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Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai establishes Industry Advisory Board

Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai announced the establishment of an Industry Advisory Board (IAB), comprising key industry players and EBS academics, targeting the brightest business students in Dubai.

The Board will serve as a link between Industry and the university, counselling Edinburgh Business School in its role as a leading player in the business, management education and research in Dubai. The Board will advise on the development of world-class business programmes that meet the needs of today’s market and thus advance the School’s efforts to equip business leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage a rapidly changing and complex business environment.

Lord Iain Vallance, Chair of the Edinburgh Business School Advisory Board in Scotland commented: “The establishment of an Industry Advisory Board in Dubai is a great initiative by EBS to ensure a fruitful collaboration between industry and academia. I look forward to working closely with fellow board members and EBS to enrich the business programmes and ensure the University continues to play a key role in developing future leaders in Dubai.”

The Industry Advisory Board will be chaired by Professor Paul Hopkinson along with eight members including Aly Tawfik, Marketing Manager at Red Bull; Nadia Abdul Aziz, President, National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL); Unood Ahmad, Project Manager, Ministry of Cabinet & Future, Prime Minister’s Office in the UAE; Paul Kayrouz, Head of Fintech, Blockchain & Emerging Technology at PwC; Binod Shankar, Guest Speaker, Trainer, and CEO at Elevation FZE; Akshay Kumar, Regional Manager, FedEx; Kevin Langley, Vice President Client Support & Implementation CEMEA, Visa Middle East and Khalid Ismail, Chair of Marketing Society for the MENA region.

The IAB will convene on a timely basis each semester to provide inputs that will enhance communication and understanding between the university, professional institutions, and industry stakeholders. Additionally, it will advise on new knowledge and skills that meet industry needs, facilitate student internships and graduate placements as well as improve students’ understanding of potential career paths.

The Board will also provide industrial mentoring for academic staff seeking professional qualifications and improve recruitment of Heriot-Watt graduates. Finally, it will assist students with the identification of suitable locations for site visits, guest lecturers, student mentoring, industrial placements, and suitable topics for student projects.

The Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate business and management degrees including its internationally recognised MBA programme with over 5,000 students. The School is known for its cutting-edge programmes and dedicated support to student entrepreneurship and innovation.

For more information on Edinburgh Business School’s world-class programmes, kindly visit https://www.hw.ac.uk/ebs/about/campuses/dubai.htm