Graduating class comprises 40 Executive MBA students and seven students from the MSc Aviation Management programmes.

Published (Updated )

Under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), City, University of London held a graduation ceremony for the ninth cohort of its Executive MBA programme and for graduates of its MSc Aviation Management programmes in Dubai.

Held at the DIFC Conference Centre, the annual event was graced by the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Group.

More than 200 guests attended the ceremony along with their families, business leaders and distinguished guests, including His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of the DIFC, Mr Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Authority and Dr Warren Fox, Chief of Higher Education at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

This year’s graduating class consists of 40 EMBA students and seven students from the MSc Aviation Management programmes. The new graduates originate from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria, Mauritius, Pakistan, Canada, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The diverse cohort of graduates are full-time professionals working in various industries from engineering and energy to hospitality, real estate, aviation, banking and logistics.

Professor Sir Paul Curran, President of City, University of London, commented:

"Since its establishment in 2007, the University’s Dubai Centre has succeeded in becoming a thriving hub for relevant postgraduate business and aviation education in the Middle East and beyond.

We are proud of the contributions made by our Executive MBA, our MSc programmes in Aviation Management and our executive education courses delivered here in the DIFC. As our latest outstanding graduates leave us to develop their careers in business and the professions, they will be part of a global community of over 138,000 alumni."

Dr Kevin Dunseath, Regional Director, MENA and Head of the Dubai Centre said: “Our graduating students here in Dubai have successfully met all the challenges leading up to this momentous occasion and their success is extremely well deserved.

They have acquired enhanced knowledge, skills and confidence, preparing them for rapid advancement in their careers. We congratulate not only the graduates themselves but also all those who have supported them, including their families, friends, sponsors and colleagues.”

Fahd Sakrani, EMBA graduate and top performer, said“I am grateful to the founders of this University and to Sir John Cass in whose honour Cass Business School has been named. Great educationalists such as them had the vision and foresight and contributed their time and capital for an institution that has now become a prestigious name globally.

The brilliant professors are also the reason Cass Business School is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world. They are not only academics but accomplished practitioners who have dedicated their lives towards leading cutting edge research and then sharing that collective wisdom with students like us.”

Khaldoun Al Asfar, MSc Air Transport Management graduate, said: “Aviation is like a wide open sea of knowledge – there will always be something to learn irrespective of how far you have progressed in your career. My advice to my fellow graduates is to never give up on your goals and explore different ways of achieving them. Trust me, you will be surprised at what the power of will and determination can accomplish.”

The Executive MBA and the Aviation Management programmes are delivered by world-class academics who travel to the Dubai Centre from City’s London campus. They teach in intensive blocks of three to four consecutive days to accommodate the needs of the working professional.