The Abu Dhabi School of Government (ADSG) and IMD, the internationally renowned business school for leadership and management, have announced a new partnership to offer award-winning executive development programs to senior government employees in Abu Dhabi.
The interventions will target senior leaders to help them develop their understanding of key trends affecting civil service organizations, their strategic thinking ability, their leadership skills and their ability to develop capabilities amongst their employees. The programs have already commenced in Abu Dhabi, with future modules to follow at IMD’s campus in Lausanne, Switzerland this summer.
The partnership agreement was signed by Professor Jean-François Manzoni, President of IMD, and His Excellency Dr Mohamed Rashed Al Hameli, Director General of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
His Excellency Dr Al Hameli explained the rationale for the partnership: “The programs we are delivering at ADSG will play a formidable role in equipping leaders of government entities across Abu Dhabi with the right skills for tomorrow. In our search for the highest caliber providers for developing the leaders of our government entities, we found no better partner than the IMD Business School to deliver the programs that will set them apart from other government leaders internationally.”
Dr Al Hameli added, “We are dealing with the big challenges of the future as part of our curriculum and looking at how the post-oil economy will affect our nation and the wider region. Education will be at the forefront of how the UAE sets the right course and delivers a fundamental change.”
The two institutions have agreed to work together on the provision of world-class development programs for executive directors, directors general, department heads, and senior managers. The agreement will ensure that high-level government employees have access to some of the best educational programs on the market designed for senior executives and high-ranking officials.
“As a key partner supporting the launch of the Abu Dhabi School of Government, we are celebrating a milestone for IMD in the Middle East region. The School will be a platform of excellence that contributes to optimizing the development of Abu Dhabi’s human talent, its infrastructure, and its broader economy,” said Professor Manzoni of IMD Business School.
He added, “Our goal at IMD is to develop executives and transform organizations, and we look forward to contributing our expertise and experience in these areas to support the achievement of Abu Dhabi’s vision for the future. We also look forward to learning a lot from this partnership, as it will no doubt be a very stimulating co-creation.”
ADSG is the entity responsible for overseeing and planning the learning and professional development of all Abu Dhabi government employees. It is now developing the most effective government workforce through the provision of high-quality executive education programs, while tailoring its courses to Abu Dhabi’s future needs.
ADSG will play a significant part in Abu Dhabi’s vision to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy. The academy’s vision is to become the UAE’s leading School of Government aimed at building future leaders and is geared towards the diversification required for Abu Dhabi’s future economy.