Monday, 19 March, 2007

Expanding the frontiers of career enhancement through education, the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) has launched three ground-breaking masters programs in the fast-growing sectors of Engineering, Finance & Banking and IT. The programs are available from this summer. The three new programs Master of Engineering Management, Master of Applied Finance & Banking and Master of Information Technology Management were launched at a press conference by Professor Nick van der Walt, Chief Executive Officer of UOWD, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Jeremy Breuer, Australian Ambassador to UAE and Mr. Jim Langridge, CEO, ITC Corporation, Australia, and founder of UOWD. "The greatest challenge in higher education is to mould professionals that are attuned to the needs of modern businesses in the rapidly growing economies of the Gulf in general and UAE in particular, said Prof. Nick van der Walt. "UOWD has a track record of introducing many state-of-the-art programs. Today, we are launching three innovative masters programs in the UAEs fastest growing sectors: finance, engineering and information technology (IT). These programs have been carefully designed by experts at the cutting-edge of knowledge in these fields. Prof. Raed Awamleh, Dean Academic Affairs, UOWD, said: "The philosophy of UOWD is to provide education that is relevant to the environment we operate in, thus making our graduates much sought after in the market. The three masters programs that we are launching today are a perfect example of this. Each of these programs offers an ideal blend of global best practices and region-specific requirements. The presence of His Excellency Mr. Jeremy Breuer, Australian Ambassador to UAE at the program launch highlighted the strong educational ties between Australia and the UAE. The new programs bring to the UAE the high academic standards followed by the University of Wollongong (UOW), one of the top universities of Australia, which was named "Commonwealth University of the Year" by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) last year. These programs are additionally accredited by the UAEs Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Mr. Jim Langridge, who founded UOWD in 1993 and is currently the Vice Principal (Overseas Operations) of UOW Australia, enthusiastically welcomed the three new programs. "I believe that these will significantly add to the knowledge and skill-base of the region and help operationalise the expressed vision for the country. Mr. Langridge was recently appointed member of the Council for Australian-Arab Relations (CAAR) by the The Hon. Alexander Downer, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia. The launch of the new programs follows last years introduction of Master of Marketing and Master of Strategic Human Resource Management programs, making UOWD the leading provider of quality postgraduate education in the country. The Master of Engineering Management degree program prepares engineers for skilful deployment of company resources towards successful execution of engineering projects. The Master of Applied Finance and Banking program grooms professionals in accounting, finance and banking for management responsibilities by incorporating financial strategy with banking theory. The Master of Information Technology Management degree program is designed to equip IT professionals to successfully meet the challenges and increasing complexities of the digital economy. Brief Introduction to New Programs: MASTER OF ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT (MEM) The Master of Engineering Management degree program (MEM) is designed to prepare engineers in better management of company resources towards successful completion of engineering projects. Basic management principles are of relevant interest to all engineers as management responsibility is an inevitable component of most engineering careers. The knowledge and skills of integrating engineering and management techniques in designing, operating, evaluating, implementing and managing continuous improvements of systems are highly valued in todays industrial environment. For more information please visit Master of Engineering Management webpage. MASTER OF APPLIED FINANCE & BANKING (MAF) The Master of Applied Finance and Banking (MAFB) is designed to prepare students and professionals with advanced financial management and banking skills. This program incorporates finance strategy with banking theory and aligns its application to practice, with the aim of equipping students with the knowledge and skills required to successfully compete in the job market in the areas of accounting, finance and banking. The curriculum has been specifically developed with an international focus, allowing graduates to seek careers in this sector in any part of the world. For more information please visit Master of Applied Financewebpage. MASTER OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT (MITM) The Master of Information Technology Management (MITM) degree program is designed to equip and prepare IT professionals working in various industries for the increasing complexities of the digital economy. Small business enterprises and large corporations are operating in a global and competitive environment, hence, the rising demand for IT experts who can automate organizational processes by utilizing the latest innovations in technology and business. Competent IT managers are sought not only by companies engaged in the production or engineering of IT products but equally by existing and new service companies. The knowledge and skills necessary to anticipate, manage and implement business and technological advances that are critical to future business success are always highly in demand. For more information please visit Master of Information Technology Management webpage.