Master in Innovation
Management & AI Governance
Management & AI Governance
957
6
120
500+
Overview
Program Objectives
- Provide an underpinning of both the knowledge and skills needed by managers in the field of innovation management, so that students can contribute to and improve the achievement of their organization’s strategic objectives to the nation’s aspirations of public value;
- Encourage systems thinking within the areas of innovation management
- Provide an analytical and multi-perspective framework, to enable students to recognize, identify and evaluate key management, strategic and stakeholder issues which critically impact on organizational and national performance and the strategic direction in the context of innovation management;
- Motivate and equip students to take a leading role in innovation management, engage effectively in improving the process through which innovation is managed.
Program Outcomes
- Critically analyse and evaluate the ethical and cultural dimensions of innovation management in the public and private sectors
- Understand and apply innovation theory to processes, structures and ecosystems
- Synthesize the purpose, design, functions, and character of innovation management
- Utilise advanced problem solving skills to utilize knowledge from the external and domestic factors and drivers that determine innovation management
- Appraise and assess the role of innovation management driving local outcomes
- Demonstrate effective leadership, strategic choices and teamwork skills to solve complex innovation management problems and communicate decisions to relevant audiences.
Program Overview
The program uses a triple helix approach: a strong theoretical foundation on core concepts of innovation management and frontier technology governance in the context of the creation of public value; experiential learning through interactive workshops and discussions and practice-based assessments; and personal competencies development. Students will develop skills and competencies for leading, designing, managing, and implementing and governing innovations. The focus is understanding and solving wicked problems using design thinking and a customercentric approach.
To be successful, innovation needs to be integrated in and outside the organization, and consider disruptions like technology, markets dynamics, citizen preferences, and global trends. Advocacy and translating value of innovation can at times be daunting. The design of this course has kept these various challenges of public servants in mind. To successfully graduate, our students produce dissertations which are scientifically grounded studies focusing on a specific problem. These studies often result in public policy contributions. The MIMAIG program reflects the Nation’s focus on advanced technology, citizen services, an invisible government with zero bureaucracy and responsible innovations for the benefit of the nation and the world.
Program Objectives
- Provide an underpinning of both the knowledge and skills needed by managers in the field of innovation management and AI governance, so that students can contribute to and improve the achievement of their organization’s strategic objectives to the nation’s aspirations of public value
- Encourage systems thinking within the areas of innovation management and AI governance
- Provide an analytical and multi-perspective framework, to enable students to recognize, identify and evaluate key management, strategic and stakeholder issues which critically impact on organizational and national performance and the strategic direction in the context of innovation management and AI governance
- Motivate and equip students to take a leading role in innovation management and AI governance, engage effectively in improving the process through which innovation and governance of frontier technology is managed
Program Outcomes
- Critically evaluate the ethical, cultural and planetary impact of frontier technology innovation management in the public and private sectors
- Appraise and select appropriate research knowledge, instruments and tools to solve problems in the public value domain
- Communicate research for agenda setting and advocacy for innovation management and AI governance
- Interpret and apply innovation governance theory, process, structure and systems to the local context
- Demonstrate effective leadership and teamwork skills to solve complex public organizational problems and communicate policy decisions.
Online Application for Admission to Master in Innovation Management & AI Governance (MIMAIG)
Registration is open for Academic Programs for Fall 2026
Admission Requirements
Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a university recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
A minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for full admission.
A minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average CGPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for conditional admission.
As the MIM is delivered in English, applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by achieving one of the following minimum scores: 550 on the TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT), 213 on the TOEFL Computer-Based Test (CBT), 79 on the TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT), or a minimum overall band score of 6.0 in the Academic IELTS test.
Student should provide two recent recommendation letters.
Orientation and Online Post Graduate Academic Skills Course
We propose that induction will answer many of the questions that students may have about what being a postgraduate student at MBRSG. The Orientation Session will be delivered the weekend prior to the commencement of the first semester of study. All new postgraduate students are required to attend.
In support of students at the commencement of their graduate studies or at what may be a return to an academic environment after a period away from higher education, MBRSG requires that all new students admitted to a graduate program attend the Orientation Session.
There are a number of activities built into the first year of your experience at MBRSG to enable you to adjust to the learning environment and attain the desired level of progression. You will also be invited to complete the online Post Graduate Academic Skills Course which is designed to make you aware of the academic skills required to succeed at the Post Graduate Level. You will learn about vital academic skills such as critical thinking, academic reading strategies and writing for academic purposes, to help you in your study at MBRSG. This should be completed prior to registering on your core modules in the first semester of your learning journey.
Once you have started studying you will have access to a number of academic enrichment resources via Blackboard to support your development of transferable academic skills throughout the duration of your program.
Careers and Employability
MIMAIG Modular structure
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| ASM 001 | Foundation Course in Research Methods for Public Policy | 0 |
| MIMAIG 811 | Frontier Technologies and Innovation Management | 20 |
| MIMAIG 812 | Public Sector Innovation and Foresight | 20 |
| MIMAIG 813 | Service Innovation and AI Governancetion | 20 |
| MIMAIG 814 | Micro-economics of Competitiveness | 20 |
| MIMAIG 815 | Strategic Management and Leadership | 20 |
| Exit: Post Graduate Diploma in Innovation Management and AI Governance (120 Credits) | ||
| MIMAIG 901 | Dissertation | 60 |
| Exit with a Masters in Innovation Management and AI Governance Degree (180 Credits) | ||
All MIMAIG students will need to complete a total of 180 credits to be eligible for the MIM degree in accordance with the MBRSG Graduate Completion Policy. Students will need to successfully complete 120 credits with an average mark of 60 or more under the CATS credit system, before being allowed to progress to the dissertation stage. Student progression to the dissertation stage will be administered by the board of studies following confirmation of results by the examination board. A student completing 120 credits of taught modules and a 60 credit Dissertation for a total of 180 credits will be eligible for an MIMAIG award. Students must attend at least 70% of all contact sessions. Students can exit with a Post Graduate Certificate after completing 60 credits, or a Post Graduate Diploma after completing 120 credits and prior to attempting the dissertation.
*subject to meeting the average overall grade requirements
The study duration varies based on the chosen mode of study:
Program Structure
MIM Modular structure
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value |
|---|---|---|
| MPP 711 | Frontiers of Innovation | 20 |
| MPP 712 | Public Sector Foresight & Innovation | 20 |
| MPP 713 | Service Innovation | 20 |
| MPP 714 | Micro-economics of Competitiveness | 20 |
| MPP 715 | Research Methods | 20 |
| MPP 716 | Strategic Management and Leadership | 20 |
| Exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (120 Credits) | ||
| MIM 901 | Dissertation | 60 |
| Exit with a Postgraduate Diploma (120 Credits) | ||
Completion requirements
Students can exit with a Post Graduate Diploma after completing 120 credits and prior to attempting the dissertation.
*subject to meeting the average overall grade requirements
Module Description
Foundation Course in Research Methods for Public Policy (Not for Credit Module)
This course is designed to give students a foundational understanding of the qualitative and quantitative research process and methods needed by public administrators. Course topics include research design, research process, defining research problems, formulating research questions and reviewing literature, methods and data collection tools and data analysis. Module topics include applied research, methods of applied research, qualitative and quantitative research methods, ethics in research and structuring research papers. Students will be introduced to basic concepts and vocabulary. The course enhances students’ skill in identifying research and understanding research methods in their discipline. They will learn to articulate differences between research paradigms and prepares students for Research Methods modules and research projects.
Frontier Technologies & Innovation Management (20 CATS Credits)
Frontier technologies can be disruptive yet can help nations seize a competitive advantage in the global market space. The soft power of science and technology needs to be nurtured. In this module, students learn the foundation of innovation management applied to frontier technologies used by the public and private sectors. Innovations themselves are only valuable if they can scale and diffuse with economic rents. However, the regulatory lag makes governing these new technologies, like AI, difficult. Students learn how these new technologies become embedded in the ecosystem and they will use innovation tools to solve complex or wicked problems. They will deliver a PBL to Tata Consultancy Service.
Public Sector Innovation & Foresight (20 CATS Credits)
Not only is the public sector an important driver and adopter of innovation but also sets examples for how innovations can be used responsibly. In a national background, cities play an important role. Cities house a majority of the world’s population. This puts tremendous stress on space and resource management. On the other hand, cities are economic and innovation centers. The100 leading city clusters account for more than 70% of global patents and venture capital activity. This module looks at the potential of the public sector and smart cities which combine advanced technologies and internet of all things. Students will develop evidence-based policies through analysis and generate recommendations by using foresight tools to reduce future risks in line with concepts of anticipatory governance. They will also learn about the concept of nudging to see how policies initiatives can encourage responsible citizen engagement. A PBL is delivered to Sixth Factor.
Service Innovation & AI Governance (20 CATS Credits)
Public organizations are often constrained by bureaucracy, hierarchy, shortterm political focus, and a fear of failure that limits creativity. The frequent regulatory failures are an outcome of policy failure at design, implementation and impact measurement stage. Meanwhile, citizens demand higher-quality, more personalized services. Government trust is often accrued via public services like the Zero Bureaucracy or invisible government. Most of these services use AI which re-quire private public partnerships. Today, the service industry creates most of the wealth and employment within developed and emerging economies. This course uses the pedagogical method of humancentered design thinking for problem solving. A PBL is delivered to Microsoft.
Microeconomics of Competitiveness (20 CATS Credits)
This module is concerned with the determinants of competitiveness and economic development viewed from a bottom up, microeconomic perspective. The focus is the national innovation system and technology competitive cluster ecosystem, which goes beyond government policy, but also looks at the roles of business, universities, and other institutions in competitiveness of nations. The content covers emerging, transition and advanced countries and at the level of nations, states or cities. In addition to both macro and micro policy choices, the course underlines the role of history, i.e. the legacy of nations (such as language, culture etc.), and geography, i.e. the regional circumstances (such as the level of development among neighboring nations and the intensity in regional interaction) and technology spillovers. A PBL is delivered to the Global Futures Society.
Strategic Management and Leadership (20 CATS Credits)
This module facilitates students’ understanding of the process of strategic thinking, planning and implementation to facilitate a change in culture for innovation in government organizations. The relationships between organizational objectives and resources will be considered to find out how public organizations achieve their visions and missions and to advance innovative public services. The role of leadership in shaping, leading and achieving the overall strategic orientation of the organization through good governance and the dynamic interactions between different organizational levels and teams will be addressed. Further, the role of leadership during a crisis to ensure governments manage their mandate will be discussed. A case study approach will be adopted to link theory with practice and help students apply their knowledge in national contexts.
Research Methods (20 CATS Credits)
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the research foundations required for their next module, the dissertation. They will explore qualitative and quantitative research methods for scholarly research and evidence-based policy. Course topics include research design (this includes defining research problems, formulating research questions and reviewing literature), research strategy, methods and data collection tools. Students will be introduced with a wide range of qualitative tools such as case studies, grounded theory and action research as well as quantitative tools moving from descriptive statistics to regression analysis. The course will enhance students’ skill in evaluating published research and they will learn to apply research methods to their own research. They will learn to formulate research questions, design surveys, systematically conduct research and operationalize variables.
Dissertation (60 CATS Credits)
The Dissertation in Innovation Management and AI Governance is designed to enable MBRSG Master’s candidates to integrate, apply and extend the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout their course work. The subject matter for the dissertation should a relevant theoretical and practical problem they identify through research. To satisfy the requirements for a master’s level dissertation, it will be necessary for the candidate to develop, enhance and apply research concepts through the demonstration of independent re-search skills beyond the level achieved in prior coursework. To this end, candidates will conduct substantive original research on a strategic innovation management and governance, issue of importance to the country, region or the world. The outcome will be the development and presentation of the research results and recommendations that can inform innovation management and governance in the UAE and beyond.
Agile Government Innovation Framework
- Discovery Innovation begins with collective intelligence - rich sources of knowledge (either globally or from within the nation) using networks to understand the problem better from various stakeholder point of views and to nurture ideas
- Reframe Focus Narrow down focus based on national agenda, objectives, gaps in governance systems strategic priorities, and departmental needs.
- Ideation Brainstorm and embrace creative thinking to distill out the most feasible solutions to the problem scope. Pitch the ideas using storytelling to gain various perspectives from the user/customer point of view.
- Adaptation Test and experiment to refine the solution and get buy-in among stakeholders. This is to ensure better implementation with minimal wastage of resources
- Enabling Value Ensure the creation of public value for humanity and the planet not just in the short-term but for generations to come
- Execute Implement and communicate in a timely method across governments through the process, resources, training and education/awareness.
- Deliver Impact Measure, provide feedback, share learnings (including failures) for greater accountability and scale pilots for optimization and stewardship of resources.
Agile Government Innovation Framework
We mirror the best practice methodologies that governments like the UAE use for agile and anticipatory innovation. Agile innovation requires a whole-of-government approach and a cultural change in how we approach legacy problems to find solutions for creating intergenerational public value. The process is iterative, focusing on a human centered design thinking methodology and depends on the ability to (1) determine future value (2) align perceptions of value among multiple stakeholders and (3) build a robust process based on trust.
- Discovery Innovation begins with collective intelligence - rich sources of knowledge (either globally or from within the nation) using networks to understand the problem better from various stakeholder point of views and to nurture ideas
- Reframe Focus Narrow down focus based on national agenda, objectives, gaps in governance systems strategic priorities, and departmental needs.
- Ideation Brainstorm and embrace creative thinking to distill out the most feasible solutions to the problem scope. Pitch the ideas using storytelling to gain various perspectives from the user/customer point of view.
- Adaptation Test and experiment to refine the solution and get buy-in among stakeholders. This is to ensure better implementation with minimal wastage of resources
- Enabling Value Ensure the creation of public value for humanity and the planet not just in the short-term but for generations to come
- Execute Implement and communicate in a timely method across governments through the process, resources, training and education/awareness
- Deliver Impact Measure, provide feedback, share learnings (including failures) for greater accountability and scale pilots for optimization and stewardship of resources.
For an optimal experience, please