THE UNIVERSITY of Bradford marked 25 years of running its Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Dubai by hosting a networking event at the city’s British High Commission.

The University was first invited to Dubai by Emirates Airlines in 1997 to offer its MBA to senior staff, and two-and-a-half decades later, the Dubai Executive MBA offer extends to the broader corporate world in the United Arab Emirates.

Founded in 1963, the University of Bradford’s School of Management is one of the oldest business schools in the UK.

The School has received several accolades, most recently being named Business School of the Year 2021 at the Times Higher Education Awards. 

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon, who led the event, said: “As one of the first UK universities to deliver an MBA in Dubai, the University of Bradford has already made a significant contribution to the socio-economic context of the UAE through developing responsible leaders. 

“Our senior management team and expert professors are working on plans to introduce new programmes to the UAE market, focused on supporting the region’s socio-economic priorities.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zahir Irani, added: “I am excited to lead our strategic plan for Dubai and look forward to working closely with colleagues in our Dubai hub and local stakeholders in the UAE to extend our high-quality education offer to a broader audience in the country.

“Our Executive MBA is well respected and, indeed, has been undertaken by many who have gone into executive roles.

“We are currently working with leading corporations in the region to extend the University of Bradford’s corporate social responsibility agenda. 

“The University of Bradford has over 145,000 alumni in 180 countries. We have global reach, and a global outlook, both of which are necessary to meet the challenges of the modern world."

Shahid Baloch, Executive Vice President at Commercial Banking at United Arab Bank, himself completed his Dubai MBA in 2001

"I recognise the significant value of maintaining professional development and this is my ambition for the alumni here,” he said.

"Together with my colleague Dimitri Savvaidis, we have initiated the 'UoB UAE Alumni Group' to provide a forum for networking opportunities, and to provide continued learning and development via a series of events, organised in conjunction with the university."

Other guests attending the event included governmental institutions, staff from the University of Bradford regional hub in Dubai and senior staff from the UK.