Abu Dhabi: Insead, a leading international business school, on Thursday inaugurated its new campus in the capital at the Abu Dhabi Global Market on Maryah Island.

The new campus places the school, which provides graduate business education, at the heart of Abu Dhabi’s upcoming financial centre. The move also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the school’s opening in the capital.

At a press conference to inaugurate the premises, Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, director-general of the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), said there is now significant competition in the labour market for highly qualified professionals and entrepreneurs.

“The nation has high confidence in its youth, and encourages diversification in various fields. In order for the economy to further flourish, our aim should be to highlight potential talent among tomorrow’s future generation, and improvise on their capabilities,” he said.

The inauguration follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between Abu Dhabi emirate’s education sector regulator ADEK, Insead and ADGM, in order to enhance business knowledge and competence in Abu Dhabi and reinforce the emirate’s role as a centre of excellence for education and talent development.

Insead currently has two other campuses worldwide, one each in France and Singapore. The Abu Dhabi campus is its only facility in the Middle East.

“Insead aims to be the leading business school in every region where we have a presence. With the support of ADEK, the new campus will give us the right platform for the next stage in our strategy to establish a global top-tier school in the UAE,” said Ilian Mihov, dean of Insead and professor of Economics.

Miguel Lobo, director of Insead Middle East, told Gulf News the school offers courses in executive education, and that these cater to about 1,000 executives each year, of whom about 400 are Emirati. Those who attend these courses also see an average salary growth of about 50 per cent.

The school also offers full-time Masters in Business Administration, which requires students to attend classes across all three campuses for a year, or part-time Masters degrees for executives.

“In addition, there are scholarships available for select students from minority groups, women and NGO employees who will be able to use the business education to make a meaningful impact [on the communities they are a part of],” Lobo said.