Stay Connected - Volume 1 Issue 4 - December 2010

UOWD Alumni Newsletter � University of Wollongong in Dubai1 www.uowdubai.ac.ae

Stay Connectedi n s p i r e � i n n o v a t e � c o m m u n i c a t e � c o n n e c t

As 2010 comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on theUOWD achievements over the past year.

2010 saw the start of the Stay Connectedmagazine of theAlumniNetwork O congratulations on your first birthday!OurUOWDalumni are our ambassadors, our supporters,our network into commerce and industry, and they can besignificant contributors to our on-going success.

We passed 5,000 graduates at the October ceremony thisyear. A very significant achievement for UOWD is that nearly 25% of these graduates areUAE Nationals. 2010 also saw the accreditation and launch of our new Doctoral degrees Othe DBA PDoctor of BusinessAdministrationQ and the PhD in Business.We have enrolled32 Doctoral students into these programs and they started the coursework component oftheir studies late in 2010.We at UOWD are proud to be the first private University in theUAE to offer nationally accredited DBA and PhD degrees. Professor Brian Lehaney hasbeen appointed as the Director of Postgraduate Research, to oversee the first stages ofthese new degrees.

One important part of the development of our doctoral degree proposal was the input ofour alumni O at a LMeet the PresidentM function early in 2010.We look forward to seekingand receiving alumni input into other new degree programs.The next ones in the list are aMasters degree in the Communications area O including journalism, professional writing,PRandmedia studies O and aMasters in International Studies.These degrees represent thefirst steps in the development of a Faculty ofHumanities and Social Sciences.Anothermile-stone for UOWD this past year is the full accreditation of our Master of InternationalBusiness degree.This has been one of ourmost popularMasters degrees over the years.Thefull accreditation has led to significant new initiatives in the program andwe are nowwork-ing tomake this degree a truly international experience. Students will be able to study someof this programoverseas.OurMBAdegree has also been reviewed for full accreditation, andI am delighted that the Commission forAcademicAccreditation is very supportive of theprogram.Anumber of our alumni were interviewed by the CommissionMs External ReviewTeam. Our final responses to the CommissionMs report have been submitted and I expectfull accreditation to be finalised in January 2011.

An importantmessage for our undergraduate alumni, even if you already have aMasters de-gree, is that we have a set of excellent postgraduate degree programs, to help prepare youfor the next stage in your career.And, you may qualify for a Lloyalty benefitM by way of a feereduction!

Let me highlight the importance of Lstaying connectedM. I recently gave two speeches atthe launch of a new Australian business initiative. At the Abu Dhabi event, launched byHE Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak al Nahayan, I was approached by an Australian working inDubai ONicholasThornton O who introduced himself as a UOWgraduate. From the otherdirection I was approached simultaneously by Mohamed Rashed al Hameli, the DirectorGeneral of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who introduced himselfas a UOWD graduate from the MIB degree. I was able to introduce them to each other!At the Dubai event, in front of a distinguished group including HE Sheikha Lubna bintKhalid al Qasimi, the UAE Minister for ForeignTrade, who should I see in my first scan ofthe audience but Dr Maher Musallam O another graduate from our MIB degree program!These two anecdotes indicate that our graduates move in influential circles but, more im-portantly, that UOWD is the point of connection that can provide us all with an effectivenetwork.

So, to Stay Connected I say... JThanks and keep up the good work!K

Professor Rob WhelanPresident, UOWD

This Issue:We bring you a quick round-up ofthe latest events taking place for theAlumni and Students on campuswith a bit of news updates on what’sbeen happening lately.

In our Faculty Corner, find out howProfessor, Dr. Melodena Balakrish-nan has worked to bring recogni-tion to UOWD and the Region, asthe Chair and Founder of the first-everAIB-MENA Conference.

ShaherAdnan is a common face oncampus these days. By day he is anemployee at UOWD and by nighthe becomes a student shuffling be-tween classes and hanging out withfriends. Check out his work andworld.

Peter Gahbauer features as theHigh Achiever this time. He has tohis credit multiple degrees and im-mense experience in the field of ed-ucation. Take a look at what he’sbeen doing recently

Suresh Ghuge is making his way upthe corporate ladder by takingthings in his stride and aiming highereach year.He talks to us fromAus-tralia, where he lives with his familyand two children.

Professor Kathy Shen gives us an in-sight into Research and its benefits,along with some of the on-going re-search projects at UOWD.

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Volume 1 / Issue 4 / December 2010From the President

UOWD Alumni Newsletter � University of Wollongong in Dubai

From theEditor

2 www.uowdubai.ac.ae

Dear Friends,As we come to the end of 2010, weMre looking forward to the NewYear 2011 filledwith new changes.At the same time weMre also celebrating a full year for Stay Con-nected, given that we started out with our first issue in January 2010.During the course of these 12 months, we at SC have certainly made many newfriends and enjoyed ourselves whilst working on this newsletter, which westill hope to improve, as a means to keep us all connected and in con-stant contact. As part of the ANEC PAlumni Network ExecutiveCommitteeQ, weMre working on a couple of new things that willmake socializing and interacting with each of you far more recur-rent, and in that way, we hope to enrich the network by bringingyou and your achievements to the forefront.

In this issue, we have a section called LAlumni ActivityM in whichweMve highlighted a benchmarking visit to Singapore organized by fel-low alum, Arwa El Baitam. This will take place in March 2011 and allalumni and students can avail a special discount if you enroll to be part of thislearning trip. Should any of you have something similar to share with the UOWDAlumni, do send us your ideas andwe canwork out ways to reach out and give backto this extended family, which we are all part of. Furthermore, do bear inmind thatyou can now advertise for your business in Stay Connected, and the rates and pack-ages are available on request.

Keeping in mind a few suggestions that we received, you will notice that this issueis far smaller as compared to what we had earlier.That said, if you have any furthersuggestions Pon content, layout, new ideas, etc that youMd like to see us adoptQ, justremember that we�re only a click away.

As part of those new changes we mentioned earlier, weMd also like to welcomeMelanie Oliver-August, who will now head up theAlumni Network. As the Grad-uation Coordinator, she is the strongest link between fresh new alumni membersand older ones Plike usQ, thereby improving the coordination and collaboration andeffectively bridging the gap for a more united front. Under these new changes, theAlumni will now be housed under the Student Services Department and all en-quires and suggestions concerning Alumni activities can be directed to her [email protected]

We at SCwould like to wish you all aHappyNewYear 2011 and until our next issue,we look forward to seeing you around soon.

Odelia Mathews XavierMIB (2005)

EDITOR:Odelia Mathews-Xavier(MIB 2005)[email protected]

DEPUTY / NEWS EDITOR:Bahjat Aly Khan (MEM 2009)[email protected]

PROOF READER:AustinOlinMathews (MBA2005)[email protected]

DESIGN DIRECTOR:Rana Al [email protected]

NEWS COORDINATOR:Rumana Rahim ( MITM 2009)[email protected]

The Team:

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTOR:

(MBA 2005)

[email protected]

As Business Development Manager of Color Channel, Austin always has tonson his hands to juggle, and yet finds time to help out in some way or the other.Very much an ad-mad man to his core, he�s an individual who passionately livesfor the brand, the voice and the signature Omaking sure that everything he doesresonates with quality.As part of his career he has worked on brands such as BMW,Mini, Rolls Royce,Suzuki, British American Tobacco and Virgin Megastore to name a few, andevents including the likes of the BMW7-Series Middle East launch, the SuzukiSwift and Grand Vitara launches and introduction of Suzuki�s revamped new

look across the UAE. Currently he works at Colour Channel, a com-pany that specializes in branding solutions and corporate cloth-

ing. Looking back over the last decade, he says, JBeing aresident of Dubai since the late 70s, the last 10 years havebeen phenomenal to say the least, for both the country andmyself too. I�ve watched the city�s skyline grow at an unpar-alleled pace, have had theprivilege to work with

some of the best brands inthe world, discovered the

best person in the least expectedof cities to call a wife, and ended up

with a gorgeous clone of a daughter!Favorite Sport: Go-karting and auto tun-ing for a true motor head.Biggest Challenge: tomigrate toWesternsoil. Dubai is quite hard to leave behind!Philosophy in life: Whether you swim oryou drown, either way you�ve got to be doingsomething. The direction you take is simplymind over matter.

Whatever youdo

in the NY2011, don’t

miss the UOWDAnnual

Gala Dinner which will take

place early next year. Log on

to the websitefor more de-

tails and be there to catch

up with us andyour

old friends!


Cricket superstar Adam Gilchrist was atUOWD on 13th October on his maiden visit tothe UAE. Students and staff at UOWD wereabsolutely thrilled to meet the superstar in per-son where they posed for photographs and gotGilchristMs autograph. Professor Rob Whelanintroduced Gilchrist as an Lextraordinary crick-eter and a strong protagonist of quality educa-tionM. JWe are delighted to have Adam visit uson his brief visit to the UAEK he added.GilchristMs visit was a part of a promotional tour

to the UAE, where he and senior UOWofficersmet business leaders here in Abu Dhabi andDubai to encourage UAE business to considerinvestment opportunities in Wollongong, Aus-tralia. While at UOWD, Gilchrist joined Prof.Whelan in awarding the UOWD Scholarshipfor Sporting Excellence and then had an exclu-sive private session with the UOWD Cricketteam where he shared some practical demon-strations of cricketing techniques with theteam.

ADAM GILCHRISTVISITS UOWD

AlumniNews

Here’s just the right amount of information to keep youup-to-date with the latest happenings at UOWD.

UOWD SIGNS MOUWITH EIB

On 30th September, UOWD signed an MOU withEmirates Islamic Bank which covers cooperation andcollaboration between the two, especially in the areas ofIslamic Banking while also providing preferential edu-cational opportunities at UOWD for EIB staff andtheir families. The MOU was signed by Professor RobWhelan, President of UOWD, on behalf of UOWDand Mr. Omar Al Gaizi, Head of Human Resources,signed on behalf of EIB. The signing of this MOUcouldnMt have been at a better time with UOWD intro-ducing Certificates in Fundamentals in Islamic Bankingand Islamic Commercial and Investment Banking in ad-dition to the Professional Certificate in Banking RiskManagement.

386 GRADUATES AT 2010 AUTUMN CEREMONYAtotal of 386Undergraduate and Postgrad-uate students were awarded degrees at theAutumnGraduationCeremony held on 6thOctober, in the presence of HH SheikhHasher bin MaktoumAl Maktoum, Direc-tor General of the Dubai Department ofInformation.Also present at the ceremonywere Ms. Jillian BroadbentAO, Chancellorof the University of Wollongong in Aus-tralia, His Excellency Kym Hewitt, Aus-tralian Consul General, members of theUOWD Board of Trustees and visitorsfrom UOWAustralia.While addressing the gathering,Ms. Broad-bent expressed pride in UOWDMs role inenhancingDubaiMs international education.JUOW is currently ranked among the top2%of universities worldwide.We are confi-dent that the close associationwe havewith

UOWD creates many opportunities forUOWD graduatesK she added. She also re-minded the students that LChangeM andLCompanionshipM were two key factors forsuccess in their careers. Delivering the wel-come address, Prof. RobWhelan, Presidentof UOWD recalled upon the words of HisHighness Sheikh Mohammed Bin RashidAl Maktoum, UAE Vice President andRuler of Dubai who said, JAll people havean ocean of achievement inside themselvesjust waiting to escapeK. Prof Whelan alsomentioned that the university has been pro-viding high-qualityAustralian based educa-tion in theUAE since the past 17 years. JWehave already produced nearly 4500 gradu-ates. With todayMs ceremony, this numbernears 5000. This is a significant milestonefor any universityK he added.VIP guests at the Graduation Ceremony

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AlumniEvents & Accomplishments

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doinghere’s what you should take pride in.

DBA AND PHD PROGRAMSATTRACT POTENTIAL STUDENTSThe introduction of DBA& PhD programs at UOWD has attracted tremmen-dous attention as over a hundred potential candidates of potential candidatesattended the Information sessions organized in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Profes-sor Mohammed Khalifa, Vice-President PAcademicQ delivered a presentation atthe session covering topics such as differences between a DBAand a PhD, Studyplans, areas of research available and admission requirements, while Sandra Lee,Registrar and Manager of Admissions covered the application procedures. Arather lively Q&Asession followed the presentation where Professor RobWhe-lan, President of UOWD, personally answered questions related to internationalrecognition, accreditation and transfer of degrees between UOWD and UOWAustralia. Over 750 serious LExpressions of InterestM have been received over thelimited number of places available in the first intake which shows that the DBAand PhD programs at UOWD are off to a huge start.

UUOOWWDD AAnnnnuuaall Sports FestivalUOWD proudly hosted the 7th Annual Inter-University sports fes-tival from 23rd-27th October at the Al Manara indoor sports hall inJumeirah. The participating universities included the American Universityof Sharjah, Herriot Watt Dubai, University of Sharjah, Murdoch UniversityDubai, Skyline College, Mahe Manipal, Emirates Aviation College, BITS Pi-lani Dubai, Canadian University Dubai, Gulf Medical University Ajman andUniversity of Wollongong in Dubai. The eleven universities battled it outover seven sports disciplines.The highlight of the event was the MenMs Basketball event and the WomenMsThrow ball event. In the MenMs Basketball match, AUS was leading for mostof the first half with a 35-30 lead, but in the second half, UOWD ruled all theway scoring 67 points leaving AUS way behind with just 58 points. TheUOWD team comprising of Kamel, Hadid, Allan, Leroy & Ali won thehearts of one and all by their spectacular performance.In the WomenMs Throw ball event, UOWD remained undefeated fourth yearin a row. The first set was a easy victory for UOWD by 25-15 but the girlsDevika, Fathima, Abigail, Aysha, Feride along with Captain Fiza had had atough time in the second set and had to work really hard to win by 27-25.

THE 5TH ANNUAL UOWD MMUULLTTIICCUULLTTUURRAALL EEVVEENNTTThe 5th Annual UOWD Multicultural Festival was organized at UOWD from 21st-24th November celebrating the diversity of cultures at the University. Studentsfrom India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Palestine, GCC Countries, China, Africa,Australia, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Iran and the Philippines made stalls representingtheir countries by displaying handicrafts, arts, dance, cuisines and their nationalmusic. Students enjoyed fun filled activities in each countryMs stall such as theLHenna on your handsM at the Henna corner of the stalls of India, Pakistan and UAE;Learning how to use Chopsticks at the China Stall, interactive drumming sessions,dance and music performances, drama skit and a Play Station 3 competition O allof which added to fun and frolic. The National Dress Competition was the high-light of the festival where students modeled their countryMs costumes. Differentcuisines such as Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and Arabic were served each day.UOWD has students from over 100 countries keeping alive its Multicultural spiritand we take pride in the diversity it brings about.

AACCCCOOMMPPLLIISSHHMMEENNTTSS

DDrr JJeennnniiffeerr Bibbings talks BusinessIn October, the UOWD Alumni Network Monthly seminar series featured JenniferBibbings, a partner in the law firm of Trowers & Hamlins LLP. Jennifer specializes inworks such as mergers, acquisitions, distribution, franchising and many other aspectsof UAE Corporate and Commercial work. Although sheMs based in the Dubai regionaloffice, her work covers all other Gulf Coun-tries as well as the wider region. Having rep-resented several big corporations in the retail,fast food and hospitality industries, she is alsoan Honorary Legal Advisor to the BritishConsul General. Her presentation was specif-ically focused on setting up and running abusiness in the GCC countries and it also hadhighlights about the economic backdrop, thevarious options available and the possible bar-riers. Everyone present enjoyed the insight-ful exchanges and the number of guests andalumni in attendance was excellent. Te

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The UOWD basketball team that did us proud!


BREAKING

Dr. Melodena Balakrishnan (BScBombay, MBA Pune, PhD BharatiVidyapeeth) is an Associate Profes-sor and Deputy Dean in the Facultyof Business Management. She startedher career with a stint at Citibank inIndia where she worked on home fi-nance. From there she moved on toConsumer Durables and then toIndia’s largest direct sales company– Eureka Forbes Ltd. A few yearsdown the line, she had set up a newdivision at the company which is stillrunning strong, had worked on twojoint-ventures, one of which was in-ternational and was at the hem of in-troducing innovative products into

the market, all of which are still doingwell over the past two decades. Tomake sure she had her finger on thepulse of it all, she hired and trainedher own sales team, worked on theproduct, research and developmentand went to the extent of creatingher own advertising campaigns forthem. Then, after six years of devel-oping her own brand, she moved toTaiwan and then to Dubai, whereshe finally got into Academics and isstill continuing to create new chap-ters. Here we get her to give us thelow down on her latest brainchild,the AIB MENA Conference which isunderway this month.

FacultyNews

NEW GROUNDS

When did you join UOWD and what

subjects do you specialize in? Tell us

about your research.

I love marketing but am no stranger to strategyand management. My favorite subject to teach isMarketing Strategy among others. Furthermore,I have also done some research in Branding, Des-tination Marketing, Loyalty Studies and crisismanagement. A paper of mine, JDubai O A Star inthe EastK was recognized by Emerald PublishingGroup for being the most downloaded paper in2008-09 Papproximately 11,000 downloadsQ inthe publishing journal. For another paper of mineon managing brands in crisis, l won a Best Paperaward at the recent Reputation Institute Con-ference held in Rio de Janeiro in 2010. I believeresearch and industry need to interact and inclass we have worked on several live cases. Lastyear was KFC Krushers, IKEA, Ajmal Perfumesand this year, it is Audi.As the Chair and Founder of the AIB

MENA tell us about your involvement in

the organization. When did it begin and

what has the journey been like?

The Academy of International Business PAIBQ isa high credibility organization with over 52 yearsof history. ItMs a USA-based non Profit organiza-tion and publishes the Journal of InternationalBusiness-a top tier international business journalPJIBs - five-year Journal Impact Factor score is5.727Q. AIB represents top 100 universities in the

world through membership of 3500 members in80 countries: Jagdish Sheth, Julian Birkinshaw,Yves Doz, Geert Hofstede, Late Sir John Dun-ning, and Late CK Prahalad.AIB-MENA is the 16th chapter formed after 1.5years of lobbying with a focus on the MENA re-gion. I noticed that every time researchers spokeabout emerging markets, they only spoke aboutIndia and China, and somehow this region wasoverlooked in terms of business potential, despiteit having one of the fastest growth rates in in-dustries like Travel and Tourism. AIB was verysupportive of opening a MENA chapter and weare slowly establishing ourselves by creating anidentity and looking at new projects. Our objec-tives for this region are threefold:1. To help bridge the gap betweenpractical application and knowledge

development.

The MENA region faces a set of unique chal-lenges. Although oil resources represent a sig-nificant part of GDP in a number of MENAcountries, significant efforts are being made todiversify oil dependent economies. On theother hand, other countries within MENA mayhave more human capital but lower GDP. In theMENA, human capital consists largely of expa-triates. MENA as a region spends 5% of GDPon education and is currently investing in de-veloping human capital according to WorldBank figures of 2009.

2. To bridge the gap between re-search and industry requirement.

According to Robertson et al., P2001Q, lessthan 1% of the 236 articles published between1990 to 1999 in a prestigious journal, focus onan Arab country in the Middle East. With re-gards to marketing, issues like Islamic mar-keting, Islamic banking and even conceptslike LHalalM are just being understood in theWest. AIB-MENA is positioned uniquely tofoster research and help in networking usingits huge member base. Most marketing cam-paigns created here spans various countries,and with the potential of a unified GCC cur-rency looming in the near future and huge in-frastructure developments, it will make thisregion a prospective logistics hub. Cultural di-versity and the importance of luxury brand-ing will also make this field of internationalresearch interesting.3. To act as facilitators and find indus-try, government, business and academic

patrons who will contribute to the in-

ternationalization objectives of the AIB.

We have branded ourselves O the picture weused on our webpage is something most of uscan relate to O a dawn of a new chapter Pseenext pageQ. Additionally, we have a core com-mittee of 5 people who volunteer their time,effort and other resources towards puttingMENA on the map and the UAE.


BREAKING

FacultyNews

This is the first time that the AIB MENA 2010

Conference is coming to the UAE, tell us about

its importance and significance?

This is a collaborative effort of several universities whoare helping organize the event either officially or unoffi-cially: UOWD, Zayed University, HCT, and AUS areamong Universities participating in the organization ofthe conference. Government organizations and privatesector establishments have also been involved, like theBusiness Village, Mohammed Rashid Establishment forSME which is hosting the conference, JAFZA and UAEExchange, and Emerald Group Publishing.Since most of our committee members are based here in

the UAE, we decided to hold our first conference inDubai, labeling it JManaraK, which means Lthe lighthouseMin Arabic, as we were shedding light on this region. Ourlogo reflects the evolution of Dubai and is symbolic againby the rays of light. Pas seen in the picture above.Q

This conference is significant as P1Q most of our potentialdelegates are from outside UAE and this helps encour-age interaction with researchers based in the UAE andthose that are based in countries where more researchgrants are available. P2Q We are organizing some impor-tant panels where key speakers from the government andindustry are talking on hot topics relevant for this regionOthis allows us as researchers to look at emerging researchareas and also helps us get access to decision makers inthe industries P3Q it contributes to knowledge develop-ment O we have put together a conference which is alearning experience and weMve done it on a shoestringbudget. We have organized three workshops O two are foracademics and one is for students.Finally, we are also marketing UAE at the grassroots level.AIB-MENA has worked with the UOWD Business Casestudy centre to bring out our first book on Business Cases

from the UAE. Besides,we are in touch with the4000 strong AIB Interna-tional community, and wehave tied up with Emer-ald Group Publishingwho are also sponsoringthe best paper prizes andhave a database that ex-ceeds 40,000 readersworldwide

What does this mean to Alumni, active re-

searchers and the industry?

UOWD is always in the forefront of innovative ideasand this is one of those things. This is an opportunity tocollaborate and work on mentoring and encouraging re-search. Research is very lonely and very often tends tobe more theoretical than practical. We want to create re-search that is meaningful for this region and helps solvethe problems that this region faces. Any alumni whowants to get involved can do so by supporting us as weare a non-profit organization, encouraging research, al-lowing student research projects or even helping us or-ganize this event and the ones in the future.

We hear there are some awards to be given

for the Best Paper and Best Case Study.

Please elaborate?

All papers are double-blind reviewed which means thatthe papers are reviewed by two researchers in the fieldand they P1Q do not know who wrote the paper and P2Qdo not know what the other reviewer has written. Theshortlisted papers will go before a panel who will selectthe best papers. We also have a best student paper anda best reviewer paper as our purpose is to encourage re-search.How is the AIB MENA Conference impor-

tant to those associated with International

Business and how do they benefit by

attending it?

With globalization, most management issues revolvearound the international market and are not localized.This does create challenges and this conference notonly looks at some issues but also presents findingsthat have implications to this area. You find very fewcases from this region, or best practices, even thoughthere are many successful companies and organiza-tions. Delegates who attend get to hear views on chal-lenges, solutions and opportunities, hear from industryexperts from this region and hence may even get a fewdoubts clarified.

Personally Speaking…..

I have two wonderful kids and as afamily we have travelled around the world.As a working Mom, I have a great hus-band who is very supportive.We moved to the UAE more than 6years ago. I am from India but have livedin USA, Taiwan, India and now here.I recently won the UOWD Excellencein Teaching Award P2009Q and have men-tored the winning team of the Zayed Uni-versity EBiz P2006Q challenge. This is inaddition to the research paper awards. Iam currently the Regional Editor of Emer-ald Emerging Markets Case Studies.It has never been easy to juggle ca-reer and family, but life is about balanceand making choices.I love writing and painting, but needsome time to do the same.The best part about my profession

is, when you have someone come backand say Lyou made a positive difference inmy lifeM. That makes you feel like it was allworth it.I think life is happier when you dwell onpositive things.Teaching requires a lot of commitment.At PG level, you try and get 4 hours of at-tention and hope your students walk awaywith some gems of ideas and thoughts. Allthis after a full day of work is tough.AIB-MENA together with the UOWD

Business Case study centre has published itsfirst book: Business Cases from the UAE

The branding of AIB which reflects th dawn of a new chapter.


SpotlightOn

I started my Undergraduate studies in 2006….

And my employment commenced April 2010. As an undergraduate stu-dent the environment became a second home, professors and staff weregreeted by their names and this made the large campus and daily routinefeel like home turf. This relationship ignited the desire to be like themRthe staffS and follow in their steps with the encouragement and knowl-edge that is shared with students. Therefore the opportunity to work asacademic support came about and the perfect role to give students guid-ance in the right direction

I am currently doing my PG…

In Masters of Quality Management RMQMS and since UOWD offers staffthe opportunity to learn and earn simultaneously, therefore the eveninghours are a perfect balance for the working individual

My hobbies include…

Football, table tennis and tennis and I usually end my day with sometable tennis. I enjoy socializing with friends and this involves mostlysports activities which keeps my mind focused and my energy levelssoaring!

My current goal is to complete my Maters degree and embark on aPhD program to reach out to others

The best part about my job is engaging with students

The best part about university is….

That there is no bridge between staff and students as the staff are dedi-cated to delivery and students enjoy the professional relationship boughtto them

My work and studies complement each other because…

As an undergraduate student for the past 4 years I am familiar with theenvironment and my experience in my role is from a studentMs perspec-tive. This really helps in delivering an efficient service to others.

To me, family time is all about…. Loving, caring and respectingthe ones who you are with. The trust and tranquillity you get when youare surrounded by your loved ones surpasses all other feelings of happi-ness.

I live for …. my loved ones, for my dreams and aspirations and for thewelfare of humanity.

Myself in five words…

Focused, Energetic, Compassionate, Multi-faceted, Love for life.

M. Shaher AdnanB.Com Finance (2009) Masters of Quality ManagementStudent Academic Support Services and Admin SSD [email protected]

““AAss aann uunnddeerrggrraadduuaattee ssttuuddeenntt ffoorr tthhee ppaasstt 44yyeeaarrss II aamm ffaammiilliiaarr wwiitthh tthhee eennvviirroonnmmeenntt aannddmmyy eexxppeerriieennccee iinn mmyy rroollee iiss ffrroomm aa ssttuuddeenntt’’ssppeerrssppeeccttiivvee.. TThhiiss rreeaallllyy hheellppss iinn ddeelliivveerriinngg aanneeffffiicciieenntt sseerrvviiccee ttoo ootthheerrss..””

Shaher takes his work seriously when on the job.

Shaher brings pride to UOWD and enjoys sports passionately

When we first heard about Shaher Adnan, we got nothing butpraise for his dedication to work and his active role as a student oncampus. Straight after his graduation, Shaher worked part-time atthe University as an Admin Assistant for the Student Services De-partment. Never one to let work limit his fun time, he got busywith various sports teams within the campus and lived it up toevery moment until he was eventually recommended by our for-mer Student Service Manager, Bridget Clifford to join work on afull-time basis. From that moment onwards, Shaher put his verybest into work, studies and sports and continues to fulfill his role tothe best of his abilities. We caught up with him to know a littlemore about how he manages it all.


AlumniHigh Achiever


OF LIGHT

The MBA opened up my mind to greater things. Subsequently, Icompleted an MA at Central Michigan University and my PhDdissertation has been approved by Capella University PMin-neapolis, MNQ. My doctoral specialization is in instructional de-sign for online learning.

After graduating and returning to Canada, I worked for a numberof years in the IT industry, while teaching part-time at a numberof Ontario community colleges. Since 2002, I�ve been teachingfull-time, mostly computer science, computer studies, computerengineering, mathematics and research skills

I work for the Toronto District School Board; where I was headof computer science and later curriculum leader with school-wideresponsibilities for information and communication technolo-

gies. I stepped down from these roles after five years to focus ondoctoral studies. Now that these are done, my goal is to givesomething back

My goal now is to apply what I have learned; to help teachers tomore effectively use information and communication technolo-gies in the classroom. I�m sure that there is a role for short P3-5minuteQ video tutotials to help struggling learners in the so-calledSTEM subjects -- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathe-matice fields.

On Education

On Work

At Present

On Ambitions

For a selected few, the sky is never the limit. For them, it’s all about pushing the envelope, discovering new alternatives

and seeking out the greater good in every aspect. Peter Gahbauer is just one such individual. As part of his PhD, he com-

pleted a dissertation titled “Dynamically annotated instructional designs: Effects on Underprepared Mathematics Learn-

ers” and this is what he has to say about his journey.

The Love ofLLeeaarrnniinngg && GGiivviinngg

PPeetteerr GGaahhbbaauueerr ((MMBBAA 11999977)) ggrraadduuaatteedd ffrroomm

UUOOWWDD aanndd rreettuurrnneedd ttoo CCaannaaddaa ttoo ppuurrssuuee hhiiss ccaarreeeerr aanndd

iinntteerreessttss.. WWiitthh mmuullttiippllee ddeeggrreeeess ttoo hhiiss ccrreeddiitt ((BBSScc,, BBEEdd,,

MMBBAA,, MMAA,, PPhhDD)) hhee ccoonnttiinnuueess ttoo bbee iinnssppiirreedd bbyy kknnoowwlleeddggee

aanndd aaiimmss ttoo ggiivvee bbaacckk aatt llaarrggee wwhhaatt hhee ggaaiinneedd.. TThhiiss

mmoonntthh,, hhee mmaakkeess iitt aass tthhee HHiigghheerr AAcchhiieevveerr iinn SSCC aanndd hheerree,,

hhee tteellllss uuss wwhhaatt hhee’’ss ddooiinngg aanndd wwhhyy hhee lloovveess iitt!!

If you contemplate doctoralstudies go for it. Be bold and look for

the chief �names� in your field of study. Askthem if they are willing to be part of your disserta-tion committee -- I did and got a lot of value-added

feedback from one of the world�s experts in myfield of study. Above all, make it international -

- my members are from Canada, theUS and the Netherlands.

Peter’s personal tips on pursuing a PhD

AlumniViewpoint


Over the span of my career, I have worked on morethan 50 completed swimming pools and have 60more in hand that IMm currently working on. Allthese pool projects have been spread across the Mid-dle East where I have been involved in the design andconstruction of more than 500 pools and water fea-tures O and during these 16 years IMve come to see thatthere is an enormous wastage of water in swimmingpools. This, I believe, is a matter of grave concern,especially given that most of the portable water is de-salinized.

To give you a background into the issue, here aresome facts. The UAE is one of the countries thathave very little or no rains and the renewable and sur-face ground water supplies are extremely limited.Current research figures indicate a 0.2km3/yr Pesti-mates of 1997Q as stated in the World Water DataPWWDQ. Further facts from the WWD show thatthe total fresh water withdrawal is 2.3km3/yr Pesti-mates of 2000Q and per capita withdrawal is 511 m3/yr.According to Offshore Arabia, water consumption inthe Arab region is the highest in the world at 100 gal-lons per person, per day. Adding to this scenario wasthe then growing real estate market, which gave riseto many property developments that had alreadystarted construction and one valid feature for alluringcustomers was - a swimming pool. This was presentin every villa, community building or commercialproperty and in most cases, the construction of apool in a building is just 1% or less of the cost of thebuilding. Even though this is the case, most peopledo not realize that the running costs are high sincethe pool requires bi-weekly cleaning, chemicals andmaintenance to ensure the water remains at a specificph level of 7.2 to 7.8 as per local and internationalnorms.

Despite the many upkeep requirements that comewith having the luxury of a pool, many do not realizethe importance of maintenance and are often igno-rant about water wastage and the volume of waterand electricity consumed by the pool through the useof pumps, heaters, lights and other such related elec-trical equipment. Many a times, despite there beingnotice boards instructing pool users to shower beforeentering the pool, it often falls on deaf ears as peoplecontinue to abuse the luxury. When advised to go infor a Heat/Cool pump to keep the pool warm in thewinter and cold in the summer with an economicalprice Pin terms of future running costsQ, it is almost

never considered, even though if you look at thetechnical side, a heater which would run all the timeconsuming 200% more electricity than a Heat/Coolpump, would cost them far more in the longer run interms of electricity and maintenance.

Looking at this from a broader perspective, UAE isrequired to conserve its natural resources which aredepleting, especially oil and water. These resourcesare very scarce all around the world. Today, everyoneall over the globe has started to take notice and voicetheir concern. These resources are being misunder-stood and misused due to ignorance and a lack ofawareness O especially in this region. Natural re-sources such as water are a lifeline of any thrivingeconomy and could cause a debacle to the economyand environment if not tackled at the right time. Inthe case of pool water usage, a huge quantity is beingutilized in every building or villa. As part of the up-keep and for the ph to be maintained, the pool is re-quired to be cleaned and serviced at least twice aweek. After vacuuming the pool, the dirt/dust is ac-cumulated in the pool filter. Backwash operations ofthe filter would relieve the pressure from the filter asthis operation takes about 30 to 60 seconds and mustbe done twice a week. During this process, the poolloses about 200 to 300 liters in each backwash oper-ation and the pool is then refilled with fresh water.Another aspect is evaporation loss due to the regionMsweather and although this can be reduced to a great

extent by having pool covers, I have rarely ever seena pool cover in use in the UAE.

Throwing light on the situation, very recentlyDEWA released a campaign to create water aware-ness through print and electronic media. However,as per as my knowledge, there is no specific researchcarried out to ascertain the impact of water and elec-tricity for usage and wastage for swimming pools inthe UAE. If we must take an active part in preservingnatural resources, I believe that it is imperative to actwisely and hence it is more important now than everbefore, to find the reasons behind such an enormouswastage. We need to find solutions that can help ineducating the masses of how much damage thewastage of water can cause to the economy and theenvironment, especially when most of the water pro-duced in the UAE is from desalination which requiresburning another natural resource - oil.

To leave you with some food for thought, you canbest start by asking yourself the following questions:If you have a pool and use it, do you know howmuch is your water/electricity bill for the month?Are you aware if your pool is losing water? Is yourpool working to optimum capacity in terms of waterand electricity? Does your maintenance companytop off your pool regularly? How can you help instopping wastage of water? How can we make peo-ple aware of this?

iNDOOR POOLS:AA BBOOOONN OORR AA BBAANNEE??

Thomas Rodrigues (MBA 2008) is the Operations Manager of GIT LLCwith 24 years of experience as a Civil Engineer. He is also a member of the Institute ofSwimming Pool Engineers +UK,. All views expressed in this article are his own. You canwrite to him with your thoughts or comments on [email protected]


CurrentStudent

When Ibrahim arrived in the UAE back in 2004 with an aim to pursue furthereducation, little did he know that he would be stuck with the dilemma of choos-ing the right University for himself. He did an intensive research to find outabout the back ground of all universities, and after much work, he narroweddown his options to three: UOWD, AUS & AUD. After speaking to many stu-dents from all three universities, he came to a conclusion that UOWD bestsuited his needs. JMany had said that AUS is the best and the biggest. How-ever, there came a time when I didnMt think about the size of the university, norits buildings, but just about the degree itself K he says. The most attractive fea-ture of UOWD to Ibrahim was the choice between an Australian degree and aUAE degree. Without wasting any more time and after having a rather toughmoment with the TOEFL exam, he finally joined UOWD in 2005.Like most of us, Ibrahim had some of the best moments of his life at UOWD.JI have met huge challenges in terms of both practical and academic tasks. Oursubjects were sometimes tough but interesting. Most teachers were like closefriends for us and very helpful tooK he says. The things he misses most about hisstudent life is meeting friends every day, walking with them to 24/7 the super-market, listening to lectures by John Gladwin, Dr. Khalili and Dr. Prakash, andon the way back home, stopping by the Mall of Emirates to spend time therewith friends.Although he only spent his first year in the student dorms Pback then in theJebel Ali GardensQ, he says he has many interesting memories to share. JI re-

member many times we wouldstay awake all night long andthen in the mornings, we usedto walk to the gas station withthe guys, joking and making funof each otherK he recollects. Hisfavorite hangout was the JebelAli Club which has an amazingenvironment to chill out andplay pool, and the Ibn BatutaMall. JI still remember the tasteof the Noon-o-kebab IranianrestaurantK he adds.IbrahimMs favorite game is poolwhich he claims to be very goodat, although he regrets not tak-ing part in any university tour-naments. He was always thereto support the UOWD teamwhen they played against other

universities. Some of his best memories at UOWD were the group presenta-tions in class, the multicultural celebrations at the university, the sport festi-vals; group studies in the library and of course, all the new friends he made. Hisproudest moment was when he graduated in October 2010. JI love all my teach-ers. They were all helpful to me and IMve learned some special skills and knowl-edge from individual lecturers and tutors. I especially admire Dr. Prakash as hewas very helpful to me in developing my marketing skills. I would like to thankall my teachers, they are all great and I will always remember themK he adds.Currently Ibrahim works as a Sales Representative in Fermacell PManufactur-ing German Gypsum FiberboardsQ. From all the UOWD Alumni members andthe Stay Connected team, we wish Ibrahim best of luck for his future endeav-ors.

PROUD TO BEA WOLLY!

““TThheerree ccaammee ttiimmee wwhheenn II ddiiddnn’’tt tthhiinnkk aabboouutt tthheessiizzee ooff tthhee uunniivveerrssiittyy,, nnoorr aabboouutt iittss bbuuiillddiinnggss,, bbuuttjjuusstt aabboouutt tthhee ddeeggrreeee iittsseellff ””

Ibrahim SaeediBBA 2010

Hobbies: Studying Architecture and designs, playing pool, andkeeping up with the news.Dream Career: To have a private business.Most Memorable Moment: At the Graduation Ceremonyin October 2010

““II lloovvee aallll mmyy tteeaacchheerrss.. TThheeyy wweerree aallll hheellppffuull ttoommee aanndd II hhaavvee lleeaarrnneedd ssoommee ssppeecciiaall sskkiillllss aannddkknnoowwlleeddggee ffrroomm iinnddiivviidduuaall lleeccttuurreerrss aanndd ttuuttoorrss””

Text

by A

ly K

han


AlumniLife Abroad


I come from very simple family

My mother didnMt have an opportunity to gain an education and my fatheronly got through the primary level. Hence education was an aspiration sinceearly childhood. After I completed my Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Ijoined the workforce in Mumbai, India and while I worked there, I com-pleted a Bachelor in Electrical Engineering PBEQ from Mumbai University,followed by a Diploma in Marketing Management PDMMQ from the sameuniversity. While studying, I was working with Otis Elevator CompanyPIndiaQ Ltd and hence gained a considerable amount of experience on the job.

My work experience has varied

I started out as a Diploma Engineering Trainee to Customer Service Execu-tives in Otis, India. Then in 1996 I moved to Dubai and joined Otis LLC asa Project Engineer. As part of my work a few of the projects I handled in-cluded installation and management of Elevators in the National Bank ofDubai HQ, Sharjah Etisalat, Sharjah University etc. Soon I moved on to theposition of a Field Operations Manager PAbu Dhabi-Al AinQ, and then a Proj-ect Manager PMall of the Emirates liftsQ and finally a Construction Managerfor the Burj Dubai Tower lifts.

New Beginnings

While pursuing my MBA from UOWD, I was working with Otis LLC UAE.Then in July 2008 I moved to Brisbane-Australia and joined Otis as ProjectManager. Since taking on the role, IMve completed projects such as 42 AlbertSt, 53 Albert St, 400 George St, 123 Albert St etc. I didnMt get a promotionstraight after the MBA but recently I got promoted to the post of a Con-struction and Modernization Manager for the Northern Region of Australia,and I believe MBA was an important factor. This year I received an Award forJSafety LeadershipK at my work place.

Studying at UOWD was excellent

As earning an MBA was my aspiration, I had an immense interest in busi-ness dealings, principles and business psychology and always wanted to delvefurther into the subject. The experience was very rewarding and I got toknow a great deal about businesses and the business world. In retrospect, thewhole journey was great memory, and I made many friends and certainlylearned a lot. A few of the professors who greatly influenced me were; DrPrakash Vel, Dr. Julia Connell, Dr. Cedwyn Fernandes & Dr. Okan Geray

My family and interests

My family includes my wife Archana and sons Ojas P8.5 yrQ & Ayush P3.5 yrQ.I like to keep active and enjoy a few sports such as Lawn tennis and tabletennis. At the moment I am secretary of Brisbane Maharastra Mandal IncPBRIMMQ which is non-profit community organization, as well as secretary

of the Upper Mount Gravatt Toast-masters Club - a club that providesa platform for development ofleadership and communicationskills. In the distant future, I aimto be a Regional General Managerand I look forward to the journey.If you want to contact Suresh,email: [email protected]

CLIMBING THE CORPORATE LADDERSuresh Ghuge graduated from UOWD with an MBA in 2008 and workedhis way up the corporate ladder, slow and steady. Now settled in Australia, hetells us about his life, work, career and family.

Suresh with his wife Archana and two sons

““II ddiiddnn’’tt ggeett aa pprroommoottiioonn ssttrraaiigghhtt aafftteerr tthheeMMBBAA bbuutt rreecceennttllyy II ggoott pprroommootteedd ttoo tthhee ppoossttooff aa CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn aanndd MMooddeerrnniizzaattiioonn MMaann--aaggeerr ffoorr tthhee NNoorrtthheerrnn RReeggiioonn ooff AAuussttrraalliiaa,, aannddII bbeelliieevvee MMBBAA wwaass iimmppoorrttaanntt ffaaccttoorr.. ““

Ojas and Ayush


AlumniWho, When, Where

Mehmet Kemal graduated this year with great pride. Being a physically chal-lenged student, he fulfilled his dream and did exactly what he set his mindon O that is, to graduate with Distinction. Initially, he had decided to studyin Australia, but because of his physical limitations, was unable to do so. Butthen, fate had better things in store for him, when he was compelled to joinUOW in Dubai based on the positive word-of-mouth he received fromfriends and family in the UAE. Coming from a family of four who have beenbased in Dubai for the last 30 years, Mehmet brought his family glad tid-ings on, not one, but two occasions - the first by achieving his BachelorMs inE-Commerce Finance in 2003 and then in 2010 when he graduated with Dis-tinction for his MasterMs Degree O both from UOWD.

Armed with a dream to work as a financial analyst in one of the leading com-panies, Mehmet let nothing stop him or stand in his way O not his physicaldisability and not even the global financial recession which made employ-ment hard. He says, JI managed to get my first job in HSBC as a customerservice representative as I wanted to start my career in a bank. Then I joinedanother department and worked as a corporate representative where I han-dled reputable corporate accounts. My second job which I took during myMasterMs Degree, was as an intern with Hawkamah, a corporate governanceinstitute within DIFC. My designation was a Corporate Governance Analystand I was involved in a project with Standard and PoorMs, where I was re-sponsible for rating companiesM social, environmental, and governance is-sues according to a specific criterion. It was here that we established thefirst ever index, known as the ESG Index which includes the top corpora-tions in the Middle East that are transparent when it comes to disclosingtheir environmental, social as well as their governance issuesK Part of hisbest memory on the job was being a member of the organizing committeefor the 4th Annual Hawkamah Conference held in Dubai, where as a resultof dedicated effort, he and the entire team received a letter of appreciationand an Award from the CEO.

The best part of university life, he says, was submitting assignments on timeeven though they were tough and required tremendous effort, not to men-tion the work pressures. But he adds, J The University of Wollongong inDubai is culturally diverse, so the best part was actually meeting people fromdifferent backgrounds, cultures, and religions. This culture diversity is takenadvantage of by tutors as well as lecturers through the formation of groupsthat work collectively to assemble a project made up of different thoughtsand different ideas from different types of peopleK. Currently Mehmet is

working on plans to pursuehis PhD at UOWD, but iswaiting for a wider range ofPhDMs that are consistentwith his field of study and inthe meantime, he got hissights set on the CFA Cer-tificate.

Recalling his university years,he says he particularly re-members Prof. Nabil Bay-doun and Prof. NaeemMohammed. In the distantfuture, Mehmet would like tobe a professor himself, andthat too O at the UOWD. JIalways wanted to work at the

University of Wollongong in Dubai, lecturing and interacting with studentsfrom different cultures. And I will work hard to accomplish thatK he says. Atthe time of this interview, Mehmet is looking for work and is enthusiasticabout any opportunities that come his way. You can contact him [email protected]

Master of Applied Finance and Banking, 2010

“The best advice I would give to those who arephysically challenged is to believe in themselves

because believing is seeing and not the opposite”

Mehmet with his friends on his graduation day

Mehmet and his family




Hessa Ibrahim works at the DMCCwithin the finance section where herwork is mostly related to treasure andfinancial reporting. As a go-getter whorefused to take things as it came herway, she actually requested her com-pany to transfer her from the AccountsDepartment to the Finance Section,only so she could put what she learntto practice in real-time. After gainingher BachelorMs Degree from the es-teemed Zayed University in January2008, Hessa joined the Dubai MultiCommodities Centre as Assistant Fi-nancial Accountant. A year later shereceived the Mohammed bin Rashid

Al Maktoum Foundation PMBRFQ scholarship to complete her postgraduate stud-ies at UOWD and joined the university in 2009 to pursue a Degree in Applied Fi-nance and Banking. Talking about those good old university days she says, Jthetoughest part was when I had to attend training in Abu Dhabi Psponsored by Secu-rities and Commodities Authority, SCAQ and then come back to Dubai for theclasses. Moreover, the training was also inclusive of lecture and examsK Althoughthis is one common sentiment we all share, Hessa confirms that the best part wasbeing able with a variety of people of different ages and from different backgrounds,cultures and religions.

When asked about her achievements, Hessa comes up with a list that she is proudto reveal O and by the looks of it - itMs evident that she was a wonder student rightfrom her undergrad days when she was very prominently on the DeanMs list. In 2008,she co-authored a paper titled JAn assessment of herd behavior in UAE equity mar-ketsK which won her the Department of Economic Development Award. Soon after,she was nominated to participate in the Share Program, sponsored by the EmiratesSecurities and Commodities Authority where she got to attend lectures and fieldvisits to different financial institutions, inside and outside the country.

Topping her PG experience at UOWD, she won dual honors, one as the Top Grad-uating Student in the Program PMAFBQ and second, as the Top Emirati GraduateAward, proving that her hard work and dedication eventually did pay off. JI feelproud about winning the awardK she says with a patriotic spirit. JIt is a great honorto have my name linked to my country. My country has given me so much and itwould only be right to give my bestK. Being the first in her family to complete herPost Graduate Degree, she says that her family is extremely proud of her achieve-ments and encourages her to further her studies. On that note she saysK As of yet, Iam still deciding my next step, but if I plan to study further it would be in the financefield. My personal goal would be to get a chance to utilize my knowledge and edu-cation, to get a good exposure in my field and to be able to growK

Master of applied Finance and Banking, 2010Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Raji Koshy works at HoneywellInternational Middle East Ltd,which deals with four busi-nesses; Aerospace, Automationand Control Solutions, SpecialtyMaterials and TransportationSystems. Her family settled inthe UAE some 40 years ago andshe comes from a unit of fivesiblings. Although she very re-cently married a businessmanwho has made a name for him-self in the capital marketingand commodities trading busi-ness, she continues to strive inher own field, reaching for newhorizons each year.

Straight after her graduation in 2006, she was given a promotion from aWorking Capital Leader to a Regional Working Capital Leader where shenow handles around 8 countries and a back-office team in India, and is theonly female to be part of the Middle East Leadership team. With more than14 years experience in the same company, Raji has taken on more responsi-bilities at work and seems to be enjoying every moment of it. She says, JAl-though I did not have a detailed coverage on working capital during thefinance course, studying at UOWD has helped me view issues from abroader perspective and take decisions in a challenging business environ-mentK As part of her job profile, Raji manages the EMEAI Regional Cus-tomer Specialist Lead Team, works closely with the Regional FinanceLeader and Regional General Manager with a daily routine that touches onimproving Net AR results, invoice negotiation, and an active participationin Accounts Payables and Inventory Analysis to help drive results.

Talking about her days at UOWD she says that the most challenging partwas achieving a balance between work, family and studies but that it onlytaught her how to organize herself more efficiently, work under pressureand manage a team effectively, for which she gives credit to the group as-signments at university. JItMs a great honor to graduate from UOWD. I havegraduated from one of the best university in Australia which is also widelyrecognized across the globe. The course materials and faculty coaching willdefinitely help you with a successful career and are an added value to yourresumeK she adds.

In the near future Raji plans to further her career by moving up the corpo-rate ladder and assuming a senior global role within the company at theEMEAI PEurope, Middle East and IndiaQ level. As far as further studies areconcerned, she hasnMt given it a thought but is certainly positive about theidea. If youMd like to reach her, you can at [email protected]

“Be an achiever and keep challengingyourself. Exit from whatever you do if

you are not the No 1”

“I feel proud about winning the award,it is a great honor to have my namelinked to my country. My country hasgiven me so much and it would only be

right to give my best”

MBA 2006Honeywell International Middle East Ltd.



MBA 2008Self-Employed

Mohamed Ibrahim began his journey at UOWD in the year 2006 while hewas employed as a Senior Control Engineer in Tabreed, a local companybased in the UAE that provides year-round climate control to communitiesacross the Middle East. However, a year into his studies, he felt confidentenough to embark on a new beginning, and formed his own electro me-chanical consultancy firm LDC Pro EngineeringM along with three of his closefriends. From then on he had the opportunity to apply everything he learnedin class directly into the work he was doing. JThe MBA paved the way forme to strategize and start my businessK he says, Jand today, it is one of thepioneer consultants in green building and district cooling. It also helped mea lot in managing our company through the credit crisis, where we reducedexpenses to the minimum and diversified into the GCC market, instead ofdepending on a single market. All of this happened due to the a few sub-jects that taught us to build corporate strategies.K Apart from his currentrole of an Industrial Control Manager in his company, Mohamed has to hiscredit, 14 years of experience in the Control & Automation field, dealingwith water and waste water, cement, paper plant, as well as the food andbeverage industries.

The father of little Taied who is just 8 months old, Mohamed married dur-ing his last semester at university, but charted his progress rather well overthe recent few years. He joined his company, Tabreed in 1999 where heworked until December 2004 when he transferred to Ian Banham DistrictEnergy Division Pa subsidiary of TabreedQ where he stayed until 2006 gath-ering hands-on experience as a Designer and System Analyst in the HVAC& District Cooling process. Further experience gained him the title ofChairman for District Cooling Communities in the UAE Chapter of Amer-ican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning EngineersPASHRAEQ and he is also a Member of the ISA PInternational Society ofAutomationQ and the UAE Society of Engineers. Topping of his list ofachievements is an LAutomation ExplorerM Award for Outstanding Achieve-ments in the Advancement of Automation Technology which he receivedfrom GE in the year 2008. Not failing to give credit to his education fromUOWD, he says JI feel so satisfied from the quality of education I gainedat UOWD that IMve already recommended it to many friends, two of whom

have already joined the programs. Right from the professor for each subjectto the assistance and advice they give, coupled with the quality of informa-tion and resources available through the library and electronic library Oeverything is excellent. Even my wife is planning to join the university nextyearK

Talking about his most significant memory he says, JI distinctly rememberthe Financial Strategy subject taught by Professor Nabil Baydoun. Duringthat time we had an assignment on the Stock Market Bubble where welearnt to determine the price to earning ration and the dividend yield. By theend of the course, we had figured out that investing in the stock market wasnot a wise decision, given that a few friends of mine and I had invested allour savings in it. It so happened that we collectively withdrew our invest-ments and fair enough, five months later the stock market did crash!K

Mohammad has plans to pursue his PhD at UOWD in the distant future,but in the meantime he looks forward to connecting with the university,professors and fellow alumni. If youMd like to contact him, you can reach himon [email protected]

Mohamed at the District cooling plant Mo’s baby Taieb

“I feel so satisfied from the quality of education Igained at UOWD that I’ve already recommendedit to many friends, two of whom have alreadyjoined the programs. Right from the professor foreach subject to the assistance and advice they give,coupled with the quality of information and re-sources available through the library and electroniclibrary – everything is excellent.”


AlumniActivity

Are you interested in achieving organizational excellence for your company, or would you liketo experience what it takes to be the best in the field? If you answered "yes" to either of thetwo questions, take a look at what fellow alumnus, Arwa El Baitam, has planned through

her company - Aurora Management Consultancy.

Achieving organizational excellence is a goal for most organizations. Crucialto long-term survival, organizations need to strive for nothing less thanworld-class standards of business excellence and that means, being vision-driven, strategic, value-focused, responsive, adaptable, efficient and cus-tomer-centered.

Taking the lead in the direction of excellence, Aurora Management Consul-tancy is organizing a 4 day-Benchmarking Visit in liaison with the Civil Serv-ice College of Singapore in March 2011. Arwa El Baitam, fellow alumnus andthe Managing Director of Aurora has the trip planned down to a tee, ensur-ing that participants get the best out of it in every sense. JThis program�,she says, Jis designed to share Singapore�s experience in driving private andpublic sector organizations to achieve organizational excellence. Participantswill gain an understanding and insights into the best practices in deliveringorganizational excellence in Singapore�s public and private sector organiza-tions. The knowledge gained will enable participants to develop comparativeyardsticks in their own organizationsK.

What’s in it for you?

Using the best mix of learning methodologies, this program adopts an inter-active mode of learning by exposing participants to lectures, discussions anddialogues with key stakeholders for a deeper understanding of the excellencejourney. As a participant you will be led through a learning journey whereyou can find out the practices of award-winning public and private sector or-ganizations. Through active dialogue you can expect an exchange of insightsin management experience where youMll get to learn about winning compa-nies, their fail-proof strategies, success stories and challenges - all in the nameof attaining organization excellence.

Why it seems worthwhile?

Aurora Management Consultancy prides itself with diversified experienceobtained through its highly qualified and multi-talented team. Together, theybring to the table experiences obtained from working with the government,semi-government and the private sector, and hence have ensured that thisprogram has an essential mix, beneficial to Executive Directors, Managers,Section Heads and Employees involved in Organizational Excellence. Theoutline of the program focuses on aQ Understanding Singapore�s FoundationalPhilosophy for Excellence bQ The Role of the Civil Service College PCentrefor Organizational DevelopmentQ cQ The Singapore Business ExcellenceFramework dQ Milestones of Achievements for Organizations in the Journeyof Excellence eQ Learning Journeys to Award-Winning Organizations in thePublic and Private Sectors

The Objectives of the Trip:

1. Gain an overview of the Business Excellence Framework2. Understand how the Business Excellence Framework helps to improve anddevelop business quality and excellence for many organizations - from multi-nationals to home-grown small businesses and Government Agencies in Sin-gapore3. Identify the practical benefits and challenges of embarking on the businessexcellence journey4. Gain knowledge of the criteria, eligibility guidelines and assessmentprocess of the excellence awards5. Learn the best practices gleaned from the �World-Class� organizations ofexcellence

If you or your company would like to be part of the experience, please contact

Aurora Management Consultancy on [email protected] for more de-

tails and registration. Participants will handle their visas, tickets, bookings, boarding

and lodging. However, Aurora recommends that participants book at Grand Hyatt

Singapore and fly via Singapore Airlines.

QUICK FACTS

- Visit takes place on 14 O 17 March 2011- Investment per person is AED 20,000- Investment covers: Training program materials, transportation to and fromthe college and the award winning organizations, tea breaks and lunch ontraining days

Special Discounts

Available if a company nominates: 3 participants P5% discountQ; 5 participantsP10% discountQ. UOWD PMQMQ graduates/students P10% discountQ.


TopGraduates

Moh'd Eid Hashem TakroriTamimi

Master of Engineering Management

Faeze NejabatBachelor of Internet Science

and Technology

Foroogh BarakatiBachelor of Computer Science

Lekshmy VijayakumarMaster of Information Technology

Management

Top Graduates at the October2010 Graduation ceremony


TopGraduates

Mohammad Ahmed AbdullaHaji Bnari

Bachelor of Commerce: Management

Moh'd Eid Hashem TakroriTamimi

Master of Engineering Management Rinki SinghviBachelor of Commerce: Accounting

Jawahitha SarabdeenMaster of Strategic Human Resource

Management

Suleiman Ibrahim SalemAyasrah

Master of Quality Management Fawad Syed MuhammadMaster of Science (Logistics)

Hessa Mohd Hassan AbdullaIbrahim

Master of Applied Finance and BankingAhmed Mustafa Saber Karam

Master of International Business

Why do research?

Research doesnMt only belong to scientists or professors. Research is simply anactivity to help you pursue the truth, to practice the thinking skills, to explorethe unknown, or to clarify the murky reality. To some extent, research is in-volved in most jobs. For instance, marketing people need to find out how con-sumers react to the new product design; IT people need to understand how tomake the interface friendlier for end-users; HR people need to know how todesign a better incentive scheme. In other words, research is a necessity to per-form certain tasks. However, not all research activities would guarantee validresults. Most time, we may be influenced or biased by irrelevant information,popular perception, and/or personal experiences. Sometimes, we even donMtknow what information is needed to draw a valid conclusion. Therefore, onlythose following proper methodology will produce results that are valid andcloser to the truth. This is why a professional training is necessary for profes-sionals to learn research methodology and to produce valid research output.Refined research skills and knowledge will not only help professional to bet-ter perform their current jobs, but also enable them to become a knowledgeproducer, which in turn opens the door to a wide range of career possibilities.What is it like to do research?

Doing research is like to walk through a long tunnel full of twists and turns. Theentrance is intriguing but the process is full of ups and downs. Sometime youare frustrated with a dead end; the next moment, you may be thrilled withsome new ideas. Of course, nothing can beat the pleasure when you see the endof the tunnel. And to savor the pleasure in research may be one of reasons thatmany people become professional researchers. As a researcher, you enter a freeworld where you can try out all your imagination like a child, develop the log-ical loop like a detective, report the reality with integrity and objectivity like ajournalist, and bring the new insight and perspectives like an artist. Researchbrings many intellectual people to your world, to debate, to share, to inspire andto motivate. Once you start the journey, you are embraced by the research com-munity where you will find a lot of people who share the same passion and in-terest. How can you help?

I hope that research activities will be another bridge to connect with ouralumni. On the one hand, we hope to get your input to produce more relevantresearch output; on the other hand, we also cordially expect your active par-ticipation which will greatly increase the validity and contribution of research.Your participation can take many forms. You can participate as a researcherworking with the other professional researchers or initiating your own researchteam; or an individual/organizational participant. Either way, you can learn theresearch process, to make contribution and to share the research results.Here are three on-going research projects that are funded by Emirates Foun-dation and UOWD Grants.1) Social networking site usage (PI; Funded by the Emirates Founda-

tion: 2010-2012)

Since their introduction, social networking sites PSNSQ, e.g., Facebook, havebeen rapidly expanding and profoundly affecting our society. They have be-come an inescapable part of our lives, which is more evident among young peo-ple. While most people take such technologies for granted, our understandingabout what drive people to SNS, what they use them for, and how they are af-

fected by using SNS, remains murky. This research aims at making importanttheoretical and practical contributions. Existing theories for explaining ITadoption and usage will be extended further to explain the pattern of usage ofSNS and its consequences. The theoretical development and empirical valida-tion will be adapted to the particularities of the UAE environment.2) Assimilation of Information Systems (PI; Funded by the UOWD

Grant: 2010-2011)

The adoption of information systems alone is not sufficient for achieving theiranticipated benefits. It is rather the assimilation of these systems that is likelyto realize their potential. Technology assimilation is defined as the extent towhich the use of the technology diffuses across business processes and be-comes routinized in the business activities. In this project, we aim to follow amulti-level approach in explaining assimilation of information systems.Companies which have deployed information systems are welcome to partic-ipate in this project by contacting me on the email below and in return, wewill share the research results and the company report.3) Application of Semantic Networks to Computer-mediated dis-

cussions for the enhancement of Group processes and Performance

(Funded by the Emirates Foundation 2010-2012; Co-PI with Prof.

Mohamed Khalifa).

The proliferation of computer-mediated discussions, i.e., knowledge commu-nities, has motivated a large body of research on the design and effectivenessof these tools. One of the main anticipated effects of computer-mediated dis-cussions is the enhancement of the performance of distributed groups. How-ever, most existing collaborative tools employ linear representations that offerlittle support for the visualization, conceptualization and contextualization ofthe discussion and therefore limit the collaboration. To address these draw-backs, we propose to apply semantic networks to the representation of com-puter-mediated discussions and to illustrate their ability to enhance thevisualization, conceptualization and the contextualization of the discussion.We also propose to empirically demonstrate the superiority of the semanticnetwork representation of discussions over threaded discussions in terms of ef-fects on group processes and outcomes.Every semester, the promising studentsM projects are also identified and devel-oped further. Hopefully in the future, we will have a stronger connection withthe alumni through joint research projects.

Research:Everything you need to know about it in a nutshell

The Last Word


Dr. Kathy Ning Shen is an AssistantProfessor in Information Systems, Facultyof Business and Management at UOWD.She can be reached [email protected]

Documents

Stay Connected - Volume 1 Issue 4 - December 2010