Under the patronage of His Excellency Sultan bin Salem Al Habsi, Minister of Finance, the graduation of the first cohort of the National Programme for Developing Leaders and Future Foresight took place on Thursday July 6, 2023, in the presence of Their Excellencies and representatives from the Eller Center for Executive Education Programs at the University of Arizona, Project Evaluators and other officials.
The programme, designed in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Eller Center, develops leadership skills for middle management in the state’s managerial apparatus, in line with Oman Vision 2040. It prepares participants to face a world of increasing complexity and change. 29 of the 90 participants held the position of Assistant General Manager, Department Director and Assistant Director of departments.
His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Qassim Al Lawati, President of the Royal Academy of Management, stated that the National Programme for Developing Leaders and Future Foresight is a realisation of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s keen interest in developing human capital through the empowerment of national leaders and enhancing competencies in line with Oman’s future vision. The programme provided participants with skills in systematic institutional thinking, leadership methods, innovation based on critical thinking, decision-making methods, and strategic thinking. In addition, the programme worked to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors to enhance the concept of global competitiveness. He added that the programme developed national leaders in various sectors, implementing best practices in partnership with leading global institutions.
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 Royal Academy of Management’s National Programme for Developing Leaders and Future Foresight.”
He added, “The Royal Academy of Management has been a most valued partner who demonstrated equal dedication to providing an innovative and impactful learning journey, allowing each of you to adopt a growth mindset and gain leadership skills to overcome future challenges. As graduates of this programme, you are now equipped to make a meaningful and lasting impact on Oman’s prosperity. As alums of an Eller Executive Education programme, 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. Congratulations!”
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.
As part of the programme, the participants worked on gsroup projects in which they implemented strategic thinking skills and problem-solving skills to business challenges. These projects focused on diverse sectors in Oman, including a project to develop the business tourism sector, a national platform for surveys, an innovative project in the medical industry, a nationalised waste centre, the “Nima” project smart app for the delivery of fruit and vegetables, and “Fursa”, a national project to train graduates.
The graduates completed a learning journey of 5 educational modules over 6 months and acquired a variety of leadership skills to refine their capabilities and meet professional challenges. They developed a working mechanism for middle management departments within the state’s managerial apparatus, helping to promote Oman’s economic growth.
