to contribute to the event, with University President Pr. Karim Chelli presenting at the sixth edition of the Summit earlier this year.

Back in Dubai, CUD was selected to play host to a study tour of 150 students and accompanying faculty from New Delhi’s Fortune Institute of International Business, during which Dr. Poulin was invited to present a lecture on business education and practices in the Middle East.

During the presentation, Dr. Poulin provided a detailed insight into the region’s business environment and work culture, the professional practices followed by companies in Dubai, and the approach to skills development, research, and learning in a multicultural environment. He highlighted the benefits of the MBA program in particular, in providing unrivalled opportunities to develop professional business networks among fellow students.

CUD was the only higher education institution visited by the delegation of Post Graduate Diploma in Management students and faculty during their four-day visit to the UAE, which also took in site visits to a range of business organizations.

Culture is Everything and Everything is Cultur

Nasif Kayed, founder and CEO of “The Arab Culturalist,” gave an amusing and inspiring talk on Arab Culture to an audience at CUD. Nasif is a business consult and a dynamic motivational speaker and facilitator, providing Cultural Intelligence workshops and expert advice on Arab and Emirati culture.

Nasif spoke of the many misconceptions concerning Arab culture citing, as examples, impressions of the various forms of dress of both man and women and a commonly held opinion that all Arabs were rich because of oil. In fact, of all the Muslim countries in the world, only a small proportion has a viable oil industry. He encouraged his audience to be endlessly curious and not be afraid to ask awkward questions. “There is no harm in asking for clarification.”

Nasif also related the history of Dubai starting from its early days as the centre of the world’s pearl industry and its reputation for spices and the manufacture of fine fabrics which they then traded far and wide. He explained how Dubai had turned itself into a trading hub. Our spices are the origin of many modern-day medicines. Now Dubai has one of the largest Airports in the World and Jebel Ali Port is one of the busiest in the World.

New Incubator Will Create Business Support and Opportunities to Support Student Creativit

Students in the Communication Department under the guidance of Ms. Sama Al Rasheed and Dr. Franziska Apprich have come up with a novel idea to help creative students overcome the difficulties associated with converting their ideas into tangible business opportunities for themselves such as lack of finance, peer pressure or absence of good advice.

Utilizing the facilities of the new Business Incubator initiative in CUD, in cooperation with Ryerson University, it is now possible to create a business with revenue generated by the incubator’s first venture set to be directed to students who want to advance their creative ideas.

Inspired by the success of the recent Scarf fashion show, the incubator’s first venture will be the creation of a scarf embroidered in real gold thread. The design will take the form of a horse’s head, one of the most potent images of a thriving UAE. This will be woven into the material intricately with a quotation from the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), which states “Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.” The embroidered material will then be enhanced with a real emerald representing the eye of the horse.

Our Corporate Partner

Higher education thrives in the UAE by the combined support of government, corporate partners and the community at large.

Engagement with these entities for the betterment of the community is fundamental to both the vision of this country’s leaders and the goals of the university. Canadian University Dubai endeavors to establish these relationships and to participate in the ongoing success of the community we serve.

Canadian University Dubai has established itself through corporate partnerships with leaders of government and industry both nationally and internationally. In appreciation of our partners, here are a few of the organizations who endeavor to support the community through educational collaboration.