HE Abudllah Al Shamsi, the Consul General of UAE in Milan has received all 30 participants of the 11th edition of Sharjah Leadership Programme (SLP), as they successfully concluded their field training and university visits in the Italian commercial capital. The edition is themed ‘Leading with Knowledge and Imagination’, and is training young local employees working for various government departments.
Launched by Sharjah for Capability Development (SCD), a subsidiary of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, the SLP’s field visits are part of this rigorous professional capacity building and leadership training programme that targets young Emirati professionals in government sectors.
In Milan, SLP participants visited the premises of the programme’s academic partner for this edition – the SDA Bocconi School of Management - the world’s seventh best in executive education. They also visited Lamborghini, a leading Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars; Design Group Italia, top design innovation consultancy; Italian designer Sangalli’s atelier; Anderson Tax and Legal; Talent Garden; Milan State Archives, and others.
HE Reem BinKaram, member of the Board of Trustees of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation and the SLP delegation head, lauded the UAE Consulate’s efforts and support to ensure a successful trip for the programme’s participants.
HE Abdullah Al Shamsi has praised SCD’s efforts to empower national human capital and harnessing their leadership qualities through such experience-driven and action-oriented programmes, like SLP – in line with Sharjah’s and UAE’s vision for sustainable development and Emiratisation.
He also highlighted SCD’s efforts to forge effective partnerships with leading Italian organisations, especially Milan. He noted how beneficial the visits have been for young cadres of men and women, who have gained first-hand insights into the workings some of the most respected Italian brands, globally.
The Consul-General highlighted Italy’s longstanding bilateral relations in trade, culture and education. “Our ever-growing relations and collaborations are reflected in recent trade figures – the volume of oil trade between the two countries exceeded USD 7.9 billion in 2017, making the UAE Italy’s largest trading partner in the Arab World. For the UAE, Italy is their fourth largest trading partner in Europe.”
HE Reem BinKaram added: “Educational and training partnerships, like the one forged with Italy, are instrumental to broadening the professional horizons of young Emirati leaders. This visit to Milan featured an amalgam of experiences – academic and commercial – that furthered SLP’s objectives to shine light on how exemplary cities of the world maintain their good reputation by using their knowledge and imagination to enable continued innovation and development.
“This comprehensive programme with a strong focus on action-learning has been educating its participants on ways to build their knowledge and shape their professionals skills, so they can be active contributors to the UAE’s knowledge economy.”
This year's edition of SLP focuses on the role of culture in creating a nurturing environment to motivate imagination, as a driver of innovation. Benefiting from the experience of Milan, participants learned about the role of the cultural and artistic components of the city in enhancing the creativity and leadership skills of its residents.