The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Dubai to deliver the new ‘Professional Digital Leader’ Executive Diploma.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Dr Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, and Dr Yousef Al-Assaf, President of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai.

The programme is set to run twice a week from March 15 to April 12, 2021, adding up to a total of 10 days of training for five hours per day. Courses will be delivered via MBRSG’s Smart Executive Education Platform and include a mix of short theory lectures, activities and trainings, educational films, discussion groups and workshops, case studies, and panel discussions. Five main topics will be covered: A New Digital Deal : How to Use Digitisation for the Benefit of Our Communities and Institutions; The 20 Building Blocks of a Digital Society; Big Data and Open Data: Revolutionising the Way We Live, Work, and Think; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Business; and How the UAE is Building a Digital Future.

“We live in a rapidly digitising world, where most of our everyday tasks – and some of our larger ones – have already migrated to digital platforms,” said H.E. Dr Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri. “Government institutions have taken note and there is a notable appetite to digitise government services and transactions. Leaders in these entities must realise that technology alone will not achieve these objectives unless it is anchored by a sound strategy, structure, and understanding of both the technology and its end user.”

“This is where the ‘Professional Digital Leader’ Executive Diploma comes in; the programme trains leaders to understand the sector and build on that knowledge to map out the digital transformation of their organisation,” Dr Al Marri continued. “The Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai has a great reputation, expertise, and track record in this and other hi-tech sectors, and we are confident our collaboration will take this course to new levels.”

The Diploma has set a wide range of objectives and desired outcomes, namely, introducing participants to the concept of global digital transformation and its impact on our governments and institutions, all while allowing them to closely examine the incentives for digital transformation and how to benefit from them. Moreover, the diploma seeks to explain the prominent trends that are accelerating the adoption of advanced technology, as well as those that are leading to technological breakthroughs in government administration.

Other topics of focus include Artificial Intelligence and machine learning applications in business; global, federal, and local digital maturity models; and government strategies that serve smart transformation, such as the UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, National Innovation Strategy, and UAE Blockchain Strategy.

“Emerging advanced technologies and digital capabilities have made it possible for leaders in government institutions to access data that was not accessible before and to run experiments much faster than they ever could,” said MBRSG Dean Prof. Raed Awamleh. “Nevertheless, it is important to remember that technology is a means to an end, and leaders must understand how this technology can be used to enhance operations at their respective organisations and offer better services for their customers. This is precisely what qualifying candidates will learn at the ‘Professional Digital Leader’ Executive Diploma through both theoretical and practical interactive sessions.”

“Purposeful growth for any organization requires unique leaders who are well versed in digital transformation, innovation and sustainability. These skills will help in making their entities ready for the future. This can be achieved when leaders create and lead a collaborative culture which empowers their teams. We are excited to collaborate with The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government. This collaboration will allow us to jointly contribute in enriching the skills of  government leaders, not only on the advanced technologies to achieve the vision of UAE, but also in foreseeing and designing the future,” said Dr. Yousef Al-Assaf, President of RIT Dubai.”

In addition to collaborating on Executive Education programmes like the ‘Professional Digital Leader’ Executive Diploma, the two-year agreement outlines various areas of potential cooperation between the two parties, most notably in terms of research, where they would share research databases, grants, and resources. Furthermore, MBRSG and RIT Dubai will collaborate on joint and co-authored publications, journal articles, reports, policy briefings, and working papers, in addition to hosting and organising events and student exchange programmes that may be funded via scholarships granted by each party, through student loans, or self-funding. 

The two parties shall also work together to develop and deliver online content in key areas of public policy and governance, in addition to providing advisory and management consultancy services, where both entities introduce capacity-building programmes in areas of governance, strategy and performance management, organisational development and any other area of mutual interest.