The Royal Academy of Management held the graduation of the second cohort of the National Programme for Developing Leaders and Future Foresight on Wednesday October 25, 2023. The programme was designed in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Eller Center. Twenty-nine of the ninety participants held the position of Assistant General Manager, Department Director, and Assistant Director of departments, in the state’s administrative apparatus.
Dr. Fathiya Abdullah Al Rashdi, Acting Vice President for Programme Affairs at the Royal Academy of Management, stated during her speech, “Human capital is the greatest wealth that countries possess, so investing in developing human knowledge, skills and experience is an urgent necessity imposed by rapid global changes. This is because people are the main engine for growth and development from all the available national resources and they directly contribute to all the many factors that promote sustainable progress and a clear vision. Without qualified national cadres, it is not possible to achieve the growth, development and advancement that nations aspire to. “
Dr. Al Rashdi further emphasised that this programme is designed to help change the mindset of leaders and increase their self-awareness and patterns of behaviour, as well influencing the behaviour of individuals, making them more capable of leading work teams.
Dr. Al Rashdi congratulated the participants, putting an emphasis on their successful completion of the programme, whilst also emphasising the responsibility they now bear in applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired to achieve the desired goals in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
Dr. Karthik Kannan, Dean of Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, expressed his delight on this important occasion, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of you on completing and graduating from the National Programme for Developing Leaders and Future Foresight.”
He further added, “The Royal Academy of Management has been a fantastic partner who shared our strong commitment to provide an innovative and impactful learning journey, so each of you might adopt a growth mindset and gain leadership skills to overcome future challenges.”
Dr. Karthik stated that the participants are now equipped to make a meaningful and lasting impact on Oman’s prosperity. He also said, “We welcome you into this extended alumni network of both Eller Executive Education and the University of Arizona. On behalf of Eller Executive Education and the University of Arizona, I wish each of you continued success and a lasting impact.”
Eller Executive Education is one of the world’s leading institutions in its field, ranked 24th in the world for customised executive education programmes in 2020 by the Financial Times. It is considered a leading global institution in providing organisational development solutions.
Salma Khalifa Al-Abri delivered the graduates’ speech in which she emphasised the great impact that the programme played in building competencies in the fields of leadership and creative thinking, governing institutional work, decision-making and effective communications skills with both colleagues and partners. She said the programme achieved this by establishing a unique experience combined with modern science and training.
Salma Al Abri congratulated her fellow graduates and said, “This graduation ceremony is one of the brightest moments of our lives. It comes as a culmination of tireless effort and dedication; it is the beginning of another chapter towards achieving our goal. Congratulations!”
During the graduation a number of group projects that the participants worked on were reviewed. The projects focused on a variety of sectors in the Sultanate of Oman, including the pharmaceutical industry, access to Omani investment opportunities through “Embassies Invest”, and the Digital Health Service System “Baraa” as well as “Cool Fish”, “Hiyadzero” and “Authentic Cultural Experiences” projects.
The graduates completed a learning journey of five educational modules over six months and acquired a range of leadership skills to refine their capabilities and meet professional challenges. They developed a working mechanism for middle management departments within the state’s administrative apparatus, helping to promote Oman’s economic growth.
