Business & Finance Club - Abu Dhabi: Graduates of the Masters in Entrepreneurial Leadership programme, a course created by Insead, believe that they benefited greatly from the experience and that it would aid them in their professional careers.

The 14-week curriculum was attended by 17 Emirati executives who were picked in a selective process, in order to acquire valuable skills meant to help in developing entrepreneurial initiatives in Abu Dhabi.

"It was a great and challenging experience. Being in my position, I had many responsibilities. During the time I was enrolled in the programme, the company was in a transitional phase, and I was very busy. I also happen to have five children, so I had a lot on my plate," said Maha Jabour, Director of the Design and Development Directorate at Musanda.

"I was hesitant about the programme in the beginning, because of all my responsibilities, but in the end, I'm convinced that it was a useful step to take,"

Core focuses of the curriculum included areas such as leadership skills, finance, accounting, marketing and decision-making tools.

Diversification strategy

"The programme incorporated a new and effective method of teaching. Main focuses were leadership and communication, and how to effectively lead by example," Tarek Al Jaberi, Director of IT at the Department of Municipal Affairs, said.

"It was very innovative and definitely taught me a lot."

"Our strategy is to diversify the educational opportunities provided for professional people in the Emirate, and to raise the standard of the local economy not only in Abu Dhabi, but in the region as well," Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, Director General at Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), said.

"Insead is one of the best schools for business administration in the world, and it will give an opportunity for people to improve their skills, while still taking part in their jobs," he added.

"The programme also helped us understand the bigger picture of the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision.

"It made us aware of how it would be implemented and how different government sectors and entities can coordinate and work together to attain it," Jabour added.

"Your education is never really over… Graduating means that you need to take a step back from your business, every five years or so, and get to know yourself, others, and learn important things," J. Frank Brown, Dean of Insead told students during their graduation ceremony on June 28.

"This experience truly taught me that education never ends. Although I graduated from university a long time back, I realised that there is always a chance to learn and develop. I am actually considering obtaining a PhD now," Jabour added.