University of Strathclyde Business School: In sync with the pioneering and innovative nature of the UAE

This year marks 30 years since the University of Strathclyde Business School (SBS) launched an international centre in the city of Dubai and I’m delighted that so many ambitious and talented individuals have chosen Strathclyde for their MBA education over the past three decades. Now located in Dubai Knowledge Park, our state-of-the-art campus offers a unique learning environment for executives.

SBS has an illustrious and pioneering history with the MBA – we launched the full time MBA back in 1966 and we were the first UK business school to offer a one year, full time MBA. We were the first to offer a part time MBA in the UK and the first to offer a distance learning option in the UK.

We continued with our ambitions and led the way in opening international centres, enabling aspiring business leaders to study in a location close to home and work while studying an established and renowned MBA. Indeed, we were recognised for being leaders in international higher education by being presented with the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement for our international expansion back in 1993.

We are proud to be a triple accredited business school, with accreditation from the international accrediting bodies, EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB. We were the first business school in Scotland to gain triple accreditation as well as the first to gain the Association of Business School’s Small Business Charter Award, which recognises our world-leading support for scaling firms in Scotland through innovation, internationalisation and leadership.

The UAE as a country has ideals and values which match Strathclyde’s innovative and pioneering nature.

It’s undoubtedly a country where its people strive to do well, succeed in their chosen career and develop themselves both academically and professionally.

We are delighted to offer our MBA in a country where the Ministry of Education launched the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, a strategy which sets out to build and achieve the highest scientific and professional education standards to serve the UAE’s future generations. This strategy underlines the importance of educating the country’s future talent to drive economic development and achieve national goals. The growth of the higher education sector in the UAE is clearly a crucial strategic priority. Strathclyde’s ethos of being ‘a place of useful learning’ as set down by our founder, Professor John Anderson, in 1796 is in line with this strategy and our MBA provides people with the necessary skills to progress their career and face the challenges of the future.

We can see this evidenced in our wonderful UAE alumni — we are incredibly proud of all our alumni we have seen take on senior roles after graduation and perform to the best of their ability, joining a network of Strathclyde alumni around the world. We have many incredibly successful alumni living and working in the UAE who are fabulous ambassadors both for the Strathclyde MBA and the way the UAE values and rewards ambition and hard work.

While we celebrate 30 hugely rewarding years of being in Dubai, we are also looking to the future and thrilled to be in this exciting and inspirational part of the world. The UAE is ambitious in its plans for the country, its citizens and residents, and we are happy to play our part as the UAE solidifies its position as a global hub for higher education.