DSG Home

DSG News

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:28:39 GMT

• World Bank Conference Focuses on Spatial Disparities •

DSG partnered with the World Bank to host a two-day workshop and launch of the recently released report “Poor Places, Thriving People: How the Middle East and North Africa can Rise above Spatial Disparity.”

• •

The gap in living standards between rich and poor regions within countries poses one of the most difficult policy questions for governments around the world. Even industrialized countries are still struggling to find development solutions for economically lagging areas such as the Appalachian region in the USA, Calabria in Italy, eastern Germany, and South Wales in the United Kingdom.

A new World Bank report, Poor Places, Thriving People: How the Middle East and North Africa can Rise above Spatial Disparity, launched on June 15 and 16 at the Dubai School of Government, suggests that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can raise living standards in disadvantaged geographic areas that are less economically developed with an informed mix of policy choices, rather than capital investments alone.

In a public event at the Dubai School of Government, Shamshad Akhtar, Vice President of the MENA region at the World Bank, launched the report before an audience of senior government officials from across the region, academics, and media. In her keynote address, Akhtar introduced the report saying "We in the World Bank know the urgency for the governments of the Middle East and North Africa in addressing spatial disparities in living standards. We hear from ministers how concerned they are for areas such as northern and southern Lebanon, the northeast of Syria, the northwest of Tunisia, the southwest of Saudi Arabia and the mountainous hinterlands of Morocco."

Any country that tries to fight this economic agglomeration do

DSG News

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:42:26 GMT

Khalid Al-Yahya • Khalid Al Yahya interviewed on CNBC Arabia •

Assistant Professor Khalid Al Yahya appeared on the Al Bousla ("The Compass") program of CNBC Arabia television, where he commented on the importance of Governance during the crisis period.

• •

Assistant Professor Khalid Al Yahya appeared on the Al Bousla ("The Compass") program of CNBC Arabia television, where he commented on the importance of Governance during the crisis period.

• • 258 •

DSG News

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:49:55 GMT

Paul Dyer • Middle East Youth Initiative Roundtable Meeting on Syria •

DSG, the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings, and the Syria Trust for Development hosted an expert roundtable meeting in Damascus on June 13 and 14 to identify new and emerging priorities in youth-focused research and policymaking in the region.

• •

In addition to the organizing partners, scholars and practitioners representing key global and regional institutions were present from the World Bank, the Population Council, several United Nations agencies, League of Arab States, as well as from top universities in the United States and the region.

Since its inception in 2006, the Middle East Youth Initiative has explored how social, economic, and institutional challenges interact to affect the lives of the region’s youth. The Initiative has produced a significant body of foundational research on the state of young people across the region, which is compiled in an edited volume: Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East (Brookings Press, 2009). Recently the Initiative has partnered with Silatech on the Taqeem program, which has initiated a series of impact evaluations of youth programs in Yemen and has documented the emerging landscape of social entrepreneurship and social investment in the Middle East.

The expert roundtable was a private event which brought together a select group of scholars from the Middle East Youth Initiative network and partner organizations to reflect on the Initiative’s past achievements and to develop a new framework for future youth research. The

DSG News

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:31:51 GMT

• Marwa El-Daly on Philanthropy and Social Responsibility in Egypt •

Marwa El-Daly of the Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation discussed the potential of local philanthropic organizations for social development in this lecture, which was supported by the Legatum Institute.

• •

In "Philanthropy & Social Responsibility for Development in Egypt," Marwa El-Daly of the Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation discussed the potential of local philanthropic organizations for social development. The lecture was made possible by support from the Legatum Institute.

Ms. El-Daly began the presentation by noting that there are currently no accurate estimates about the size and magnitude of philanthropy in Egypt, and how philanthropy is contributing to charity and development. She stressed the potential utility of faith-based philanthropic institutions such as zakat, sadaqat and waqf in confronting poverty, and explained the particular characteristics and distinctions between them. El-Daly stated that prior to the development of the modern state, approximately 30 percent of land in Egypt was endowed (via waqf), but that the state now manages all waqf via the Ministry of Awqaf.

El-Daly outlined the conceptual framework of her field research to understand the magnitude of local philanthropy and its role in development. She noted that there has been a shift in approaches to philanthropy from charity to development, where a rights-based approach is gradually eclipsing a more traditional sense of condescending pity.

Ms. El-Daly’s team surveyed 2000 households and 1200 philanthropic organizations, and found that while 62% of Egyptians donate annually, and local philanthropy is estimated to amount to 1 billion US dollars, most Egyptians conceive of philanthropy purely as charity.

Marwa El-Daly is the Chairperson of the Waqfeyat Al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF), the first "community foundation" in Egypt. The

DSG News

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:05:52 GMT

• Sheikh Hussein Al Banawi Speaks on Leadership Styles •

Sheikh Hussein Al Banawi, Chairman and CEO of Banawi Industrial Group, outlined the differences between the “authoritative” and “nurturing” leadership styles in this policy forum.

• •

Effective leaders care not only about whether they win or lose, but also about how they play the game. In the end, the personal choice that we must make about whether to engage the mindset of authority or that of leadership can define our own future as well as the future of those around us, according to Sheikh Hussein Al-Banawi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Banawi Industrial Group.

The comments came at Al-Banawi’s March 18 lecture on ”Leadership in Motion: An Epic Journey,” in which the leading industrialist underlining the difference between the “authoritative” and “nurturing” leadership styles as the “hard” and ”soft” components of management.

Emphasizing how the soft components determine the success of strategy and the quality of execution, he said: “Good leadership is at the core of any organization’s growth. Leading one’s team by example instills a culture of ownership among associates. They become naturally attuned to taking accountability and grow in their roles. On the other hand, leading by instilling a fear of the consequences of bad performance may achieve short-term goals, but will never support the growth of the individual or the organization.”

As the Chairman and CEO of Al-Banawi Industrial Group, Sheikh Hussein Al-Banawi is at the helm of companies that range from specialty chemicals to packaging and food flavors, spanning the broader Middle East and Africa. Regarded a role model for effective leadership, he is also a member of the Board of Trustees, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, and Chairman of the Investment Committee of the World Waqf Foundation of the Islamic Development Bank.

Sheikh Al-Banawi is a founding member

DSG News

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:01:37 GMT

• Lord Falconer Discusses the Upcoming British Elections •

In this policy forum, Lord Charles Falconer explained how an “utterly unusual” British election might reshape the UK governing system by ushering in an era of coalition politics.

• •

In this May 4 policy forum, Lord Charles Falconer explained how an “utterly unusual” British election might reshape the UK governing system by ushering in an era of coalition politics.

He began the lecture by noting that from 2007 to 2010, the Labour party trailed the Conservatives in polls by a wide margin, often up to 20 percent. However, in recent months the margin shrank considerably due to PM Gordon Brown’s competent handling of Britain’s financial crisis, along with an expenses scandal that tarnished the reputations of all three prime ministerial candidates and much of Parliament.

The recently televised debate—the first in British history—between the three candidates for prime minister provided Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Clegg with a recognized victory which thrust him, and the Liberal Democrats, into the spotlight as viable electoral contenders. According to Lord Falconer, it is likely that the Tories will gain the most votes, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats trailing by roughly five percent, due to the British electoral system it is quite possible that Labour may still end up with more parliamentary seats. Without a majority of seats in Parliament, however, the leading party will be forced to form a coalition government, presumably with the Liberal Democrats. For their support, the Liberal Democrats will likely push hard to alter the electoral system to guarantee more proportional representation in Parliament.

According to Lord Falconer, it is most likely that there will be a coalition government, “although what we need most now is a strong government” due to the need to reduce spending and increase taxes to avoid a “Greek style” financial crisis.

DSG News

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:50:54 GMT

• Financial Crisis Series: Adnan Yousif on Arab and Islamic Banking •

Chairman of the Union of Arab Banks Adnan Yousif described the causes of the financial crisis and its effects on Arab and Islamic banks, in this Tuesday evening policy forum.

• •

Despite the financial crisis, Arab banks have continued to deliver excellent performance and have been able to increase their total balance sheets to US $2.3 trillion, according to Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Chairman of the Union of Arab Banks. Yousif’s comments came during a May 18 lecture titled “Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Arab and Islamic Banks.”

Elaborating on the fundamental factors that led to the financial crisis, he attributed the global imbalances, particularly in capital flows during the latter half of the 90s and earlier this decade, to the drop in levels of national savings in advanced economies. An extraordinary increase in savings relative to investment in many emerging markets was another factor that led to the crisis.

Adnan Yousif added: “In the wake of the crisis, Arab and Islamic banks are required to continue adopting cautious policies in terms of lending and preserving liquidity. Governments, in turn, are required to move quickly to establish a wide range of programs that support and strengthen the banking system to enable it to play a natural role in fostering credit flows to businesses and households.

“Even with the sort of actions suggested by the World Bank, IMF or G-20, it is unrealistic to hope that the crisis can be entirely eliminated, even while maintaining a dynamic and innovative financial system. What we need is a widely accepted and resilient financial system that is neither dependent on debt-based structures nor on usury. Such a system would help make crises such as this less frequent and less painful. Furthermore, we may be in need of an Arab version of the American Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)

DSG News

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:37:37 GMT

• James Zogby Shares GCC Executive Survey Results •

Pollster and Arab-American Institute President James Zogby revealed results of the second
Oliver Wyman / Zogby Barometer Poll of GCC business confidence.

• •

Pollster and Arab-American Institute President James Zogby revealed results of the second
Oliver Wyman / Zogby Barometer Poll of GCC business confidence at a May 11 policy forum.

Speaking to an audience of private and public sector representatives, media and academics, Zogby characterized the overall mood among business executives in the region as considerably more optimistic than even six months previously. The second Oliver Wyman / Zogby International survey of 134 C-suite (including CEOs, CFOs and COOs) executives in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates finds the business mood in the region upbeat. GCC executives expressed uniform confidence when asked about immediate and near term prospects: 58% of those surveyed find current conditions improved, and 82% are optimistic about the prospects for the next two years.
Although business confidence in the UAE has risen 29% points to 74% since the last report in October 2009, the country still lags behind KSA (85%) and Qatar (96%).
"In the survey last October, we saw confidence down in the shadow of the financial crisis. This time, when we asked more general questions about business confidence and the prospects for the future we found real optimism across the region, with Qataris and Saudis the most confident," according Zogby.

As the region begins to recover from the effects of the financial crisis, satisfaction with governments' handling of this has gone up generally since 2009, and most notably in the UAE—increasing 23 points, from 47% to 70% of UAE executives polled.

In terms of present prospects and where to go next, executives in Abu Dhabi and Dubai differ. Those in Dubai are relatively pessimistic and

DSG News

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:09:51 GMT

• Ben Simpfendorfer on the “New Silk Road” •

Royal Bank of Scotland Chief China Economist Ben Simpfendorfer described the growing relationship between the Arab world and China in “New Silk Road: The Arab Rediscovery of China.”

• •

Royal Bank of Scotland Chief China Economist Ben Simpfendorfer described the growing relationship between the Arab world and China in “New Silk Road: The Arab Rediscovery of China.”

Simpfendorfer described three primary points which inform a better understanding of the evolving nature of Chinese-Arab relationship. First, he pointed to the rapid increase in trade between the two regions, noting that China topped the US in exports to the Middle East in 2009, with US$ 60 billion worth of exports. He pointed to the easy availability of Chinese visas for Arab traders, as opposed to difficult access to the United States in the post-9/11 era, and stressed that free zones are the vehicle for much China-Arab trade.

Turning to the role Islam plays, he noted that of the 20 million Muslims living in China, 10 million of these are Hui Zu, descendants of the original Arab traders who speak both Arabic and Chinese and are physically indistinguishable from ethnic Chinese. Simpfendorfer asserted that the Hui Zu enjoy excellent relations with the Chinese government, and that while the Uighur minority does have a problematic relationship with Beijing, China’s Muslims are, in fact, a source of strength for the country and problems with its Muslim minority are vastly overrated.

Simpfendorfer claimed that “oil is exerting a gravitational pull on China and the Middle East,” noting that China’s current consumption of 8 million barrels/day is expected to double over the next two decades, while its domestic production of 4 million barrels/day has peaked. With the majority of proven world reserves found in the Middle East, China will inexorably depend more on the

DSG News

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:59:38 GMT

• Nasser bin Ghaith on the Economics of Transparency •

Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith outlined the economic rationale behind increased transparency and applied the lessons to Dubai and the UAE in this Monday evening policy forum.

• •

Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith outlined the economic rationale behind increased transparency and applied the lessons to Dubai and the UAE in a Monday evening lecture on “The Economics of Transparency.” Moderated by civic affairs commentator Mishaal Al Gergawi, the event was sponsored by The Kanoo Group.

During his talk, Dr. bin Ghaith highlighted the economic implications of transparency in terms of its effects on important economic sectors (markets) and political institutions (governments). The lecture focused particularly on good governance, market efficiencies, smooth business cycles and the efficient allocation of resources, as well as on the impact that transparency has on each of these factors.

He mentioned that while there is no real incentive for companies to be transparent in their dealings, there are also no serious legal consequences for defaulters who exploit the lack of transparency in the system for personal gain. He stressed the urgency of building an effective judiciary system in the UAE that would have the capacity to deal with the complexities of corporate malpractice and large-scale financial crimes.

Speaking about the possible corrective measures that economies could take at the thought level to promote transparency, Dr. bin Ghaith said: “Belief and religion have a key role to play in changing people’s attitudes towards transparency. Belief is a strong sentiment, which can be a foundation for self restraint. When self restraint becomes a mainstream practice, there is peer pressure to remain honest and veer towards better transparency.”

Dr. bin Ghaith commended the Dubai School of Government for holding

DSG News

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:31:25 GMT

• Tarek Coury Interviewed on CNBC Arabia •

Assistant Professor Tarek Coury appeared on the Al Bousla ("The Compass") program of CNBC Arabia television, where he commented on the Greek financial crisis.

• •

Assistant Professor Tarek Coury appeared on the Al Bousla ("The Compass") program of CNBC Arabia television, where he commented on the Greek financial crisis.

For the full interview (Arabic), click here.

• • 267 •

DSG News

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:58:46 GMT

• Roundtable Discussion, MPA Lectures with Ambassador Marc Grossman •

DSG welcomed Ambassador Marc Grossman of the Harvard Kennedy School for a roundtable discussion on “The Future of Diplomacy.”

• •

DSG welcomed Ambassador Marc Grossman of the Harvard Kennedy School for a roundtable discussion on “The Future of Diplomacy,” as well as two evening sessions with students from the School’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

On Wednesday afternoon, representatives from a variety of federal and local organizations—including the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dubai Cares, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Dubai Department of Finance, the Dubai Media Office and the US Consulate, among others—attended the roundtable discussion, which explored the evolving nature of diplomacy in the 21st century. Designed for policy makers who represent the UAE on the international stage, but are not themselves professional diplomats, the discussion explored elements such as public diplomacy, “soft power,” and the interconnectedness of an increasingly globalized world.

Ambassador Grossman also led a role-playing exercise with students from DSG’s MPA program on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, in which he encouraged them to improve their diplomatic skills by better understanding the perspectives and objectives of others.

Ambassador Marc Grossman is an internationally-renowned authority on the future of diplomacy, and currently a public policy scholar in-residence at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars at Harvard University. He served as US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, the State Department's third-ranking official, from 2001 to 2005. He also served as Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs from 1997 to 1999, and as Ambassador to Turkey. In 2000, he was named Director-General of the US Foreign Servi

DSG News

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:33:20 GMT

• Nicolas Depetris Chauvin Publishes Paper on Saudi Arabia •

Assistant Professor Nicolas Depetris Chauvin published “The Rise of the Gulf: Saudi Arabia as a Global Player” in the May issue of Auslandsinformationen, the journal of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

• •

Assistant Professor Nicolas Depetris Chauvin has published “The Rise of the Gulf: Saudi Arabia as a Global Player” in the May issue of Auslandsinformationen, the journal of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The issue is devoted to the upcoming meeting of the G-20 group; Dr. Depetris Chauvin’s contribution explores “the evolution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from an open economy but closed social and political system with little involvement in the world economy to its first steps towards becoming a true global player.”

To read the entire article, click here.

•

“The Rise of the Gulf: Saudi Arabia as a Global Player” (PDF)
Auslandsinformationen

• 268 •

DSG News

Thu, 27 May 2010 11:26:32 GMT

• Fulbright Hays Professors Visit DSG •

A group of 10 Fulbright Hays professors from the US met with scholars from DSG on Tuesday for an open discussion on development issues in the UAE and the wider GCC region.

• •

A group of 10 Fulbright Hays professors from the US met with scholars from DSG on Tuesday for an open discussion on development issues in the UAE and the wider GCC region.

From DSG, Racha Mourtada, Natasha Ridge, Fatma Abdulla, Ghalia Gargani, Tabitha Decker, Mhamed Biygautane, Tarik Yousef, Noora Lori and Samar Farah attended the discussion, which was moderated by Paul Dyer. The Fulbright Hays professors are visiting the UAE as part of a larger tour of GCC countries, and will be spending around two weeks as guests in the UAE. They represent a variety of disciplines and universities from around the United States.

Fulbright-Hays programs are administered by the US Department of Education, and support the internationalization of the United States's educational infrastructure by strengthening area and foreign language expertise among current and prospective US educators.

• • •

DSG News

Wed, 26 May 2010 11:59:59 GMT

• Khalid Al-Yahya Case Study Published •

"Creating and Managing Economic Competitiveness: The Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority," by Dr. Khalid Al-Yahya, has been published as Case Program 1926.0 of the Harvard Kennedy School.

• •

"Creating and Managing Economic Competitiveness: The Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority," by Dr. Khalid Al-Yahya, has been published as Case Program 1926.0 of the Harvard Kennedy School.

Abstract:

The Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA) is an agency established in 2000 to improve the business environment and encourage foreign investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This agency was created out of the Kingdom’s landmark Foreign Investment Law of 2000 with the mandate to diversify the economy and provide jobs for its burgeoning young population. The fledgling agency was expected to enlist the aid of other government ministries and agencies in reducing barriers to investment—including the politically sensitive “Saudization” policy, which gave employment preference to Saudis over foreign workers—and in marketing Saudi Arabia as a welcoming location for foreign investors. However, the law that had formed SAGIA, gave it few tools to work with. Therefore, it had to find a way to cooperate with the rest of the government to effect change. SAGIA’s first governor, Prince Abdullah, retired in 2004, and it would be the task of his successor, Amr Al Dabbagh, to advance SAGIA’s mission. It remains to be seen whether Al Dabbagh, a successful businessman, could overcome the challenges that had thus far stymied the young agency.

The case should be used for class discussions of several important themes: the difficulty of collaboration across government bureaucracy with little authority or resources; effecting change in an unfavorable political climate - both external and internal; human capital development with the skill for strategic p

DSG News

Tue, 25 May 2010 05:07:34 GMT

• Lubna Qassim Profiled in The National •

Attorney and DSG nonresident Fellow Lubna Qassim was profiled by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National after she urged students at Sharjah Women’s College to “follow their dreams.”

• •

Attorney and DSG nonresident Fellow Lubna Qassim was profiled by Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National after she urged students at Sharjah Women’s College to “follow their dreams.”

For the full article, click here.

• • 2145 •

DSG News

Thu, 20 May 2010 07:07:23 GMT

• Forum Explores the Impact of Social Networking Technologies on Governance •

DSG and the General Information Authority (GIA) conducted a two-day forum to explore trends in the utilization of social networking tools to improve governance.

• •

DSG and the General Information Authority (GIA) conducted a two-day policy forum on May 17-18 to explore recent international trends in the utilization of social networking tools by governments, and to identify potential opportunities and threats created by these technologies for the government and society in the UAE. “Social Networking Technologies for Better e-Governance and Fostering a Knowledge Society in the UAE” brought together federal and local government UAE officials, academic experts and researchers from DSG, and private sector practitioners and members of the public, to discuss the potential of social networking technologies for better governance and the promotion of a knowledge society in the UAE. Speakers and panelists included Hosam Al-Sokkari, former Head of BBC Arabic, in addition to representatives from the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, the Government of Dubai’s Media Office, and the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority.

On May 17, a panel discussion on “UAE Society and the Impact of Social Networking” found that while the absence of firm privacy laws protecting the users of online platforms restricts them from providing feedback on policy reform, government entities are also wary of incorporating feedback received through these channels in the policy formation process. Featuring Emirati social networking activists Amal Al-Mutawa, Anisa Al-Sharif, Aida Al Busaidy and Mishaal Al-Gergawi, the panel addressed the issue of perceived unreliability associated with information available on social networks.

Panelists agreed that officials within the government and private entities would value the findings extracted through research conducted on social me

DSG News

Tue, 11 May 2010 08:08:55 GMT

• OECD Working Group on Administrative Simplification Meets at DSG •

As knowledge partner for the Government of Dubai, DSG hosted the MENA-OECD Governance Program's 6th Meeting of Working Group 2 on E-Government and Administrative Simplification.

• •

As knowledge partner for the Government of Dubai, represented throughout the event by the Dubai eGovernment , DSG hosted the MENA-OECD Governance Program's 6th Meeting of Working Group 2 on E-Government and Administrative Simplification. DSG’s e-government program spearheaded DSG’s contribution to the event.

The two-day forum was run in cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) under the initiative for “Good Governance for Development in the Arab Countries.” which was launched at a meeting of Arab ministers hosted by Jordan on February 6-7, 2005. Working Group 2, which met for the first time in Dubai in September 2005, gathers together the most senior e-government officials in Arab countries and invites government experts from OECD countries to discuss key policy issues on the e-government agendas of Arab and OECD countries. The Group is chaired by Dubai and co-chaired by Italy and Korea.

The members of the working group also design a plan of activities and provide directions and support for their implementation. In the past, activities have included a capacity building seminar on e-procurement, measurement and evaluation of e-government, personalized portals, partnerships and collaboration on e-government, and electronic ID cards. This year, the agenda focused on the impact and opportunities for e-government and administrative simplification in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and included a study tour to explain and demonstrate the eGovernment implementation approach adopted by Dubai. The tour involved presentations, discussions and a site visit to Dubai Courts to illustrate electronic serv

DSG News

Mon, 10 May 2010 12:13:26 GMT

• Fadi Salem, Yasar Jarrar Article Published •

Fadi Salem and Yasar Jarrar have published "Government 2.0? Technology, Trust and Collaboration in the UAE Public Sector" in the latest issue of Policy and Internet.

• •

Fadi Salem and Yasar Jarrar have published "Government 2.0? Technology, Trust and Collaboration in the UAE Public Sector" in the latest issue of Policy and Internet, the first major peer-reviewed journal investigating the implications of the Internet and associated technologies for public policy.

Abstract

Increased use of the Internet and related technologies in government seems to hold out promise for a collaborative governance model, derived from cross-agency information and knowledge sharing, but many governments struggle to attain this goal. Over the past decade, many local and federal government entities in the United Arab Emirates witnessed a shift from the traditional, hierarchical 'silos mode' of governance into a 'competitive mode,' heavily influenced by 'New Public Management' approaches. Although competition has had a relatively positive impact on government efficiency, there is evidence that it has increased institutional and policy complexity, reduced levels of trust and decreased knowledge sharing in government, thereby reinforcing information silos and hindering collaboration and cross-government innovations. This article reports a national survey of UAE government employees in federal and local government institutions which found that 'technology,' 'leadership' and 'trust' are perceived as the top three interconnected enablers of collaboration in the UAE government. The article concludes that there is now a possibility to move towards a more collaborative mode in governance, using technological innovations to bring down the cost of social transactions in government, with three key prerequisites: fostering a comfortable level of 'political trust' between society an

DSG News

Sun, 09 May 2010 12:15:36 GMT

• Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad Speaks at DSG •

HE Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad spoke on the Malaysian experience in nation building at a Thursday evening lecture as part of the School’s Distinguished Speakers Series.

• •

Since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, its rapid emergence as a hub for high-tech manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications has relied heavily on the supportive economic policies formulated by the government, which encouraged a culture of “corporate nationalism” similar to the growing trend of public-private partnerships being adopted successfully across the Middle East, according to former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr. Mahathir’s comments came during a Thursday evening lecture entitled “Nation Building – Malaysia’s Experience.” Dwelling upon the similarities between Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries, he described how public policy can be formulated to favor economic growth.

Dr. Mahathir, Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister who held the post from 1981 to 2003, said: “Malaysia shares a number of deeply rooted cultural similarities with the Middle Eastern nations. While each region has its own challenges, as the Middle Eastern countries emerge from the global financial crisis, they will increasingly leverage public-private partnerships to overcome these challenges.”

Dr. Mahathir is credited with converting Malaysia from a newly formed federation into one of the most successful economies of Asia, aiding prosperity and political stability. At the heart of this accomplishment was a period of economic dynamism during which the country registered over 10 percent annual growth for nine straight years. When he stepped down in 2003, he was granted the Malay honorific “Tun’” and the self-explanatory title Bapa Pemodenan, or “Father of Modernization.”

From his quota reforms that made education and employment opportunities more accessible to th

DSG News

Sun, 09 May 2010 06:34:25 GMT

• May Al-Dabbagh Chairs Harvard Arab Conference •

• •

Dr. May Al-Dabbagh chaired the Harvard Arab Alumni Association’s (HAAA) fifth Arab World Conference (AWC) conference, titled “Transforming the Arab World: New Perspectives on Modernity, Culture, and Change.” The conference took place in Doha, Qatar on April 22, 2010, under the patronage of Her Highness Shiekha Mozah bint Nasser Almissned, Consort of His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani andChairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The conference attracted over 250 Harvard scholars, distinguished Arab intellectuals, leading policy makers and businessmen and women, and prominent activists and civic leaders to advance fresh perspectives and new agendas for transformation of an Arab region faced with globalizing realities. In particular, panels were organized around a variety of contemporary and critical issues concerning the region such as “Islamasizing” finance, “modernizing” women, “reforming” education, “globalizing” culture, and “democratizing” healthcare.

Professor Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University, delivered the video conference welcome speech on behalf of Harvard University, The Honorable Jamil Mahuad, Former President of the Republic of Ecuador and Senior Research Fellow at the Program on Negotiation, Harvard University delivered the keynote address, and HE Ghassan Tueini, distinguished journalist and politician, was selected as the recipient of this year's HAAA Achievement Award.

The Dubai School of Government’s Gender and Public Policy Program partnered with the HAAA to organize a pan

DSG News

Wed, 05 May 2010 05:54:27 GMT

• Brookings Panel Discussion on Social Entrepreneurship Report •

Following the April 26-27 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, the Brookings Institution hosted a panel discussion on the potential of social entrepreneurship initiatives in the region.

• •

Following the April 26-27 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, the Brookings Institution hosted an April 28 panel discussion on the recently-launched “Social Entrepreneurship in the Middle East: Toward Sustainable Development for the Next Generation,” a collaborative effort between the Dubai School of Government, the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings Institution, and Qatar-based Silatech.

The report is the first in-depth study of its kind addressing the state of social entrepreneurship and social investment in the Middle East and its potential for the region’s 110 million youth. It contains specific recommendations on how the activities of the region’s most promising young social entrepreneurs can be nourished and supported by domestic, regional and international stakeholders. Featured speakers at the event included Kemal Derviş, Vice President and Director of the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, DSG Dean and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Tarik Yousef, and Sonal Shah, Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation.

The expert panel included Ehaab Abdou, Advisor at the Middle East Youth Initiative, Nada al-Nashif, Regional Director, International Labor Organization, Regional Office for Arab States, Fadi Ghandour, CEO and Founder of ARAMEX, Jane Nelson, Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow, and Ahmed Younis, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at Silatech.

•

Social Entrepreneurship in the Middle East: Toward Sustainable Development for the Next Generation

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi

The National celebrated its second birthday recently, and although it has only been around for 24 months, its impact has been heavily felt across the UAE and the region.

This occasion also allowed me to recall the very first article I wrote, The pen, the book and a boss in an abaya, which tackled the rise of women in the UAE and the Gulf. Two years on, that phenomenon is becoming stronger and is widespread across the country.

The numbers are quite interesting. In UAE national universities, more than 60 per cent of the student body is female. The ratio of national female participation in the workforce is also rising. But these rather impressive achievements have created their own social impacts that deserve consideration.

There are certainly some repercussions to the increase in the levels of education of Emirati women. Already, one can easily assess through a quick survey that the size of families is smaller when levels of education increases.

It was not uncommon, for instance, for Emirati families that were formed in the 1960s and 70s to have six or seven children. But these numbers have decreased to three or four today – provided that Emirati women choose to marry and have kids in the first place.

At the outset, it is important to dispute the widely held notion that an unmarried woman, who may be as young as her mid-twenties, is a spinster. This is sexist and denotes that women are somehow less worthy than

DSG News

Sun, 02 May 2010 06:27:21 GMT

• Tarik Yousef Interviewed on BBC World News America •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef spoke with presenter Matt Frei on the goals and outcomes of the recent Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship for the BBC’s World News America broadcast.

• •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef spoke with presenter Matt Frei on the goals and outcomes of the recent Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship for the BBC’s World News America broadcast.

For video of the interview, click here.

•

Video of the interview

• 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:47:18 GMT

• New Report on Social Entrepreneurship Released •

DSG, the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings, and Silatech have released a new report titled “Social Entrepreneurship in the Middle East: Toward Sustainable Development for the Next Generation.”

• •

The launch of the report comes just days before the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, to be held in Washington, D.C. on April 26 and 27. The Summit, first announced during President Obama’s speech in Cairo in June 2009, will bring together delegates from over 40 countries and 5 continents to highlight and support business and social entrepreneurship in Muslim-majority countries (MMCs), including their minority populations, and Muslim communities around the world.

The emerging model of social entrepreneurship offers potential for addressing the multi-sectoral challenges young people face in the Middle East. Despite the promise of an increasingly educated population of young people, the Middle East’s “youth bulge” generates pressure on education systems, labor markets, health care, natural resources and infrastructure. In this context, and with constrained, public and private resources, traditional development frameworks in the Middle East are proving inadequate and in need of transformation.

The report presents recommendations for policy makers in the US and the Middle East, private sector leaders, international donors, social investor organizations, and educational institutions. These include: standardizing benchmarks for measuring social and environmental returns; supporting incubators and seed funds that invest in youth-led social enterprise start-ups; and setting up a

DSG News

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:11:08 GMT

• DSG at US Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship •

Tarik Yousef, Lubna Qassim and Dale Murphy represented the Dubai School of Government at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship held April 26-27 in Washington, DC.

• •

Dean Tarik Yousef, attorney and DSG Nonresident Fellow Lubna Qassim and entrepreneurship expert and DSG Senior Fellow Dale Murphy represented the Dubai School of Government at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship recently held in Washington, DC.

Held April 26-27, the event brought together more than 275 participants from over 50 countries around the world, and featured participation from world-renowned personalities such as US President Barack Obama, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Goldman Sachs Global Head for Corporate Engagement Dina Powell, Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh), and World Bank Vice-President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili.

Other delegates from the UAE attending the event included His Excellency Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development (MBRE), Fatima Al Jaber, Chief Operating Officer of Al Jaber Group, and Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar, President of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation.

Dean Tarik Yousef participated in a panel discussion on “Catalyzing Youth Entrepreneurship,” which explored the role of education, training, mentorship, culture and other factors in encouraging young people to be innovative and entrepreneurially-minded.

The event saw leading political figures and academics, including Arne Duncan, US Secretary of Education, Soraya Salti, Senior Vice-President-MENA of Junior Achievement, and Goris Mustaqim, Founder of PT Resultan Nusantara, discussing ways to advance economic and social entrepreneurship, as well as build stakeholder networks and establish partnerships that advance e

DSG News

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:14:59 GMT

• Tarik Yousef, Kamal El-Wassal on Al-Arabiyya Television •

Dean Tarik Yousef and Adjunct Lecturer Kamal El-Wassal commented on the impact of bankruptcy laws on foreign investment in the GCC on the Al-Arabiyya television network.

• •

Dean Tarik Yousef and Adjunct Lecturer Kamal El-Wassal commented on the impact of bankruptcy laws on foreign investment in the GCC on the Al-Arabiyya television network.

Their comments appeared on the “Ghada’ Amal” (Business Lunch) program, as well as on “Al-Akhbar Al-Iqtisadiyya”(The Business News).

The interviews can be found online here.

•

Interview (YouTube)

• 774, 274 •

DSG News

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:38:53 GMT

• Husam Zomlot on “Fayyadism” and the Quest for Palestinian Statehood •

• •

Former PLO representative to the UK Husam Zomlot spoke on Sunday evening on whether the governance initiatives spearheaded by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad are a viable path toward Palestinian statehood. Zomlot began “‘Fayyadism’ and Palestine: Can Good Governance End the Occupation?” by tracing the far-reaching reforms achieved by the Palestinian Authority under Finance Minister (and later Prime Minister) Salam Fayyad, noting that international community had a highly positive image of improved prudence, transparency, and lowered corruption which translated into donor support.

In August 2009, the 13th Palestinian Authority government, headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, issued a two-year program entitled “Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State.” The document stated that “The program which sets out our national goals and government policies centers around the objective of building strong state institutions capable of providing, equitably and effectively, for the needs of our citizens, despite occupation.” The document also stressed that a Palestinian state “can and must happen within the next two years.” The PA’s plan, dubbed as “Fayyadism,” received wide international political and financial support, and continues to be at the central stage of Palestinian and international politics. Zomlot noted the ongoing debate within the Palestinian community: state-building despite occupation is described by its propagators as a preparation for independence, while its opponents fear it might prolong the conflict.

While stressing that improved governance and accountability, in and of themselves, bring positive benefits for Pal

DSG News

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:35:19 GMT

• Gita Steiner-Khamsi on Policy Cycles and the Diffusion of Education Reforms •

Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi of Columbia University described the “life cycle” of policy reforms and how education reforms have been diffused globally in this evening discussion.

• •

In “Policy Cycles and the Diffusion of Global Reforms in Education,” Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi of Columbia University described how policy reforms can be seen to have distinct stages, including a beginning, an “aging” in which change occurs, and an end.

Citing a number of examples of policy cycles, Dr. Steiner-Khamsi focused primarily on how education reform has changed over the past three decades. She noted that in the 1970s, emphasis was placed primarily on teacher motivation and empowerment, and especially on improving teacher qualifications. When this approach was found not to fully achieve the desired ends, focus shifted to student motivation and “individualistic learning” where students were rewarded with internal gratification. Currently, emphasis is placed on teacher accountability, a form of external motivation utilizing bonuses and other incentives to reward teachers for student achievement. However, Dr. Steiner-Khamsi noted that the next cycle of education reform—which we are already beginning to see—emphasizes student accountability, and includes cash and other types of rewards paid directly to students for good performance.

Asking how the concept of policy cycles affects our understanding of “best practices” and “international standards” in education, Steiner-Khamsi asserted that in too many cases, education policy makers and consultants “know” what the solution is prior to performing the necessary analysis, and then work backward to implement a predetermined set of policies. This is largely due to the diffusion of education policy reforms globally, as the current stage of education reform becomes popularized througho

DSG News

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:27:37 GMT

• Steffen Hertog on Institutional Reform in Saudi Arabia •

Steffen Hertog of Science Po, Paris, analyzed the interplay of elite conflicts, oil resources and institutional reform efforts in Saudi Arabia at a Wednesday evening policy forum.

• •

Saudi Arabia’s efforts to achieve an all-encompassing modernization propagated by the government through an administration of reforms in public policy has experienced vast inconsistencies, and such mixed outcomes can largely be attributed to the unusual leeway enjoyed by the country’s ruling elites due to their oil wealth, according to Steffen Hertog, Kuwait Professor at Sciences Po in Paris, where he heads the Kuwait Programme, a Gulf-focused research unit.

The author of Princes, Brokers and Bureaucrats: Oil and State in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hertog shared his insights on the impact of historical context on the success or failure of policy reforms in Saudi Arabia at a policy forum Wednesday evening at the Dubai School of Government (DSG). Dr. Khalid Al-Yahya, Assistant Professor at DSG, moderated the event.

Dr. Hertog said: “While oil prices have shaped the Saudi economy ever since World War II and funded all major public sector reforms, different institutions have reacted differently to the power such reforms gave them. Institutional experiments backed by oil money created massive rent-seeking networks deeply interwoven with local society in some cases, while in others it created large but passive bureaucracies; in yet others, the process created insulated islands of remarkable efficiency.”

Hertog challenged the assumption that oil rent is always detrimental to proper institution building, asserting that in certain circumstances it has played quite a beneficial role. He described a patchwork of many “highly personalized, discrete institutional fiefdoms” in Saudi Arabia, which have been shaped by elite family politics. Ma

DSG News

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:42:34 GMT

• Is this Where the Holy Land is Headed? •

In this opinion piece, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi imagines a future in which Arabs and Jews live together in the Federal State of Israel-Palestine.

• •

By Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi

Jerusalem, April 31, 2027: The final segment from what was known as the Security Wall was torn down yesterday as street signs in the holy city were changed in preparation of the upcoming Unification Day of Israel-Palestine, four years after the Great Middle Eastern war of 2023.

Citizens of the newly established Federal State of Israel-Palestine are only three days away from officially declaring the union in a ceremony that will bring most heads of state to the capital, Jerusalem.

Historians believe that the nation’s birth also signifies a sort of official handover of super power status from the United States of America to China. Other analysts point the finger at the perpetual weakness of the US to solve the historic Israeli-Arab crisis by successive presidents from the late 20th century onward, which they believe lead to a loss of US credibility in the international community.

Today in the Federation, although Jews and Arabs continue to live in segregated quarters as they have done for most of the last hundred years there are signs that mixed neighbourhoods are emerging.

The bulk of the Arab populations have continued to live within what was known as the West Bank and in Gaza but internal migration has begun and some Arabs have started relocating to where their ancestors had historically lived prior to the 1948 war of separation. The Federation’s Jewish population continues to concentrate in Tel Aviv while others are scattered throughout the now unified state. An expected torrent of emigration among those in

DSG News

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:28:31 GMT

• Learning Arabic: Change is on the Way •

In this editorial published in The National, Natasha Ridge surveys the landscape of Arabic language instruction and calls for more active, dynamic engagement in the learning process.

• •

By Natasha Ridge

There are more than 330 million Arabic speakers worldwide, but only 8,710 books were published in Arabic in 2006, against more than 172,000 published in English in the US, a country with a similar-sized population.

While some take issue with these figures from the Arab Human Development Report, there is no doubt that the crisis in the availability of books in Arabic reflects a wider issue related to how the language is taught and learnt in schools.

Learning Arabic is a complex process. First, there is the problem of diglossia – two different forms of the language used in different contexts. There is the spoken dialect, the language of a particular country in which people communicate; and there is the written form of the language, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or al lughat al arabiya al fus-ha, used in newspapers, books and most written communications. As a result, the Arabic that students study in school is a far cry from the Arabic they speak at home and in the playground.

There are other problems, many relating to an outdated curriculum. In the top performing countries on the Programme for International Student Assessment, a triennial worldwide test of 15-year-old schoolchildren’s scholastic performance run by the OECD, students learn their first language through novels, poetry, plays, newspapers and a range of literary genres. While they typically study grammar in primary school, the emphasis shifts in later years to engaging with those texts.

Arabic, however, is typi

DSG News

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:29:58 GMT

• GCES Symposium on Education Reform in the GCC •

DSG partnered with the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research to host the inaugural symposium of the Gulf Comparative Education Society in Ras Al Khaimah on April 7-8.

• •

The inaugural symposium of the Gulf Comparative Education Society on “Education Reform in the GCC” was held in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, on April 7-8. The two-day symposium was sponsored by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in partnership with Dubai School of Government. The symposium brought together top education researchers and policy makers from across the GCC countries and beyond to discuss various issues of relevance to the GCC such as education reforms, teaching, quality improvement and equity in education.

Delivering the keynote address on the topic “The Missing Global Link in Policy Studies,” Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Professor of Comparative and International Education at Columbia University, New York, said that the educational reforms which have been implemented globally for the last 20 years under the banner of “New Public Management” could create inequality, unless governments ensure and make a real commitment to equity while implementing those reforms in their respective countries.

"There has been a lot of speculation after the recent financial crisis whether we are entering a new phase of re-regulation in education and social policy. We might very well see the start of a new big third order change with less market regulation and a little bit more of state regulation in social policy and education," she added.

Dr. Daniel Kirk, President of GCES, said that policy makers and governments in the Gulf region have recognized the pivotal role of education in national development and in developing international competitiveness.

"The GCC is in the cutting edge when it comes to expansion of educational facilitie

DSG News

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:09:51 GMT

• The Riz Khan Show Features Tarik Yousef, Jim Krane •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef and former Visiting Fellow Jim Krane appeared Tuesday on The Riz Khan Show, on Al-Jazeera International.

• •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef and former Visiting Fellow Jim Krane appeared Tuesday on The Riz Khan Show, on Al-Jazeera International, commenting on Dubai’s economic situation and financial reorganization on an episode entitled “Dubai: Back to business as usual?”

Jim Krane is a longtime reporter for the Associated Press and author of City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism.

• • 274, 270,2004 •

DSG News

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:08:25 GMT

• Jim Krane on Perceptions of Dubai in the Western Media •

Journalist Jim Krane explored the reasons behind negative Western media perceptions of Dubai, as well as steps Dubai could take to improve media coverage, in this policy forum.

• •

Journalist Jim Krane explored the reasons behind recent negative Western media portrayals of Dubai, as well as steps Dubai could take to improve media coverage, in this Valentine’s Day policy forum.

Krane began the presentation by describing the undertones and stereotypes that color Western perceptions of Dubai, including the Emirate’s status as a monarchy, the perceived unfair application of Islamic law, and the existence of a vast “servant class.” He then outlined factors within the news business itself that contribute to negative media coverage, noting that while Dubai has had a long and rare run of positive news, the spate of negative coverage beginning in 2008 is driven by the fact that it is much easier to get negative stories into newspapers. “Reporters love to target the sacred cows,” he asserted. “An influential contrarian story can then trigger the herd mentality.”

While much of the recent Western media coverage on Dubai has been unfair, Krane pointed to poor labor conditions and a bad environmental record as legitimate grounds for criticism.

Moreover, the city’s reputation for ostentatious and extravagant “attention-seeking” projects spurred a negative reaction over time.

Krane stressed that as a journalist, difficulty in getting information that would normally be public has proven to be a major weakness for Dubai. The lack of an approved and empowered spokesperson, or media office, for the Emirate, combined with the unwillingness of officials to speak publicly due to their fear of “saying the wrong thing” and displeasing the authorities, has led to a vacuum of information in many instances. Accordin

DSG News

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:06:27 GMT

• The World is Run by Those who Show Up •

An op-ed by commentator Mishaal Al Gergawi advances the dialogue kicked off by Jim Krane’s observations on the need for Dubai to present its case better to the world.

• •

Dubai needs an office of information to protect its image and prevent speculation.

In the Q&A session of Jim Crane's talk titled “Perceptions of Dubai in the western media” at the Dubai School of Government (DSG), many Dubai affiliated attendees questioned the genuineness and aim of the coverage of the western media. Words such as “cultural imperialism” and “celebrity journalism” were associated with the Anglo-Saxon coverage of Dubai.

Some good but not new points were made on the value of analysis made by 48-hour Dubai-transiting journalists from London and New York.

What is worth noting here is that many journalists covered Dubai in exactly that way during the boom years as well; no Dubai affiliate ever criticised the approach then.

Following comments by attendees from the media that it is hard for them to get a statement from Dubai, someone said that the recently established Dubai Government Media Office, a streamlined combination of Brand Dubai, Falcon and associates and the Dubai Press Club, would be operational by March 1.

I resisted commenting on that statement then but I will do so now.

March 2010 is exactly 18 months from Ramadan 2008, the month when the real estate market began to severely decline. I find it incredibly inefficient and alarming that there still is no sense of understanding of the gravity of the situation that Dubai faces by all that is Dubai Inc.

It is not a crisis of property valuation (that's a global problem!) but rather a crisis of value addition which the property's revaluation has uncovered.<

DSG News

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:45:50 GMT

• Kito de Boer on “The New Normal and the Era of the East” •

McKinsey Director for the Middle East and Africa Kito de Boer outlined how major changes in global demographics will fundamentally transform the business landscape over the next 40 years.

• •

Major changes in global demographics over the next 40 years will fundamentally transform the business landscape, as “global citizens” become one of the most powerful forces to shape future policies while the middle class in Asia multiplies, according to Kito de Boer, Director, McKinsey and Company, Middle East and Africa.

De Boer’s comments came during a lecture titled “The New Normal and the Era of the East” organized by the Dubai School of Government (DSG). The event was attended by a large number of professionals, industry experts, policy makers and academics.

During the lecture, de Boer said: “The next 10 years will not resemble the past 10 years. The world is a different place because of the financial crisis. It has created a new set of problems and exposed long standing concerns including global imbalances in exports, credit and consumption. Most notably, however, the crisis has accelerated a long running restructuring of the economic order, a shift in power from the West to the East.

“The region will need to create four million new jobs, a near doubling of the current workforce. On top of that, the average private sector salary needs to be twice as high. If they are to compete with government salaries, the only way to employ this generation of local youth is through the private sector. That means that people need to have the right skills, and the labor productivity must improve dramatically.”

De Boer attributed the diversification of GCC economies into manufacturing, industry, real estate, retail and tourism to the need to seize a broader role in the global economy. While revenu

DSG News

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:52:17 GMT

• Lack of Corporate Governance Holds Gulf States Back •

In an editorial in The National, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassmi calls for collective responsibility and accountability in the corporate world.

• •

By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Over the past two years, the Gulf has witnessed a number of major scandals in public corporations which have come to light despite the secretive nature of the region’s business world. Even in the 1990s, it was not uncommon for rulers to get involved to resolve problems, regardless of a company’s transgressions. Not surprisingly, some remember that period as the “good old days”.

Today, corporate governance must be taken more seriously. The growing economies of the Gulf states are becoming a centre of attention in financial circles. Unfortunately, despite many people’s efforts to reform corporate governance laws and stamp out corruption, very few changes have actually been made and collective action has been largely absent.

The issue of the Saudi Arabian Al Gosaibi and Saad groups, which are in debt to the tune of $20 billion (Dh73.5 billion), much of which is owed to Gulf and Emirati banks, highlights the importance of collective reform and responsibility. Ideally, the collective leadership of the GCC would function as a board of directors, with citizens as shareholders and expatriate residents as stakeholders in the establishment. In the business world, a board of directors represents the interests of both the shareholders and the stakeholders – the latter need not own shares in a firm to still be affected by its decisions.

The recent misfortunes of the jewellery retailer Damas International, which is listed on the NASDAQ Dubai, were particularly notable. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the exchan

DSG News

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:22:14 GMT

• Miguel Otero-Iglesias on Alternatives to the Dollar •

Miguel Otero-Iglesias shared findings from over 60 interviews with financial elites on opinions of the dollar, the euro and other currency alternatives at this Sunday lecture.

• •

The financial elite from Brazil, China and the GCC are not very enthusiastic about the weakness of the US dollar, but feel that for now the euro is no rival to the greenback, mainly because of the lack of an integrated market for European public debt, according to Miguel Otero-Iglesias, doctoral candidate and Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University. Otero-Iglesias’ comments came at a lecture titled “Dollar Weaknesses, Euro Doubts and Multi-Currency System Hopes” held at Dubai School of Government and attended by students, private sector professionals, high-ranking government officials and academics.

Otero-Iglesias said: “The European single currency has shown financial leaders from across emerging markets that monetary regionalization and even globalization is possible and, inadvertently, the euro has touched off a race to win over geo-monetary space outside the dollar’s sphere of influence. In this race, the Europeans have started with a certain advantage from the outset but if they do not join forces, they might soon be left behind.”

Otero-Iglesias summarized the results of interviews with over 60 opinion leaders comprising a mix of financial policy makers, banking executives, think tank researchers, scholars and journalists from China, Brazil and the GCC to gauge their perspectives on the international economic and political role of the euro. The research was conducted mostly during the final year of his Ph.D. research.

Encapsulating his findings from the research, Otero-Iglesias added: “The responses I received reflect the sentiment that, while the euro is not yet ready to challenge the dollar as the

DSG News

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:34:11 GMT

• Policy Roundtable Focuses on China-UAE Relations •

A high-level roundtable discussion brought together experts to discuss the ramifications of China’s rise for the external policies of the United Arab Emirates.

• •

A high-level roundtable discussion entitled “Looking East: The Rise of China and Implications for the UAE and the Gulf” brought together experts and members of the policy advisory community to discuss the ramifications of China’s rise for the external policies of the United Arab Emirates.

Organized by Mary Cline and Stephen Brannon, the discussions featured Ben Simpfendorfer (Royal Bank of Scotland), Mishaal Al Gergawi (Public Affairs Commentator), Simon Chong (First Eastern Bank), Christian Koch (Gulf Research Center), Ted Karasik (INEGMA and DSG), Omar Lodhi (Abraaj Capital), Fahad Al-Gurg (Arzaq Capital) and Mohamed Lahouel (Dubai School of Government).

• • 313, 1877, 276 •

DSG News

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:40:58 GMT

• Why We Need the Gulf’s Vital Statistics •

In an editorial in The National, Tarek Coury calls for the collection and dissemination of accurate economic data in order to inform better policy and decision making.

• •

By Tarek Coury

Do you know who an economist’s best friend is? It’s not Ben or Paul, but Fred: the Federal Reserve Economic Database. This contains more than 20,000 macroeconomic time series – repeated observations of key economic variables – and is publicly available on the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis.

Along with other micro data available from the US Census Bureau, and innumerable free online sources, economists have used these resources to inform decision-making by the private sector and the US government.

And while similar databases exist for other OECD countries, the same cannot be said for the GCC. By making this information publicly available, these countries sustain a vibrant and open world research community; they in turn benefit from years of accumulated research that can be used to inform public policy. In addition, the private sector benefits from a more stable economic climate.

Last week Dubai took a step in the right direction when its statistics centre released information on a series of key indicators – from divorce rates to the number of new buildings completed – to provide a snapshot of life in the emirate. While the move was warmly welcomed, economists warned that gaps remain and that overall numbers that provide insight for policymakers remained murky.

Better data encourage economic stability. This is especially important for Gulf economies, which are prone to greater macroeconomic volatility.

Output growth in the Gulf will vary by a greater proportion because the d

DSG News

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:05:13 GMT

• University of Bahrain Academics Visit DSG •

A delegation of leaders from the University of Bahrain visited the School on Monday, meeting with DSG officials to discuss possible areas of future cooperation.

• •

A delegation of leaders from the University of Bahrain visited the School on Monday, meeting with DSG officials to discuss possible areas of future cooperation.

Dr. Ebrahim Janahi, President of the University of Bahrain, and Professor Kathryn Bindon, Advisor to the University President and Director of Bahrain Teachers College, met with DSG Dean Tarik Yousef, Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki and Director of Institutional Effectiveness Fareha Chishti. The purpose of the Bahraini academics’ visit to DSG was to share knowledge about institution building, understand the many ways DSG serves the region as a school of public policy, and explore possible areas of future cooperation.

• • 265, 274, 301 •

DSG News

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:40:24 GMT

• DSG Hosts Conference on GCC Healthcare Challenges •

DSG partnered with the Center for Health Policy at Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) and the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR) to host a one-day conference on healthcare in the GCC region.

• •

Together with the Center for Health Policy at Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) and the Dubai Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR), the Dubai School of Government hosted “Healthcare Challenges in the Gulf Cooperation Council,” a one-day event featuring leading healthcare professionals from throughout the region.

Held on November 19 at the Dubai School of Government, the conference focused on the increasing demand for accessible quality healthcare, developing and sustaining a highly-trained and specialized workforce, addressing the challenge of rising healthcare costs, and the regional upsurge in preventable chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The event also sought to identify policy and research priorities that can be addressed at the country and regional levels.

Dr. Ajay Singh, Chief Academic Officer, HMSDC, observed that “Countries in the GCC region face diverse healthcare issues by virtue of their unique social and economic circumstances. But the region is united in the growing concern over increased demand for healthcare services, escalating costs, and the rise in the incidence of diseases. We are confident this conference has shed light on ways to face these challenges and provide guidance for obtaining solutions to best address them.

“The conference reflects a crucial part of HMSDC’s role and commitment towards the community to provide quality healthcare and develop a highly trained and specialized workforce for effectively meeting emerging healthcare needs. The knowledge and expertise of the eminent group of panelists that the conference has brought together is bou

DSG News

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:09:18 GMT

• Johns Hopkins Student Delegation Visits DSG •

Dean Tarik Yousef and Visiting Scholars Noora Lori and Line Khatib met with a student delegation from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.

• •

Dean Tarik Yousef and Visiting Scholars Noora Lori and Line Khatib met with a student delegation from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. Dean Yousef and Ms. Lori briefed the students about the School’s mission, its programs and research, as well as issues related to the United Arab Emirates in general.

• • •

DSG News

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:07:21 GMT

• Conference Highlights Challenges to Resource-Rich Economies •

DSG and the Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies hosted a two-day conference on Natural Resources and Economic Development: Risks and Policy Challenges.

• •

On December 9 and 10, the Dubai School of Government and the Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies hosted a two-day conference on “Natural Resources and Economic Development: Risks and Policy Challenges.”

Held at the Dubai School of Government premises, the event drew numerous industry experts, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world.

Participants included His Excellency Abdulrahman Al Saleh, Director General, Department of Finance, His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabor Bin Jassim Al Thani, Director-General of the Secretariat for Development Planning of Qatar, Paul Stevens, Senior Research Fellow of Chatham House-UK, Shady Shaher, Economist at the Standard Chartered Bank, Ali Asghar, Director of Lazard, Dr. Bassem Awadallah, founder and executive president of Tamouh Consultancy, Dr. David Scott, Executive Director of Economic Affairs of Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, and Dr. Ibrahim Abdel Gelil, Director of Environmental Management program at Arabian Gulf University.

The first day of the conference focused on select academic papers on the relationship between natural resources and economic performance, macroeconomic stability, institutional quality, and general wellbeing of the citizens.

Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: “The conference served as a platform for policy makers to analyze the economic development of resource-rich counties as well as the risks and policy challenges that they face now and in the future. It is in our b

DSG News

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:30:22 GMT

• Pepperdine University Students Visit DSG •

A group of Pepperdine University students visited the School, where they met with Dean Tarik Yousef and Assistant Professor Nicolas Depetris Chauvin.

• •

A group of Pepperdine University students and faculty members visited the School, where they met with Dean Tarik Yousef and Assistant Professor Nicolas Depetris Chauvin.

Dean Yousef provided an overview of the School and its role in fostering educational leadership capabilities in the UAE, while Dr. Depetris Chauvin briefed the visiting delegation on the UAE economy as well as the structure and content of DSG’s academic programs.

The meeting was arranged by the Emirates Foundation.

• • 274 •

DSG News

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:05:46 GMT

• DSG Welcomes Purdue Students and Faculty •

Twenty-two students from Purdue University visited the Dubai School of Government on March 14, where they met with School administrators and professors.

• •

On March 14, a delegation of 22 students from Purdue University visited DSG, where they were briefed on the activities and programs of the School. Led by Gregory C. Cutchin, Managing Director, Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), and Priya Chari Francisco, Professor of Quantitative Methods at Purdue University, the group was welcomed to DSG by Mohamed Lahouel, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Wayne James, Director of Student Affairs, who introduced the group to the School.

Assistant Professors Susan Crotty and Tarek Coury delivered lectures to the visiting delegation detailing results of their most recent research.

The visit was organized by Hareth Al Hashemi, President of the Arabian Gulf Business Forum at Purdue University.

• • 705, 267, 276, 302 •

DSG News

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:37:22 GMT

• Khalid Al-Yahya Chapter on Human Capital Published •

DSG Assistant Professor Khalid Al-Yahya has authored a chapter entitled "Human Capital Development and Empowerment Paradoxes in the Gulf" in a recently released Arabic volume.

• •

DSG Assistant Professor Khalid Al-Yahya has authored a chapter entitled "Human Capital Development and Empowerment Paradoxes in the Gulf" in a recently released volume published by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR). "Human Resources and Development in the Gulf Arab Region" contains 20 chapters from various scholars and policy experts from the GCC countries. The volume is published in Arabic.

Dr. Al-Yahya's chapter is a critical examination of human capital (knowledge-skill-abilities) development policies in the Gulf Arab public organizations and the imbalances between “individual and institutional development” on one hand, and between “knowledge and influence sharing in decision making” on the other. Based on research in Saudi Arabia and Oman, the chapter proposes an integrative framework for effective human and organizational development and change that can be useful to decision makers and managers in the public sector.

•

“Human Capital Development and Empowerment Paradoxes in the Gulf” (Arabic)

• 258 •

DSG News

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:37:25 GMT

• Delegation from Simmons School of Management Visits DSG •

May Al Dabbagh and Samar Farah met on Tuesday with a delegation of 13 women MBA students from the Simmons School of Management.

• •

Dr. May Al Dabbagh of the Gender and Public Policy Research Program and Research Associate Samar Farah met with a delegation from the Simmons School of Management.

The delegation was made up of 13 women MBA students, with diverse backgrounds and experience in finance, marketing, and not-for-profit work. Dr. Al-Dabbagh and Ms. Farah briefed the visitors on ongoing research being conducted at DSG, as well as general topics of interest about the United Arab Emirates.

• • 310, 262 •

DSG News

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:38:24 GMT

• Tarik Yousef Moderates ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Youth Survey Panel •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef moderated a panel discussion about the findings of the Second ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey of 2000 Arab youth across nine countries.

• •

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef moderated a panel discussion about the findings of the Second ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey of 2000 Arab youth across nine countries.

The second edition of the ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, which was conducted in October 2009 by leading international polling firm Penn Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB), polled more people and covered more countries than the inaugural study in 2008. Whereas the first survey involved online interviews with 1,500 youth in six Arab countries, the second study carried out a total of 2,000 face-to-face interviews among Arab youth in nine Middle East nations – the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

The main themes of the survey include attitudes to the financial crisis, access to technology, media consumption, social media networking trends, attitudes to travel and foreign relations, use of leisure time, spending habits, perceptions of leading brands, attitudes towards education, and perceptions of the private and public sectors.

The survey found that, contrary to the widespread perception of the Middle East as a region defined by conflict and a growing East/West cultural and political divide, the vast majority of Arab youth prioritize harmonious relations with the international community and wholeheartedly regard themselves as global citizens.

Among a variety of topics, the Survey polled Arab youth to rate the importance of global citizenship – the shared feeling of identity regardless of ethnic, religious or national background – with seven out of ten respondents interviewed de

DSG News

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:24:53 GMT

• Experts Discuss Information Government at Book Launch •

A panel of experts discussed the role of ICT in improving governance at the launch of the Arabic edition of “Governance and Information Technology: From Electronic Government to Information Government.”

• •

DSG welcomed a panel of experts for a panel discussion on the changing roles of information and communications technology (ICT) in improving governance. The March 7 panel marked the launch of the Arabic edition of Governance and Information Technology: From Electronic Government to Information Government.

The book analyses the shift from the narrow focus of electronic government on technology and transactions to the broader perspective of “information government,” which includes the information flows within the public sector, between the public sector and citizens, as well as among citizens. It depicts an in-depth understanding of the changing nature of governing and governance in an information society.

The book is edited by Fadi Salem, Fellow at the Dubai School of Government, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Director of the Information and Innovation Policy Research Centre, and David Lazer, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Program on Networked Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School, with Dr. Yasar Jarrar, Partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Research Fellow (nonresident) at the Dubai School of Government.

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef opened the panel discussion by noting the poor performance of Arab countries in governance metrics, and emphasizing that the Arab world, and especially the Gulf countries, have performed comparatively better in terms of e-governance implementation: “E-governance is the only domain in which this region appears to be doing as well as it should in regard to governance.”

DSG News

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:51:17 GMT

• A National Vision to Prevent a North-South Divide •

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi lauds the UAE’s Vision 2021, but calls for effective implementation and follow-up, along with more equitable national development.

• •

By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

It was refreshing to read earlier this month that the federal Government has outlined a unified vision for this country’s golden jubilee. Before this federal vision was established, planning for the future had been conducted by each emirate on an individual basis, as if we were a group of neighbouring countries and not one nation.

The 4,000-word document that was unveiled on February 6 after a three-day marathon meeting at the Qasr Al Sarab (Mirage Palace) resort in Liwa is a charter for the state of the union in 2021. While such an initiative should be lauded for its emphasis on women’s empowerment and environmental concerns, among other issues, the next step no doubt will be the most challenging – implementation and follow up.

A comparison could be made with Bahrain’s Vision 2030, which was based on specific deliverable points that will make it easier to measure success or failure. The plan envisioned by the island kingdom provided milestones that can be measured against world developmental indices. For instance, the contribution of the small and medium size sector will be measured by the number of jobs that this sector creates along with its contribution to real GDP growth. In Vision 2021, the word entrepreneurship is mentioned nine times, but is accompanied by adjectives and not deliverable goals.

Another issue that I have with Vision 2021 is the fact that it promises nationwide mobility, quality health care and economic growth. The key word here is nationwide. It is fairly obvious that the growth of the UAE

DSG News

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:05:58 GMT

• Nabil Alyousuf Selected for WEF’s Young Global Leaders •

Nabil Alyousuf, Vice-Chairman of DSG’s Board of Trustees, has been selected by the World Economic Forum as one of 197 outstanding “Young Global Leaders” from throughout the world.

• •

Nabil Alyousuf, Vice-Chairman of DSG’s Board of Trustees, has been selected by the World Economic Forum as one of 197 outstanding “Young Global Leaders” from throughout the world for 2010.

The honor, bestowed each year by the Forum, recognizes and acknowledges outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. This year’s honorees come from 72 countries, and represent all sectors of society (business, civil society, social entrepreneurs, politics & government, arts & culture, and opinion & media).

Drawn from a pool of almost 5,000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders 2010 were chosen by a selection committee chaired by HM Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and comprised of eminent international media leaders. Nabil Alyousuf is one of 14 Young Global Leaders chosen from the Middle East/North Africa region.

In addition to Nabil Alyousuf, the 2010 Young Global Leaders include Agatha Sangma, Minister of State - Rural Development (from India), Roger Federer, Professional Tennis Player (from Switzerland), Evan Williams, CEO, Twitter (from the USA), Kimmee Weeks, Executive Director, Youth Action International (from Liberia), Nathalie van Ypersele, Editor-in-Chief, Trends-Tendances (from Belgium), Mandla Mandela, Member of Parliament of the South African National Congress (from South Africa), Wyclef Jean, Singer and Founder, Yélé Haiti Foundation (from Haiti), Mi

DSG News

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:06:15 GMT

• Victor Kattan Speaks on International Law and the Arab-Israeli Conflict •

In this lecture, Victor Kattan outlined how Israel's traditional justification of "self-defense" has served as a cover for attacks against Palestinians and surrounding Arab states.

• •

The Israeli Government has always conducted its acts of war under the guise of “self-defense,” and the Arab world needs to deal with these repeated infringements of international law with a robust diplomatic response, according to Victor Kattan, Teaching Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.

Kattan, the author of the book From Coexistence to Conquest: International Law and the Origins of the Arab–Israeli Conflict 1891-1949, offered his remarks during a Sunday lecture attended by scholars, students and other professionals. During the talk, Kattan revisited the justifications advanced by Israel for the 1948 conquest of Palestine, and the successive Arab-Israeli wars, in order to explain the context of the Gaza war and the wider Arab-Israeli conflict.

Dr. Kattan began the lecture with a brief analysis of the laws of war, noting that war is internationally justified through express authorization of the UN Security Council or as an act of “self defense” in keeping with Article 51 of the UN Charter. He brought forth a letter to The Sunday Times signed by a group of international jurists during the 2008 Gaza war which maintained that “The rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas, deplorable as they are, do not, in terms of scale and effect amount to an armed attack entitling Israel to rely on self-defence. Under international law self-defence is an act of last resort and is subject to the customary rules of proportionality and necessity.”

Dr. Kattan then retraced the historical roots of the conflict, including the Hussein-McMahon correspondence, the “Jewish questi

DSG News

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:01:24 GMT

• Head of Swedish Parliament Speaks on Democracy, International Relations •

Per Westerberg, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, spoke about “International Relations and the Development of Democracy” at a Tuesday afternoon policy forum.

• •

Public policy played a key role in contributing to Sweden’s evolution from being one of Europe’s poorest nations in 1870 to one of the top 10 richest nations in the world, according to HE Mr. Per Westerberg, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, or Riksdag.

Westerberg’s observation was made during a Tuesday afternoon talk on “International Relations and the Development of Democracy.” Sharing his views on the importance of public policy and the role of democracy in shaping international relations, he also addressed the issue of building stable and responsive systems of governance in the Arab world.

He said: “Democracy has evolved peacefully in Sweden for over 600 years, with no major revolution in the nation’s history over the centuries. While it started off as a system where voting rights were reserved only for a select population comprising the affluent and powerful members of the society, it gradually became the system that exists today.”

Emphasizing the fact that democracy is linked with public policy, freedom and welfare, he underlined the significance of issues such as gender equality and freedom of the press in stimulating the growth of the democratic machinery.

Commenting on the issue of immigration policies in the European Union (EU), Westerberg said: “Sweden’s policy on immigration has been friendly. Since the Gulf War of 2003, Sweden alone has welcomed more refugees from Iraq than the rest of the EU and the US put together.

“Due to an unprecedented increase in the number of immigrants seeking refuge in the Europe, there has been a tendency to view the phenomenon

DSG News

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:37:35 GMT

• Karim Pakravan on Global Finance in the Post-Crisis World •

DePaul University Professor and former investment banker Karim Pakravan outlined the pillars of the post-crisis global financial architecture at a Sunday evening policy forum.

• •

Policy makers and leaders of financial institutions are now turning their attention more to a set of interrelated issues that caused the economic meltdown while the world is beginning to emerge from the global financial crisis, according to Karim Pakravan, Associate Professor of Finance at DePaul University in Chicago.

Prof. Pakravan’s remarks came during a lecture entitled “Global Financial Architecture, Global Imbalances and the Future of the Dollar in the Post-Crisis World” at the Dubai School of Government (DSG), a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world. More than 30 students, corporate executives and government officials attended the lecture, which offered a perspective on how several factors jointly contribute to maintaining world economic health.

Sharing these insights, Prof. Pakravan asserted that policy makers of major economies and multilateral institutions have now begun to concentrate on how to exit from emergency fiscal and monetary measures and turn toward shaping the post-crisis financial world.

Speaking about building a robust global financial framework, Prof. Pakravan said: “To build a financial architecture which is designed for both crisis prevention and mitigation while facilitating economic growth, we cannot ignore closely related issues such as global imbalances, reforming the international monetary system, rethinking the role of dollar as the global currency and strengthening the national and global financial regulatory infrastructure.”

Prof. Pakravan, an expert in leading-edge applied macroeconomic and financial research on currencies and emerging markets, emphasized that the recession was characterized

DSG News

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:38:58 GMT

• Education Policy Series: Teachers and Teaching in the UAE •

DSG concluded its three-part Education Policy Series, hosted in conjunction with The National, on Sunday with a discussion on "Teachers and Teaching in the UAE."

• •

DSG concluded its three-part Education Policy Series, hosted in conjunction with The National, on Sunday with a discussion on "Teachers and Teaching in the UAE." The session explored challenges to building a quality teaching workforce, teachers’ satisfaction levels with the education and training they receive, and how teacher training is transforming education in the UAE.

Panelists included Dr. Ian Haslam, Vice Chancellor of Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE); Jane Truscott, Academic Programme Coordinator for Madares Al Ghad, Ministry of Education; Dr. Peggy Blackwell, Dean, College of Education, Zayed University; and, Jill Clark, Principal Curriculum Advisor, Early Years, Centre for British Teachers (CfBT), Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Haslam began by identifying the two key challenges of preparing teachers for their careers as well as developing the quality of current teachers, focusing particularly on the importance of collaboration between schools and other learning organizations in civic society. Dr. Haslam emphasized the importance of creating partnerships with governing and regulatory bodies, as well as with teacher education providers. He also stressed the need to rethink the recruitment process for teachers, and the importance of investing in continuous professional development and research in education.

Next, Jane Truscott discussed some of the changes implemented with regard to teaching practices at the Madares al Ghad schools, whereby schools shifted their approach towards more student-centric and participatory teaching methods rather than the existing teacher-centric, instruction-based learning. She noted, however, that teachers con

DSG News

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:11:02 GMT

• Nada Eissa on Empirical Public Finance and Education Reform •

Professor Nada Eissa of Georgetown University outlined preliminary results of her research on the outcomes of a Washington, DC school voucher program to DSG scholars and researchers.

• •

Professor Nada Eissa of Georgetown University outlined preliminary results of her research on the outcomes of a Washington, DC school voucher program to DSG scholars and researchers at this Thursday afternoon seminar.

Dr. Eissa began by outlining two traditional criticisms of public education systems. First, public schooling operates as a monopoly, and second, free public education can reduce private expenditures on education. She noted that the US has a high overall level of public education spending per student, averaging $9666 per student in 2007, but only average performance outcomes, with the bottom level of students rating quite poorly in international comparisons. Accordingly, “There is little evidence that high spending leads to better performance.”

She then presented an overview of a pilot program launched in 2004 in Washington, DC, known as the “Opportunity Scholarship Program.” Vouchers of $7500 toward private school education were made available by lottery to families of K-12 students in the DC area. Most of the participating families were either under or close to the poverty line, and many of the students were from bad schools and had poor reading and math skills.

Private schools participating in the program (57 of 102 private schools within Washington) were primarily either Catholic schools or from other faiths, and 81% of participating families chose faith-based schools for their children.

Test results compared children who participated in the program and relocated to private schools using the $7500 voucher with children who applied for the program but were not selected in the lottery and remained in the original school. Results indicated onl

DSG News

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:04:06 GMT

• Ali Shihabi on the GCC’s Emergence from the Slowdown •

Founder and CEO of Rasmala Investment Bank Ali Shihabi called for more financial transparency in the GCC and lauded the overall framework of the Dubai business model.

• •

Founder and CEO of Rasmala Investment Bank Ali Shihabi called for more financial transparency in the GCC and lauded the overall framework of the Dubai business model in this January 31 policy forum.

Shihabi began the discussion by stating that at the onset of the crisis in 2008, he and other analysts had predicted that—due to high oil prices, low government debt and massive capital reserves—the GCC countries would outperform other regions of the world. However, this did not happen, primarily because of a shortage of management capabilities and qualified human talent, underdeveloped legal infrastructures and weak transparency in the region. Noting a profusion of new entities being established without enough indigenous human talent to staff them properly, Shihabi called for policy makers to address the lack of human talent as a long-term issue, but to recognize the current reality and adjust policy accordingly.

Focusing on the need for improved transparency, Shihabi stressed that many government officials only receive information through "official" channels, and that the value of multiple sources of information is not properly understood. Moreover, the failure of government officials to communicate the true reality of their balance books—which in most cases was quite strong—led many in the media and financial markets to rely on anecdotal evidence. According to Shihabi, "The story would be much better if the data was out."

Commenting on Dubai’s position, Shihabi stressed that "Dubai’s core business model has survived intact, and may have been strengthened considerably" due to the end of crippling inflation, the completion of infrastructure, and the existence of excellent logistics. He claim

DSG News

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:07:25 GMT

• US Deputy Treasury Secretary Speaks on the Global Economy •

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal S. Wolin addressed local university students, educators, and entrepreneurs on the state of the global economy and US-Arab world relations.

• •

As we work towards sustainable, balanced growth, nothing will be more important than investing in the education of the rising generation of leaders, according to Neal S. Wolin, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Treasury.

Wolin’s comments came at a Tuesday afternoon talk on “The State of the Global Economy in the Wake of the Financial Crisis, and the Importance of Cooperation between the US and the Arab World.” He interacted with an invited audience comprised of students from different local universities, research fellows, young alumni, entrepreneurs, and members of the UAE Chapter of Young Arab Leaders (YAL).

Commending the unified approach in which the US and the Arab world have addressed the problems leading to the global financial crisis, he said: “As we move forward, it is critical that we deepen our partnership even further – and work through remaining challenges with openness, transparency and with a deep sense of common purpose. I have no doubt that, together, we will put the troubles of the past year behind us and fully repair the damage of the financial crisis.

“Looking to the future, we have to begin the work of building a more balanced, sustainable model for global economic growth – a model in which our economies are more diverse, the world’s trade flows more balanced, and the system as a whole less prone to bubbles and collapse.”

During the course of his talk, Wolin also praised the vision and commitment of the UAE’s leaders in promoting education and innovation for men and women throughout the region. He reiterated the importance of public policy in shaping a stable a

DSG News

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:48:14 GMT

• Stereotypes can Stymie the UAE’s Development •

In this op-ed, published in The National, Fatma Abdulla argues that national develoment programs must address the issue of negative stereotyping of Emiratis.

• •

By Fatma Abdulla

The link between the employment of higher education graduates and national development has been proven by economists and researchers studying diverse populations. Understanding this link is vital since the employment market drives social and economic development and also because it enables citizens to play a role as productive members of society.

With more students graduating from high school every year for the next decade and the majority interested in pursuing higher education, the UAE is working diligently towards securing meaningful employment opportunities for its citizens. In this spirit, numerous national development programmes have been created at both federal and emirate levels. These entities serve as the link between public and private sector employers and Emirati job seekers with varying levels of education. They also run programmes aimed at increasing the marketability of young Emiratis through helping them become more familiar with the technologies and soft skills they will need to find success in the workplace. However, national development programmes do not address the more inconspicuous challenges related to securing employment: negative stereotyping.

Stereotyping is the process of first categorising people into groups based on attributes such as race or gender and then developing beliefs about the characteristics and behaviours of group members. Humans have a tendency to develop both negative and positive stereotypes which result in corresponding outcomes. Gender stereotyping is probably the most universal form because gender differences are

DSG News

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:36:05 GMT

• Young Arab World Arising •

“How the cohort of over 110 million young Arabs deals with its predicament will be the main driver of the overall condition of the Arab world in the coming half century.”

• •

By Rami Khouri

When the public policy institute that I work for, the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, organized a regional seminar this week on researching “youth identity and values” in the Arab world, we decided to hold it in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in a Gulf region where “identity issues” are widely debated because nationals tend to account for less than twenty per cent of total populations.

With our partners Unicef and the Dubai School of Government, we gathered a dozen scholars from the UAE, Lebanon, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere to analyze what may well be the single most important knowledge and public policy challenge facing the Middle East and its future: how the current youth cohort sees itself in its world, and how it behaves in response.

This is because young people aged 15-29 totaled some 113 million in 2009 (UN estimates), or nearly one-third of the entire population, and about 47% of the working age population. This youth population is expected to peak in 2011 at 113.5 million, and then decline very slightly in the decades ahead. Most of these young people are getting a basic education and enjoy essential social services, like health care and clean water. What they generally lack, as our seminar reiterated, is the opportunity to manifest the full attributes of their humanity—their ideas, creative and professional talents, entrepreneurial spirit, cultural dynamism, and sense of how their societies should be run and in which direction they should head.

Conditions vary widely in different Arab

DSG News

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:06:18 GMT

• Gender Research Seminar: Mona Al Bahr •

Dr. Mona Al Badr, Senior Executive Manager for Social Programmes at the Emirates Foundation, spoke on “The Body and Social Theory” at this Gender Research Seminar.

• •

Dr. Mona Al Bahr, Senior Executive Manager for Social Programmes at the Emirates Foundation, spoke on "The Body and Social Theory” at this Gender Research Seminar. The presentation focused on the concepts outlined in The Body and Social Theory, authored by Chris Shilling and published by Sage Publications. Dr. Badr authored the Arabic translation of the book. The discussion was conducted in Arabic.

This session focused on the importance of discussing dominant academic theories of the body. A number of disciplines have contributed to the discourse on "the body," including sociology, history, anthropology, cultural studies, mathematics, philosophy, theology and religious studies. In The Body and Social Theory, Chris Shilling attempted to create a paradigm with which to understand this multidisciplinary approach to studying the body, using the works of both classical and contemporary thinkers. In the second edition of the book, and in light of contemporary trends, the author also included a discussion on the human genome, in which some analysts state that our hereditary constitution determines our identity and destiny. Dr. Al-Bahar reflected on how western feminist theories of "the body" relate to contemporary feminist thought in the Arab world, and analyzed the points of intersection between the two.

In spite of the fact that social theories of the body confirm the impossibility of reducing our identities as humans and our physical relations to only “natural” or “biological” factors, our physical constitutions are nonetheless open to reductionism through language and technology. Dr. A

DSG News

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:44:16 GMT

Tarik Yousef • DSG Signs Partnership Agreement with Al Ain Municipality •

The School has signed a four year, renewable, strategic partnership with the Al Ain Municipality to provide a framework for cooperation between the two parties.

• •

The School has signed a four year, renewable, strategic partnership with the Al Ain Municipality. The aim of the partnership is to create a cooperative framework to increase knowledge, enhance educational achievement, scientific research and cultural consultation between the parties.

The agreement was signed on January 18 by HE Dr. Mattar Mohammad Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Al Ain Municipality, and Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government. The event was also attended by senior officials from both parties.

The agreement aims to develop human resources and people skills in partnership and through cooperation between the two institutions. This will be achieved through the exchange of knowledge, information, studies and research into areas of common interest, and the exchange of opinion and advice to support the institutional development of both parties.

• • 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:20:04 GMT

Fatma Abdulla • Higher Education and Human Capital are Interwoven •

In this op-ed, Fatma Abdulla calls for reforms in the UAE federal higher education system to address issues of duplication, program relevance and student dropout rates.

• •

By Fatma Abdulla

The most remarkable of the country’s achievements in education have been the increase in literacy rates through adult literacy programmes and the development of cost free and culturally acceptable education for all its citizens. Numerous plans are currently underway for reform of primary and secondary education and their results will be witnessed in the years to come. However, we must simultaneously take the necessary steps to identify and address issues within the nation’s higher education system to maintain the gains of previous decades and to meet the challenges of creating a knowledge economy.

Institutions of higher education in the UAE face difficulties similar to those faced by universities in both the developed and the developing worlds. These include: increased demand for higher education while funding remains stagnant or declines, low retention and graduation rates, and competition for students from the expansion of private institutions. The two most pressing challenges for education in the UAE are interrelated issues of its quality and relevance.

Both Unesco and the World Bank cite management inefficiencies for draining resources away from higher education and diminishing its quality. These inefficiencies include duplicative offerings, high dropout and repetition rates, and the allocation of a large portion of budgets to non-educational expenses. Indeed, these inefficiencies are also found in higher education institutions in the UAE.

Economic development is also associated with the need for more specialised workers

DSG News

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:45:03 GMT

• Education Policy Series—The Great Arabic Debate •

DSG’s three-part Education Policy Series continued on Monday with a panel discussion in Arabic on "The Great Arabic Debate."

• •

DSG’s three-part Education Policy Series continued on Monday with a panel discussion in Arabic on "The Great Arabic Debate."

Conducted in Arabic with simultaneous translation, the forum was moderated by Kareem Shaheen of The National, which is co-sponsoring the Education Policy Series with the Dubai School of Government.

Jameela Al Muhairi, Chief of the Dubai School Inspections Bureau of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), began the discussion by relating her experiences with regard to inspections focused on Arabic instruction. She asserted that most private schools have a very low standard of Arabic language instruction, primarily because of weak Arabic teachers, a lot of time wasted during the classes, etc. Ms. Al Muhairi stressed that much greater importance is being placed on Arabic now, with more focus on inspections accordingly.

Dr. Latifa Alnajjar, Associate Professor of Arabic Language and Literature at UAE University, criticized the common practice of teachers "spoonfeeding" information to students, which then results in students at the university level being unable to think critically or write properly. She emphasized the importance of learning proven methods of language instruction from other countries and applying the same methods to Arabic within the UAE.

Ms. Lina Wright, Head of the Arabic Department at Wellington International School, described three types of students that she has observed as a teacher—Arabs, non-Arabs and "visitors." She categorized non-Arabs as students who come from mixed family backgrounds (half Arab) or non-Arabs who reside in the UAE for an extended period of time. "Visitors," however, are students who are in the UAE only for a short period of time (a few years)

DSG News

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:43:53 GMT

May Al-Dabbagh • DSG Joins with DWE for Arab Women Leadership Forum •

With DSG’s Gender and Public Policy Program as knowledge partner, The Dubai Women Establishment hosted the Arab Women Leadership Forum on January 12-13.

• •

For the second year in a row, the Dubai School of Government’s Gender and Public Policy Program has joined the Dubai Women Establishment to serve as knowledge partner for their annual Arab Women Leadership Forum. Held under the patronage and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, the two-day event brought together distinguished speakers and leading intellectuals from throughout the world to learn, engage in challenging discussions, and network.

Held on January 12-13 in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, the theme of this year’s conference was “Women’s Leadership in Organizations: Towards New Conceptions of Work-Life balance.” Panel sessions focused on issues including childcare initiatives, negotiation and leadership, policy makers’ perspectives, the role of men in achieving work-life balance, and helping women successfully transition back into the workplace. The Forum featured over 20 speakers, including Dr. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, President of the Center for Work-Life Policy (USA), HE Selma Kavaf, Minister of Women and Family Affairs (Turkey), Prof. Rafia Ghubash, President of the Arab Network for Women in Science and Technology (UAE), among others.

The conference started with an overview of issues concerning work-life balance. This introductory discussion included speakers from all subsequent panels in order to discuss overarching conference themes and the relationships between them. The first panel of the forum explored successful childcare initiatives and drew from local experience to report findings from work done by the Duba

DSG News

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:23:48 GMT

• Sylvia Ann Hewlett Speaks on Female Talent in Emerging Markets •

Economist and author Sylvia Ann Hewlett outlined preliminary results of a study on factors influencing women in the workforce in Brazil, Russia, India, China and the UAE in this policy forum.

• •

Agile multinationals cannot afford to ignore women, who increasingly outperform men in tertiary education and claim more than half of college level degrees in growth markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, China and the Middle East, according to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Economist and Founding President of the Center for Work-Life Policy (CWLP).

Hewlett’s remarks came during a lecture on “Hidden Treasure: Female Talent in Emerging Markets,” which was organized in collaboration with DSG’s Gender and Public Policy Research Program and the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE).

Dr. Hewlett outlined the preliminary results of a study conducted by the “Hidden Brain Drain,” a private sector task force consisting of more than 50 corporations—including Google, Siemens, Johnson and Johnson, and others—which surveyed the landscape for females in the workforce in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and the United Arab Emirates. She noted that these countries are the new engines of global growth, and that talent is key to success there. However, highly credentialed, experienced professionals are in short supply. With this in mind, according to Hewlett, “agile multinationals cannot afford to ignore women – who increasingly outperform men in tertiary education, claiming more than half of college level degrees in these growth markets.” This new study, which includes a wealth of new data, both creates a “map” of highly educated women in the BRIC countries and the UAE, and explores the experiences and potential of these new cohorts of accomplished and ambitious women.

Dr. Hewlett surveyed a variety of factors that influence women’s access to and participation in the

DSG News

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:20:52 GMT

• Education Policy Series Highlights Private Education in Dubai •

The School kicked off a three-part Education Policy Forum Series on Monday with a panel discussion on “Regulating Private Schooling in the UAE.”

• •

The School kicked off a three-part Education Policy Forum Series on Monday with a panel discussion on “Regulating Private Schooling in the UAE.”

Moderated by DSG Research Fellow Dr. Natasha Ridge and opened by Hassan Fattah, editor-in-chief of The National, a panel discussion during the opening forum included experts such as Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dr. Fatma Abdulla, Nonresident Research Fellow at DSG and Managing Director of Global Consulting Associates, Samia Al Farra, Chief Education Officer of Taaleem, and Robin Campbell, Principal of The Sheffield Private School.

The forum explored a gamut of reforms, scenarios, options and policies that impact the private education system in the country. Topics included the way schools are regulated in the UAE, the impact of school inspections in Dubai, perceptions of private sector operators on school inspections and views of parents and teachers about these policies.

Dr. Abdulla Al Karam opened the panel discussion by noting that 85 percent of students in Dubai are enrolled in private schools, including, for the first time ever, a majority of UAE national students. Dr. Al Karam stressed that the KHDA is actively working to revise and improve the regulatory framework in Dubai, but that “Decisions regarding teacher certification, fees and bylaws have to be taken at the federal level. This might involve a longer timeline, but it is vital to have a long-term vision.”

Dr. Samia Al Farra proposed turning the inspection process into an accreditation process for schools, and emphasized the importance of h

DSG News

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:14:47 GMT

• To Safeguard our Future, Learn from Mistakes of the Past •

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi calls for empowering an independent federal commission to investigate the missteps leading to Dubai’s financial crisis.

• •

By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

The financial loan package provided by Abu Dhabi to Dubai last month has allowed us all to breathe a sigh of relief, for the time being at least. But while the Dubai government is working diligently to raise the capital needed to meet its creditors’ demands for 2010 and beyond, it must also look into the causes of this crisis.

It’s time for Dubai to graduate from developing-economy status and proceed like other ambitious emerging economies into the big league. The biggest measure of responsibility and good governance at this time would be to look inwards and investigate exactly what led to Dubai’s accumulation of $80 billion in foreign debt, equivalent to its annual Gross Domestic Product.

This inquiry must be carried out by independent, practical and professional individuals. It should be chaired by someone who is not involved in the government related entities (GREs) under investigation nor should it be a figurehead who comes from an unrelated industry. Also, it would be ideal if the committee were federal, since the Dubai debt issue is not a localised event but a nationwide concern.

The United States dealt with the current financial crisis by initiating steps to remedy its effects, as well as by launching an 18-month inquiry into its causes by establishing the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. The 10-member bipartisan committee started work in the summer of 2009, with the task of examining what led America into the financial debacle, and is due to present its findings on December 15 this year. This commission h

DSG News

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:02:27 GMT

• US Ambassador, Consul-General Visit DSG •

US Ambassador to the UAE Richard Olson and Consul-General Justin Siberell visited the School on Tuesday, where they met with Dean Tarik Yousef.

• •

US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Richard Olson and Consul-General Justin Siberell visited the School on Tuesday, where they met with Dean Tarik Yousef. Dean Yousef briefed the visiting guests on the programs and activities of the School, and the two sides discussed possibilities for future cooperation.

Ambassador Olson first presented his diplomatic credentials in the UAE in October 2008. A career foreign service officer, he has served in Mexico, Uganda, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Iraq, in addition to a previous stint in the UAE. Justin Siberell began his duties as the US Consul-General to Dubai in August 2009. He joined the US foreign service in 1993, and has served in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Panama and the UAE.

•

• 274 •

DSG News

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:34:20 GMT

• The Road to Good Governance is a Two-Way Street •

Racha Mourtada outlines the findings of a recent e-government conference and suggests ways that ICT can further strengthen good governance efforts in the region.

• •

By Racha Mourtada

Relationships with governments are often a top-down affair, a one-way street with citizens on the receiving end of public services often designed with neither their input nor their needs in mind. So it is a pleasant surprise when citizens take centre stage and governments go out of their way to make their e-government programmes more “citizen-tailored”.

The heads of e-government entities in the six GCC countries gathered at a conference in Muscat last month to discuss trends, obstacles, experiences and best practices in e-government with experts and scholars from international organisations including the UN and the World Economic Forum.

Delegates explored how to create and use more effective e-government services, and how to establish links between the various GCC e-government portals. They also discussed a unified e-payment gateway across the GCC portals, a set of standards for e-government projects, and the minimum e-government services the GCC should provide.

It was obvious that there are many points of synergy between the six countries. This was reflected in one of the conference’s many recommendations: the creation of a special e-government division at the GCC Secretariat level to facilitate collaboration on various issues, including international indicators and the possible development of a Gulf index.

Another recommendation was a framework for the exchange of regional expertise and international best practice via similar conferences, workshops and e-government awards. Integrating

DSG News

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:32:26 GMT

• Political Strategist Morris Reid Analyzes Obama’s First Year •

Democratic political strategist and Managing Director of BGR Group Morris Reid outlined challenges and recommendations for the Obama administration in this DSG policy forum.

• •

Democratic political strategist and Managing Director of BGR Group Morris Reid outlined challenges and recommendations for the Obama administration in this DSG policy forum.

Reid painted a picture of an Obama administration facing serious difficulties in achieving its political agenda after one year in office. He noted that Obama came into office facing unreasonably high expectations amidst a sea of economic and international problems, and that “it is natural for presidents to decline in popularity after they are elected.” Reid described a number of missteps that have led to the administration’s current problems. For instance, he asserted that the president would need to become much tougher and more partisan, since the opposition Republican Party is not interested in bipartisanship, but rather is “simply hoping that this president fails.”

Reid stressed that President Obama was a “Washington outsider” who had only spent four years in Congress. With little Congressional experience and a general disdain for the “inside the beltway” approach, Obama was bound to face difficulties in his dealings with Congress. Pointing to the need to “hold people accountable for their performance,” Reid insisted that the President would have to prevent people from “passing the buck” and fire several people from his administration. He also pointed to Obama’s fall deliberations over Afghanistan policy as an example of an overly transparent process that has contributed to public unease about his decisiveness and leadership. Reid called for President Obama to begin his reelection campaign in mid-2010, but was confident that he would regroup and win reelection in 2012.

DSG News

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:46:14 GMT

• Abdulkhaleq Abdulla on Repercussions of the Financial Crisis •

Noted political scientist Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla analyzed lessons learned and future policy directions for the UAE at a Thursday lecture delivered in Arabic at the School.

• •

Had the price of crude oil fallen below the mark of US$30 per barrel, the impact of the global economic crisis on the UAE would have been even harder, observed Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a leading political commentator.

Dr. Abdulla’s remarks came during a talk in Arabic at DSG on "Repercussions of the Global Financial Crisis for the UAE." Attended by business leaders, distinguished academics and government officials, the lecture examined the impact of the crisis and the actions initiated by the local and federal authorities to mitigate its effects.

Dr. Abdulla said: "The UAE felt the impact of the crisis just like any other country in the world, and the effects varied from industry to industry. It highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the economic model of the UAE, and proved the real estate sector to be a vulnerable link in the chain. In addition, during the boom period, impractical expectations hovered over the real estate industry. Not surprisingly, while the tourism and aviation sectors were impacted heavily during the crisis, they are beginning to fare better now.

"The price of crude oil, which fell during the initial days of the crisis, began looking up because of sustained global demand from growing economies like India and China. This has helped the oil producing/exporting countries. In the UAE, the crisis only resulted in disturbing the economic model and not the entire economy. Though its consequences were tangible, they were not fatal. Moving forward, the individual emirates need to work toward complementing each other even more."

Dr. Abdulla explained that the country cannot afford to have the double digit growth of recent years, as that may lead

DSG News

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:25:18 GMT

• Gender Research Seminar: Mohamed Tabishat •

Mohamed Tabishat, Associate Professor at UAE University, spoke on “Prospects of Liberal Arts Education in the UAE” at a Gender Research Seminar on Monday.

• •

Mohamed Tabishat, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at United Arab Emirates University, spoke on “Prospects of Liberal Arts Education in the UAE” at a Gender Research Seminar on Monday. Tabishat began by discussing the concept of “liberal arts” education, and whether it is a universal or culture-bound concept. He characterized it as aiming to “impart general knowledge and develop general intellectual capabilities,” and contrasted liberal arts curricula with curricula of a professional or vocational nature in that liberal arts education values a breadth of knowledge and appreciates learning “for its own sake.”

Dr. Tabishat recounted the development of Arab education systems in the post-colonial era, noting that Egypt, Syria and Iraq led the transformation of “liberal” elite-oriented educational systems into systems of “mass education.” In “mass education” systems, according to Tabishat, graduates are trained not to lead, but rather to serve the development needs of the state.

He asserted that the UAE, and the UAE University in particular, is attempting to shift from this traditional Arab post-colonial approach toward a liberal arts approach, and raised the question of whether the constitutive elements of liberal arts education match the traditions of the local community. To this end, Dr. Tabishat has conducted a survey of 720 students from UAE University. Preliminary results of the research indicate that UAE students are highly receptive to the ideals and precepts of liberal arts education.

•

Prospects of Liberal Arts in the UAE

DSG News

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:15:49 GMT
• World Bank VP on “The Middle East After the Crisis” •
Shamshad Akhtar, World Bank VP (Middle East and North Africa), outlined key hurdles to the region’s post-crisis development at a Wednesday evening policy forum at the School.
• •
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region needs to address critical long-term development challenges, even though it may have surmounted the worst-ever “Triple F” (food, fuel and financial) crisis in recent memory, according to Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Vice-President (MENA), World Bank.

Dr. Akhtar’s remarks came during a Wednesday evening DSG policy forum on “The Middle East after the Crisis.” Senior government officials, students and other professionals attended the event.

Speaking on the impact of the “Triple F” crisis, Akhtar elaborated on the post-crisis development challenges the region needs to focus on, including the creation of productive private sector jobs for a growing labor force and the management of scarce resources, including water. She also shared insights on the World Bank Group’s initiatives to combat the impact of the crisis.

According to Akhtar, the impact of the crisis on a country depends on its exposure to affected markets or commodities, as well as on its macroeconomic conditions and policies. Resource-rich countries within the MENA region which were dependent on one or two commodities for their economic growth exhibited a higher level of vulnerability and experienced a sharper slowdown. Citing examples of countries which didn’t follow this pattern, and have hence continued to grow through the crisis, she lauded Qatar, Tunisia and Morocco for their investments in a diversified portfolio of industries.

Shamshad Akhtar said: “The crisis has generated multiple social implications; in particular, recent ILO estimates indicate that unemployment has risen by 25 percent in the GCC and 13 percent in North Africa, compared to 2007. Empirical evidence indica

DSG News

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:17:24 GMT
• Middle East Youth Initiative Event Highlights Prospects for Gaza •
On January 15, the Middle East Youth Initiative and the New America Foundation hosted a panel discussion to analyze the prospects for young people growing up in the Palestinian territories.
• •
One year after the conflict in Gaza, reconstruction of homes and buildings has barely begun, economic development has stagnated, and the humanitarian situation facing the Gazan population remains dire.

On January 15, the Middle East Youth Initiative—a joint project of Brookings’s Wolfensohn Center for Development and the Dubai School of Government—and the New America Foundation hosted a panel discussion to analyze the prospects for young people growing up in the Palestinian territories, where nearly three-quarters of the population is under the age of 29. What are the implications of these challenges – and of developments over the last year in Gaza and beyond – for the well being of Palestinians and for regional security?

The panel included Representative Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Edward Sayre, Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and a contributor to the Middle East Youth Initiative’s recent book, Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East (Brookings Press, 2009), Andrew Whitley, Director of the Representative Office of UNRWA, Daniel Levy, Senior Research Fellow, American Strategy Program and Co-Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation, and Amjad Atallah, Co-Director, Middle East Task Force, New America Foundation. Over 200 people attended the event, which was moderated by Jean-Louis Sarbib, Nonresident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution.

Brookings President Strobe Talbott provided openi

DSG News

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:41:17 GMT
• Mehtab Karim on Demography in the Muslim World •
Dr. Mehtab Karim of George Mason University and the Pew Center spoke on the size, distribution and demographic trends of the world’s Muslim population in this research seminar.
• •
Dr. Mehtab Karim spoke on the size, distribution and demographic trends of the world’s Muslim population in the latest installment of the DSG Research Seminar series. The lecture was based on a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life entitled “Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population,” as well as on research that will serve as the foundation of a new study by the Pew Research Center that estimates growth rates and projects trends in the world’s Muslim populations. That study is scheduled to be released in spring 2010.

Dr. Karim stated that there are now approximately 1.57 billion Muslims in the world currently, or 23% of the world’s population of 6.8 billion, as of 2009. While only 20% of the world’s Muslims live in the Middle East and North Africa, these countries have the highest percentages of Muslim populations in the world. He noted that around 300 million Muslims live in countries where they are minorities.

Although Muslim-majority countries have witnessed a rapid decline in fertility rates over the past two decades, previously high rates mean that repercussions—in the form of a gradually aging “youth bulge”—will be felt for a long time into the future. Data for “Mapping the Global Muslim Population” was gathered using over 1,500 sources, including census reports, demographic studies and general population surveys.

Dr. Mehtab Karim is Distinguished Senior Fellow and Affiliated Professor at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, and Senior Research Adviser at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Policy.

•
Susan Crotty

What could possibly be more important than a company’s financials?

Many companies can get the financials right but the ones I want to invest in are the ones that get people management right. That is where huge amounts of money can be won and lost, all behind the scenes.

Take, for instance, an anonymous UAE company that gathers pages of news coverage about its stock price.

Commentators on Dubai’s talk radio station will dedicate 10 minutes of a 30-minute broadcast to interviews discussing its asset allocations and strategic decisions.

This particular business comes to mind for me because I happen to deal with them on a semi-regular basis. The last time I was at one of their locations, I observed a somewhat tattered sign reading “Employee Stress,” near the worker area, followed by 10 not particularly great suggestions for dealing with on-the-job stress.

The American Institute of Stress reports that 40 percent of employee turnover is due to job stress and it costs up to 150 percent of an employee’s salary to replace them.

Stress also leads to lost productivity, absenteeism, poor performance, health problems and other issues to such a degree that in the US alone it is estimated to cost employers US$300 billion (Dh1.1 trillion) annually.

So this job stress problem is not simply something to complain to one’s spouse about. It means money down the drain.

Now it could be that this particular company has a

DSG News

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 11:08:41 GMT
• DSG Graduates 31 Students from First MPA Cohort •
Thirty-one public service professionals from 12 Arab countries were graduated today as the first cohort of DSG’s Master of Public Administration program.
• •
Thirty-one public service professionals from 12 Arab countries were graduated today as the first cohort of DSG’s Master of Public Administration program. The students were supported by scholarships provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

The students were awarded diplomas by HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the DSG Board of Trustees, Adel Al Shared, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, and Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, at a December 16 ceremony at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The ceremony was held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The graduates, who represent 12 different Arab nationalities, are now set to return to public service positions in their respective countries. The next cohort of scholars will begin the program on January 24, 2010.

The interdisciplinary Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at DSG prepares students for high-level positions in the government, quasi-government, or non-profit sectors. Offered to select mid-career in-service professionals with six or more years of relevant experience from Arab countries, the program aims to equip them with a greater understanding of global issues, while maintaining their relevance with an Arab perspective.

The Master of Public Administration, offered by DSG in close coordination with the Harvard Kennedy School’s Faculty Advisory Committee, provides training in the modern theory and techniques of public sector mana

DSG News

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:03:13 GMT
• DSG and Wolfensohn Center for Development Launch Book on Regional Youth •
Today DSG along with the Wolfensohn Center for Development jointly launched the book titled Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East
• •
Edited by Navtej Dhillon, former Policy Director of the Middle East Youth Initiative, and Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of DSG and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, the book presents an outline for economic development policies that empower Middle East youth as they make the transition to adulthood. The book further looks into the conditions of this huge population, indicating their expectations and disappointments, and investigates how improved policies in the region can facilitate better transitions for young people.

In the Middle East, over 100 million between the ages of 15 and 29 represent the largest youth group in the history of the region. The authors point out that while today’s young men and women are more educated than previous generations, the quality of that education is poor. Consequently, the youth face diminishing opportunities to secure good jobs, obtain access to credit and housing, achieve financial independence, and form successful families.

In the opening statement to the book, His Excellency Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for DSG, and James D. Wolfensohn, former President of the World Bank and Founder of the Wolfensohn Center for Development, said: “The Middle East faces a momentous challenge to ensure that today’s youth and children, the largest segment of the population, have more opportunities than their parents and are able to contribute fully to the region’s stability and prosperity.”

The launch

DSG News

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:01:30 GMT
• Al-Jazeera Features Tarik Yousef on the Dubai Economic Model •
Dean Tarik Yousef was featured on Al-Jazeera’s Al-Nashra Al-Iqtesadeyyah (The Economic Report) December 9 broadcast about Dubai’s debt situation.
• •
Presenter Abdul Fattah Fayed featured DSG Dean Tarik Yousef and Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, Professor of Political Science at UAE University, on the December 9 broadcast of Al-Nashra Al-Iqtesadeyyah (The Economic Report). The program focused on the viability of Dubai’s economic model and the seriousness of the debt crisis which it now faces.

The program can be viewed here.
•

• 274 •

DSG News

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:58:13 GMT
• DSG Hosts Member of Canadian Parliament •
The Dubai School of Government today welcomed The Honourable Bob Rae, Member of the Canadian Parliament from Toronto, for an official visit.
• •
The Dubai School of Government today welcomed The Honourable Bob Rae, Member of the Canadian Parliament from Toronto, for an official visit.

Mr. Rae was accompanied on his visit to the School by Thaer Mukbel, Foreign Affairs Advisor in the House of Commons, and Cindie-Eve Bourassa-Braun, Second Secretary in the Embassy of Canada, Abu Dhabi. The visiting delegation engaged in talks with DSG representatives including Asma Siddiki, Associate Dean for Development. The visiting Canadians were briefed on the history and activities of the School, and the two sides discussed possible avenues of future cooperation.

•

• 265 •

DSG News

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:11:47 GMT
• DSG Hosts Member of Canadian Parliament •
The Dubai School of Government today welcomed The Honourable Bob Rae, Member of the Canadian Parliament from Toronto, for an official visit.
• •
The Dubai School of Government today welcomed The Honourable Bob Rae, Member of the Canadian Parliament from Toronto, for an official visit.

Mr. Rae was accompanied on his visit to the School by Thaer Mukbel, Foreign Affairs Advisor in the House of Commons, and Cindie-Eve Bourassa-Braun, Second Secretary in the Embassy of Canada, Abu Dhabi. The visiting delegation engaged in talks with DSG representatives including Asma Siddiki, Associate Dean for Development. The visiting Canadians were briefed on the history and activities of the School, and the two sides discussed possible avenues of future cooperation.
•

• 265 •

DSG News

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:49:24 GMT
• DSG Commentary on BBC Middle East Business Report •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef appeared in two recent showings of BBC World News’s Middle East Business Report, providing analysis and perspective on Dubai’s recent financial woes.
• •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef appeared in two recent showings of BBC World News’s Middle East Business Report, providing analysis and perspective on Dubai’s recent financial woes.

On November 28, Dean Tarik Yousef commented on the significance of the recent Dubai reshuffle of leading figures in Dubai’s financial sector, while on December 12 he described the importance of openness and transparency from government officials in a segment devoted to differences in reporting between the Western and local media on Dubai’s financial troubles.

According to Dean Yousef: “It takes an external event of a certain magnitude for governments and officials to recognize that the consequences of not being out there—or, perhaps, suppressing information—are negative. In fact, the consequences can be very harmful to the economic, social and political interests that governments want to protect.”
•

• 274 •

DSG News

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:58:51 GMT
• “Why Dubai Matters” •
The December 7 cover story of Business Week, “Why Dubai Matters,” quoted DSG Dean Tarik Yousef on the opportunity and meritocracy offered by Dubai.

• •
The December 7 cover story of Business Week, “Why Dubai Matters,” quoted DSG Dean Tarik Yousef on the opportunity and meritocracy offered by Dubai.

Referring to millions of young, underemployed people in the region, Dean Yousef said "They look at this place as somewhere that allows them to do things that they can't do (at home). It (Dubai) has been built out of nothing."

•

• 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:25:24 GMT
• Dubai’s History has Always Been One of Resilience •
In an editorial in The National, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi emphasizes the value of the “Dubai model” to the region, noting the centrality of high quality public administration.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Exactly half a century ago a man known to UAE citizens as the father of modern Dubai headed to Kuwait, a commercial exporter of crude oil since 1946, to take a bold step forward. Sheikh Rashid managed to secure 400,000 Kuwaiti dinars (£500,000) from the highly respected Sheikh Abdullah Al Salim of Kuwait to realise his ambitious plan of turning Dubai into a service hub for the region. Needless to say, borrowing such a considerable amount was a risky step on the part of the 47-year-old ruler of Dubai.

Sheikh Rashid used this money to dredge what was until then a natural creek, which split historic Dubai into a northern and southern shore allowing boats from the Arab Gulf states, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and East Africa to dock and offload their goods. Two decades later Sheikh Rashid realised that the Creek was too small to allow newer, larger shipping vessels being introduced in the region to dock and be serviced easily. His attention turned to a little known area called Jebel Ali 35km south of Dubai and about a quarter of the way towards Abu Dhabi to build the largest man-made container terminal in the world.

Two decades later, his son Sheikh Mohammed the current ruler of Dubai also dreamt big. His city would no longer compete regionally; the world was Dubai’s new challenge. Today this young city is the third largest re-export hub in the world after Hong Kong and Singapore; its financial centre is considered among the global top 20; its airport is the fifth busiest in the world in terms of internat

DSG News

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:23:52 GMT
• This is not the End of the Road for Dubai •
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi writes in The Financial Times that Dubai has a chance to emerge from the crisis "leaner, meaner and better."
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

I followed in horror last week as the international media continuously featured Dubai in their headlines on television and online. It was not good news. Markets from Mexico and Brazil, Germany and the UK as well as Australia have all been affected by the announcement that Nakheel, the property arm of Dubai World, is seeking to defer repayment of a $3.5bn (€2.3bn, £2.1bn) bond due in December. The impact of the financial crisis on Dubai has been felt around the world at the highest levels.

It is already clear that Dubai’s future is not what it used to be. But that does not necessarily mean it is facing a bad future. Last Wednesday’s convulsion marked a significant milestone in the financial history of the emirate, and a very different Dubai will now take shape. To overcome the present situation, hard decisions must be made. But the good news is that no other city in the Middle East today even comes close to Dubai in terms of infrastructure and logistics.

Dubai World’s request for a debt “standstill” should not be seen as a shock. In fact it is surprising that it took so long for it to happen. The government-owned conglomerate did wonders by expanding its port operations across the globe, eventually turning it into the fourth largest operator in a world where 90 per cent of trade is conducted via cargo shipping. But mistakes were also made.

The expansion into non-core activities was one of the basic factors that led to the company’s public embarrassment. Even though it could be argued that Dubai Ports’ acquisition o

DSG News

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:37:24 GMT
• Mathis Wackernagel Speaks on Ecological Footprints •
Mathis Wackernagel of the Global Footprint Network challenged attendees of a Tuesday lecture to consider the ecological consequences of current consumption and development patterns.
• •
Mathis Wackernagel, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Footprint Network, challenged attendees of a Tuesday lecture to consider the ecological consequences of current consumption and development patterns.

Wackernagel asserted that since the mid-1980s, humanity’s “Ecological Footprint” – human demand on Earth’s resources — has been bigger than what the Earth can supply. By 1996, humanity was using 15 percent more resources in a year than the planet could supply, while today, humanity’s overshoot is over 30 percent. According to Dr. Wackernagel, “business-as-usual scenarios based on moderate projections of UN agencies show humanity using twice the planet’s regenerative capacity by 2050, and reaching this level of overshoot may be ecologically impossible.” He noted the work of the Global Footprint Network’s Ecological Footprint Atlas and the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report 2008 in this regard.

Stressing that ecological scarcity will increasingly reshape the world map, Wackernagel asserted that the new division of the 21st century will be one of “ecological creditor countries” (such as Latin America, Canada, New Zealand, Gabon, whose residents consume less than what their ecosystems can regenerate) and ecological debtor countries. According to Wackernagel, “ecological creditor nations will have a leg up – if they manage their ecological assets well.”

Wackernagel also made the case for careful consideration about infrastructure construction, noting that infrastructure built today – roads, power plants, housing; water systems, urban expansions – may last 50 or even 100 years. Since infrastructure shapes the way we live, today’s investment decisions largely det

DSG News

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:29:04 GMT
• DSG, DEWA Join Forces for Training Program •
DSG has signed an agreement with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to develop a women’s leadership program for 30 of the organization’s female employees.
• •
The Dubai School of Government has signed an agreement with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to develop a women’s leadership program for 30 of the organization’s female employees.

The objective of the program— which will cover 12 components and will be delivered over a period of 18 months — is to provide participants with the opportunity to improve and develop their leadership skills to be more effective in the various roles in which they are involved. The program aims to develop a talented pool of potential women leaders to fill middle- and senior-level positions within DEWA in the short and medium terms.

The agreement was signed by Dean Tarik Yousef of the Dubai School of Government and HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.

•

• •

DSG News

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:13:36 GMT
• John D’Agostino on Capital Markets and Media •
John D’Agostino recounted his experiences in the formation of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, the importance of the deal for Dubai, and its coverage and treatment in the Western media.

• •
John D’Agostino, Managing Director of Dagger LLC, recounted his experiences in the formation of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, the importance of the deal for Dubai, and its coverage and treatment in the Western media. Working for the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), D’Agostino was instrumental in the establishment of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, a partnership between NYMEX and Dubai which established Dubai as a key “information node” in the global nexus of energy trading.

Noting that the Dubai Mercantile Exchange is the region’s first energy exchange, D’Agostino pointed out the mismatch between the usage of non-GCC, US-produced oil for global price benchmarking in spite of the fact that a large portion of the oil produced globally originates in the GCC. Moreover, Dubai was perfectly situated in a “time zone gap” between the commodities exchanges of London and the Far East.

D’Agostino stressed that the accountability and transparency standards which are binding within a commodities exchange have been very beneficial for Dubai, and have helped to cement Dubai’s reputation as a “go-to” place for world finance.

Turning to media coverage, D’Agostino lamented the lack of attention paid in the US media to the establishment of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange as opposed to the focus on high-profile real estate ventures. He also faulted many in the US media, and particularly on cable television, for constant negativity about the Arab world, and Dubai in particular, stressing that the story of the Dubai Mercantile Exchange has offered a positive portrayal of the Emirate as a responsible, mature player at the global level.

•
<

DSG News

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:11:48 GMT
• Entrepreneurship Conference Focuses on Best Practices •
On November 19 and 20, DSG hosted “Best Practices in Entrepreneurship Policy,” an Arab region conference for practitioners and scholars of entrepreneurship.
• •
On November 19 and 20, DSG hosted “Best Practices in Entrepreneurship Policy,” an Arab region conference for practitioners and scholars of entrepreneurship. The conference was co-sponsored by the Legatum Institute, an independent policy, advocacy and advisory organization that promotes political, economic and individual liberty worldwide.

“Best Practices in Entrepreneurship Policy,” or “BPEP,” brought together over 35 leading thought leaders, scholars and policy makers to identify entrepreneurship policy challenges, successes, and country-specific agendas for moving forward. The conference was selected out of 30,000 such events worldwide as one of events specially highlighted in “Global Entrepreneurship Week.” Other featured events took place in in Cairo, Vienna, Toronto, Copenhagen and Washington, DC.

Topics addressed at the conference included the regulatory and policy environment; best practice policies in family business, venture capital and angel investing; decriminalizing insolvency laws; good governance, anti-corruption and entrepreneurship; laws and regulations affecting social entrepreneurship; education policy and entrepreneurship; and, policies to promote youth entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship.

Dr. Dale Murphy, Senior Research Fellow the Dubai School of Government and organizer of the conference, said: “Entrepreneurship is a very powerful medium and—given the right commercial environment—it is the most effective development tool for creating jobs and value. Entrepreneurship in the region is experiencing a dynamic resurgence, with dozens of new ventures and initiatives being implemented to support them; yet, a number of policy impediments remain. This is a critical junctu

DSG News

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:08:04 GMT
• Gender Research Seminar: Alia Al Serkal •
This lecture tackled the issue of “Emotional Labor” in the service profession and how it impacts the physical and mental health of its employees.
• •
“An Investigation into whether Emotional Labor and other work strains have a long term impact on the Physical and Mental health of Women in the Service Profession”, By Dr. Alia Serkal, Senior Director of Recruitment at du

This lecture tackled the issue of “Emotional Labor” in the service profession and how it impacts the physical and mental health of its employees. The implication of the research is to enable organizations to identify the factors which contribute to the increase of physical and psychological symptoms in the service industry, and assist employees in managing these. Dr Alia Al Serkal joined Du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Company) in 2007 as Senior Director of Recruitment at Du (2007). While at Emirates Airline (2001-2007), as a Senior Psychologist at Group Psychology, her duties included assessing airline staff during the recruitment process, or promotions in various departments by using various psychometric tools. It is during her work at Emirates Airlines that, Dr. Serkal conducted this longitudinal study amongst cabin crew, who are predominantly women. Her methodology included a questionnaire which included measures of Emotional Labor (FEWS), organizational factors, the experience of physical (PSI), psychological symptoms (GHQ) and burnout measures (MBI).

“Emotional Labor” is a term coined by Hochschild in 1983, as “The management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display; emotional labor is sold for a wage and therefore has exchange value”. Women in the service profession exercise ‘Emotional labor” on a daily basis. Dr. Serkal also went on to define the concept of “Emotional Dissonance”, using Hochschild’s definition, which is “

DSG News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:24:52 GMT
Stephen Brannon • Former Central Bank Governor of Turkey Speaks on the Financial Crisis •
Professor Nihat Bülent Gültekin called for preventative measures and upgraded legislation to prevent or mitigate new financial crises in “The Financial Crisis and its Aftermath.”
• •

Even though economic stimulus packages initiated by several major countries have begun to positively impact global growth, predicting future crises and initiating preventative measures before they grow to unmanageable proportions are the need of the hour for governments, according to Nihat Bülent Gültekin, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and former Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey.

Professor Gültekin’s remarks came during a November 5 lecture entitled “The Financial Crisis and its Aftermath,” attended by business leaders, distinguished academics, government officials and students.

Presenting a review of the historical and international dynamics of financial crises, Professor Gültekin evaluated a number of instances of speculation and highlighted past financial crises while relating them to the most recent crisis that originated from the US.

He said: “Due to fast government actions and international stimulus packages, the global economic crisis was swiftly contained. As a result, we are already seeing positive trade and rising economies around the world. But the key question is whether we have the capability to predict or stop similar crises from occurring in the future. This can only be done through legislative and financial prudence.”

Providing key insights into the 1994-95 Mexican peso crisis, the 1997 Asian crisis, and the 2001 Turkish currency and banking crisis, Professor Gültekin categorized financial crises as two types—balance of payments (currency) crises, and “bubbles”—and described them as sharing a number of characteristics. According to Gültekin, most crises since

DSG News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:23:31 GMT
Stephen Brannon • James Zogby Reviews Survey of GCC Business Leaders •
Pollster and founder of the Arab American Institute James Zogby revealed findings from a recent poll of leading GCC executives on business confidence in the region.
• •
Pollster and founder of the Arab American Institute James Zogby revealed findings from a recent poll of leading GCC executives on business confidence in the region.

The 2009 Oliver Wyman / Zogby International Poll of GCC Business Confidence surveyed 150 senior (“C Street”) executives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on business confidence in the region, priorities for reform, and perceptions of both governmental responses to the crisis and the top threats to the region.

In general, Zogby noted, attitudes toward current conditions are more positive in Saudi Arabia than in the UAE, although respondents in both countries felt quite optimistic about the future. When asked where the region’s greatest opportunities lie, a majority of respondents throughout the region pointed to economic diversification and consolidation.

Attitudes regarding the quality of governmental response to the economic crisis differed sharply between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with 66 percent approving and 27 percent disapproving in the Kingdom, while a more ambivalent opinion prevailed in the UAE, with 47 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. At the same time, however, the UAE was named by an overwhelming majority of respondents throughout the region as the GCC country currently setting the regional standard for business-friendly reform.

When asked to cite the issues requiring both immediate and long term attention, education reform and labor reform ranked one and two, respectively, within the region. The need for transparency ranked highest within the UAE. Environmental degradation was viewed as the most urgent problem (both short- and long-term) by only a tiny minority

DSG News

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:05:38 GMT
Stephen Brannon • DSG Hosts Colombian Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism •
DSG today welcomed His Excellency Luis Guillermo Plata Paez, Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Colombia.
• •
DSG today welcomed His Excellency Luis Guillermo Plata Paez, Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Colombia.

Dean Tarik Yousef received His Excellency Mr. Paez together with faculty members and administrators from the School; the two sides discussed cooperation between policy institutions in the Republic of Colombia and the United Arab Emirates. His Excellency Mr. Paez oversees the implementation of policies that have contributed to a growing sense of confidence, particularly within the business sector, towards Colombia's US$135 billion economy.

•

• •

DSG News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:12:22 GMT
• The Gulf Gas Sector: Challenges and Solutions for the 21st Century •
Justin Dargin discussed the historical development of the gas sector and offered recommendations as to how Gulf policy makers might optimally expedite gas development projects.
• •
In this DSG Research Seminar, Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Justin Dargin discussed the historical development of the gas sector and offered recommendations as to how Gulf policy makers might optimally expedite gas development projects.

Dargin began the presentation by noting that although the GCC region accounts for 23 percent of proven world reserves of natural gas, it only has eight percent of world production. At the same time, regional demand for natural gas is growing rapidly, primarily because of heavy investment in infrastructure and national stimulus packages. Electricity demand is already high, and GCC states have the fastest rate of power demand growth in the world. Dargin attributed this to a number of factors, including young demographics, industrialization and emphasis on petrochemical expansion, desalination plants and the second “oil price revolution.”

According to Dargin, the UAE imports 1.8 billion cubic feet/day from Qatar and, according to a recently published white paper from the UAE government, power demand in the country is expected to jump from 15,000 megawatts/daily in 2008 to 40,000 in 2020. Dargin noted that, like other GCC states, the UAE has implemented a number of measures—including conservation drives, the Masdar project, nuclear power capability, and others—to address its power shortage. However, he asserted, these are mostly cosmetic remedies that do not address the fundamental problem.

At the heart of the problem, according

DSG News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:09:14 GMT
• Canadian Dignitaries Visit DSG •
Ms. Hazel McCallion, Mayor of the City of Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) visited DSG to discuss future cooperation with the School toward events on healthcare policy and local governance.
• •
Ms. Hazel McCallion, Mayor of the City of Mississauga, Ontario (Canada) visited DSG on Tuesday accompanied by Ms. Janine Fiddler, Vice Consul and Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Consulate in Dubai, and Ms. Neena Kanwar, President & CEO of KMH Healthcare Centres.

The delegation met with Dean Tarik Yousef and Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki. Discussions focused on establishing relationships between Mississauga and the Dubai School of Government, and the two parties explored future opportunities for public events on local governance and healthcare policy.

Mississauga is the sixth largest city in Canada. Ms. McCallion is one of Canada’s best known and longest-serving mayors, having been Mississauga’s mayor for 31 years. She was one of the first Canadian politicians to publicly declare their support for a Palestinian state.
•
Mississauga, Ontario municipal Web site

Hazel McCallion Wikipedia page
• 265,274 •

DSG News

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:59:59 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef Quoted in Business Week •
The October 22 issue of Business Week magazine quotes DSG Dean Tarik Yousef in "Debt Watch in Dubai," an article on the Emirate’s debt financing situation.
• •
The October 22 issue of Business Week magazine quotes DSG Dean Tarik Yousef in "Debt Watch in Dubai," an article on the Emirate’s debt financing situation.

Dean Yousef comments on the opportunity that the economic slowdown has given Dubai to consolidate its progress and build stronger institutions, saying "This is an opportunity to do things differently."
•

"Debt Watch in Dubai," Business Week, October 22, 2009

• •

DSG News

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:31:38 GMT
Fadi Salem, Yasar Jarrar • Fadi Salem, Yasar Jarrar Article Published in ESADE Bulletin •
"Technology, Trust and the Balance between Competition and Collaboration in Government," by Fadi Salem and Yasar Jarrar, has appeared in the Institute of Public Governance and Management Bulletin of ESADE Business School.
• •
"Technology, Trust and the Balance between Competition and Collaboration in Government," by Fadi Salem and Yasar Jarrar, has appeared in the September 2009 Bulletin of the Institute of Public Governance and Management of ESADE Business School.

According to the authors,

Over the past decade, many government entities witnessed a shift from the traditional ‘silos mode’ of governance into a ‘competitive mode’, where government institutions competed in a race for excellence. This cultural shift contributed to healthy advancements in the ways business was conducted in government. However, despite the efficiency gains it triggered, this cross-government competition reduced the level of trust and information-sharing among competing individuals, public managers and government institutions. The negative impact on the flow of information, ideas and knowledge effectively increased institutional and policy complexity. Consequently, this enforced new forms of silos, increased overall government cost of doing business in many cases and ultimately limited cross-governmental innovations.

Located in Barcelona, Spain, the Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ESADE) is one of the world's leading centers of management education.

Read the article here.
•

DSG News

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:42:07 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh • Harvard Business Press Publishes Chapter by May Al-Dabbagh •
Harvard Business Press has published May Al-Dabbagh's "The Role of Context in Intergroup Leadership: Women's Groups in Saudi Arabia" in the edited volume "Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference."
• •
Dr. May Al-Dabbagh’s chapter entitled "The Role of Context in Intergroup Leadership: Women's Groups in Saudi Arabia" has been published in the edited volume "Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference" by the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School (Harvard Business Press).

In this multidisciplinary volume, highly regarded business scholars, social psychologists, and policy experts provide theoretical frameworks around the construct of intergroup leadership, as well as practical tools and specific case studies of the strategies and challenges of building group cohesion. Edited by Todd Pittinsky, the book includes contributions from leading leadership scholars such as Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ronald Heifetz, Max Bazerman, Rod Kramer and many others. Examples from around the world, and from every sector - corporate, political, and social - bring to life the art and practice of intergroup leadership in the twenty-first century. A copy of the book is now available at the DSG library.

A previous version of "The Role of Context in Intergroup Leadership: Women's Groups in Saudi Arabia" was published as DSG Working Paper 08-03, "The Context for Intergroup Leadership Among Women’s Groups in Saudi Arabia."
•

DSG News

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:50:59 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • It’s High Time We Saw a Little More of the FNC •
In Saturday’s The National, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi calls for the Federal National Council (FNC) to play a more prominent and visible role in the UAE.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Since the passing of Sheikh Zayed in 2004 there have been many attempts to unify the young people of this country under an icon that represents all Emiratis. One thing is for certain: Sheikh Zayed’s legacy requires a collective effort to fill the vacuum created by his departure.

I have written on various occasions about the looming challenges that affect national identity in the UAE. There is, however, one entity in the country that could catapult Emirati nationalism to the forefront of public debate, if only it were more effective.

At first I hesitated to write this article since I admit that I have never been to a session of the Federal National Council. But in fact, that is precisely the reason why I decided to write it. The FNC should not be an organisation that you can believe exists only if you visit and see it for yourself, although sadly these are the sentiments that many UAE nationals have.

What has the FNC done for us lately, and does it have any real powers? At the outset, let me say that it would unfair to condemn the FNC as a failure. Its very creation in 1972, though an incomplete effort, was a major step in unifying the country. But rather than simply laying blame, we should start with constructive criticism that will hopefully make the FNC more visible – and not just to those who visit it once or twice a week, but to the average Emirati citizen and UAE resident.

First, the 40-member FNC rarely has any official presence at any of the various conferences that take place, either in the UAE or abroad

DSG News

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:58:15 GMT
• Emile Nakhleh Speaks on US Relations with the Muslim World •
Noted expert on political Islam Dr. Emile Nakhleh spoke on rejuvenating relations between the US and the Muslim world in a Tuesday evening DSG policy forum.
• •
A new and more vigorous public diplomacy towards the Muslim world is the need of the hour if the US is to repair the damage done to relations with the Islamic world during the Bush administration, according to Dr. Emile Nakhleh, a former advisor to the US government on political Islam. Dr. Nakhleh spoke at a Tuesday evening lecture at the School, where he outlined the basic tenets of his recently-published book, A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America’s Relations with the Muslim World, by Princeton University Press.

The lecture focused on the rise, manifestations, and drivers of political Islam in the past two decades; the differences between Islamic activism, most of which is lawful, and the different types of jihad and radicalism; and the diversity, complexity, and ideologies — religious-nationalist and global jihadist — that characterize the phenomenon of political Islam.

Dr. Nakhleh highlighted the debate within the Muslim world between mainstream Muslims and radicals about the future of Islam, and pointed to the growing marginalization and rejection of extremist ideology. He also studied the relations with and attitudes towards both Muslims who espouse a different interpretation of their faith, and non-Muslims.

Dr. Nakhleh argued that opposition to the United States within the Muslim world in recent years has been driven by disagreements over specific policies, not over shared values of good governance. Based on polling data, Dr. Nakhleh explained why and how US actions in the past few years, especially since 9/11, have negatively affected the image of the US in other countries.

During the second part of the lecture, Dr. Nahkleh outlined the engagement strategy

DSG News

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:46:02 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Agreement Signed with the Arab Administrative Development Organization •
DSG today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) to support education and technical cooperation in public administration.
• •
DSG today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Administrative Development Organization (ARADO) to support education and technical cooperation in public administration.

Affiliated with the Arab League, ARADO is mandated to promote administrative development in the Arab region. Its objective stems from a joint Arab economic strategy to enhance socio-economic development through enriching management knowledge and practices and increasing the efficiency of administration in various development sectors across the Arab world.

According to the agreement, the two organizations will exchange expertise and capabilities throughout a variety of disciplines. Another integral component of the MoU is the organization of training sessions, seminars and educational conferences, and consultancy studies on topics of common interest.

The agreement further stipulates the exchange of information, studies, reports and research on public administration, in addition to technical publications such as magazines and journals. Additionally, it specifies that DSG and ARADO will adopt an action plan for joint projects and activities.

Paving the way for future cooperation on projects that involve students from the Dubai School of Government, the MoU will form the basis of a networking platform where educational tools and information available to both organizations in public administration can be exchanged, and employees from DSG and ARADO can participate in each other’s tailor-made programs.

Dr. Rifaat Abdel-Halim Faouri, Director-General of the Arab Administrative Development O

DSG News

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:43:17 GMT
• Transparency in International Business and Government •
Attorney Lucinda Low reviewed the development of international anti-corruption standards and practices over the past decade in an October 5policy forum held at the School.
• •
Attorney Lucinda Low reviewed the development of international anti-corruption standards and practices over the past decade in "Developing Transparency and Accountability Standards in International Business and Government." In this policy forum, Ms. Low explained how these standards and emerging best practices have spurred multinational companies to develop and implement programs to prevent and detect violations of law in their business activities—or enhance existing programs—and to answer to an ever-widening set of enforcement authorities. They have also imposed a new range of restrictions on governments.

Ms. Low pointed to a vastly increased awareness of corruption over the past two decades, recalling that in the early 1990s the subject was virtually taboo in the context of development. Reasons behind the increased awareness include the preventative measures of governments, criminalization of bribery, and increased international cooperation and enforcement of anti-corruption instruments. Low noted that on the international scene, a number of anti-bribery standards and institutions have been created by institutions including the UN, OECD and World Bank, as well as various regional conventions and agreements by NGOs, the press, etc. Among these, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is considered perhaps the most significant, as it has widespread international support including 140 nations.

Listing a number of recent enforcement examples, including cases against Siemens AG, Halliburton/KBR, Kozeny, Mabey & Johnson, Aon, BAE and Alcoa, Low described an atmosphere of increasingly stringent enforcement trends characterized by greater international cooperation, limitatio

DSG News

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:32:31 GMT
Tarik Yousef,Wayne James,Mohamed Lahouel • Nigerian Ambassador Visits DSG •
HE Mr. Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the UAE, visited the School on Thursday, touring the School and meeting with DSG representatives.
• •
HE Mr. Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the UAE, visited the School on Thursday, touring the School and meeting with DSG representatives.

His Excellency was accompanied by Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Implementation Committee. The two met with Dean Tarik Yousef, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mohamed Lahouel and Director of Student Affairs Wayne James, who presented an overview of the School and its activities. The two sides also discussed avenues for future cooperation.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Zainab Abacha Dalhatu, a Nigerian student in the School’s Master of Public Administration program, who initiated the visit.
•

• 274,302,276 •

DSG News

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:15:30 GMT
Tarik Yousef • DSG signs Agreement with Young Arab Leaders (YAL) •
The Dubai School of Government has concluded a strategic partnership agreement with Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the pan-Arab platform which promotes the potential of Arab youth.
• •
The Dubai School of Government has concluded a strategic partnership agreement with Young Arab Leaders (YAL), the pan-Arab platform which promotes the potential of Arab youth.

The agreement is a milestone for DSG, as Young Arab Leaders has committed as the first contributor to the DSG endowment fund, established to provide a foundation for the long-term financial sustainability for the School. Recognizing the capacity of the Dubai School of Government to contribute to improved governance through knowledge development in the Arab world, Young Arab Leaders will also contribute as partial sponsors of three one-year scholarships for students enrolled in DSG's academic programs.

According to the agreement, which was signed today during a press conference at the School, DSG will design a programmatic framework to strategically implement YAL’s focus on Education and Entrepreneurship, with the ultimate objective of maximizing YAL’s impact on reducing unemployment among Arab youth. DSG will also provide assistance in designing major signature regional programs, and will provide impact evaluation and support for YAL in the planning of its Annual Forum in 2010.

The agreement was signed by Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, and Assem O. Kabesh, Chief Executive Officer of the Young Arab Leaders. During the press conference, Tarik Yousef said: "We share with YAL the vision of a prosperous Arab world where young leaders assume a prominent role in social and economic development. The partnership we are signing today will create a framework whereby DSG and YAL will cooperate to help further the missio

DSG News

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:53:53 GMT
• World Bank Expert Speaks on Development and Climate Change •
Lead Natural Resources Specialist Julia Bucknall presented findings from the World Bank’s World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change at a DSG Policy Forum.
• •
Advanced countries, which have produced most of the greenhouse gas emissions to date, must act now to create a "climate-smart" world if developing countries are not to be disproportionately impacted by climate change, according to Julia Bucknall, Lead Natural Resources Specialist at the World Bank.

Bucknall was speaking at a gathering of leading businessmen, academics, government officials, media representatives and researchers hosted by the Dubai School of Government, in partnership with the World Bank and the Dubai Press Club. The meeting focused on the World Bank’s "Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change," released ahead of the scheduled December meetings on climate change in Copenhagen.

"If developed countries act now, a "climate-smart" world is feasible, and the costs for getting there will be high but still manageable. A key way to do this is by ramping up funding for mitigation in developing countries, where most future growth in emissions will occur," Bucknall said.

Echoing comments made by World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, Bucknall said that an equitable deal in Copenhagen is vital, as developing countries are disproportionately affected by climate change and least prepared to deal with the impact of global warming. At the World Bank, Bucknall works on water management, infrastructure investments, and irrigation in the Middle East and North Africa. She was the lead author of a flagship publication on water in the region, "Making the Most of Scarcity." Over the past 15 years, she has worked on water investment projects and analytical work in North Africa, Central Asia, Central Europe, Cambodia and Central America.
•

DSG News

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:47:53 GMT
• ABN AMRO Experts Offer Glimpse of Post-Financial Crisis World •
Han de Jong and Didier Duret of ABN AMRO presented an upbeat post-financial crisis forecast for the world economy in a discussion at the Dubai School of Government.
• •
DSG welcomed Han de Jong and Didier Duret of ABN-AMRO for a Monday discussion on "The World After the Crisis" with an audience of policy makers, investment professionals, economists and media. HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, founder and Chairman of Bin Zayed Group and member of DSG's Board of Trustees, moderated the evening's discussion.

Han de Jong, Chief Economist of ABN-AMRO, began by describing three key developments leading to the current financial crisis. The continued drop in housing prices in the United States and some other countries combined with a rise in inflation-spurring oil prices to lead to a minor recession in early 2008. However, the failure of Lehman Brothers later in the year triggered a corporate liquidity crisis that worsened a minor recession into a major one.

De Jong described the crisis as the deepest since the 1930s, with economic contraction reaching 6% annual in the United States, and rates of 12% and 8% in Japan and Europe, respectively. Policy makers succeeded in managing the crisis, however, with smart monetary policy by the US Federal Reserve and the infusion of massive liquidity through fiscal stimulus averting what could have developed into a full-scale depression.

De Jong pointed to leading indicators such as recovering home prices and improved business confidence as evidence for optimism on prospects for the global economy. He also noted encouraging results from the "stress tests" undergone by major US banks.

Didier Duret, Chief Investment Officer of ABN AMRO Private Banking Global Strategy and Research, presented an overview of the ABN AMRO’s Quarterly Outlook Q4 2009, describing the bank’s overall strategy and forecast o

DSG News

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:55:22 GMT
Victor Pineda • Disability Policy Forum Raises Awareness •
The School hosted the second in a series of seven weekly events designed to stimulate discussion and research in the field of disability policy in the UAE.
• •
The Dubai School of Government hosted the second in a series of seven weekly events designed to stimulate discussion and research in the field of disability policy in the UAE, and specifically the Emirates of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Held every Wednesday at 1:00 at the School until November 18, the Disability Policy Series aims to empower persons with disabilities and enable organizations and societies to utilize their full potential. Special attention is given to the development and implementation of UAE Federal Law No. 29, ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and the role and development of special needs organizations within the UAE.

Attendees include persons with disabilities, parents and family members of persons with disabilities, policy leaders, service providers and managers from the UAE. The series is held in collaboration with the Victor Pineda Foundation, and is made possible through the support of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research (SSFPR).

For more detailed event information, click here.
•

The Victor Pineda Foundation

• 542 •

DSG News

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:31:19 GMT
• DSG Hosts Creator of the Islamic World’s First Superheroes •
Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of THE 99, the world’s first superheroes based on Islamic culture recounted his experiences as an entrepreneur and cultural ambassador at a DSG policy forum.
• •
Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of THE 99, the world’s first superheroes based on Islamic culture recounted his experiences as an entrepreneur and cultural ambassador at a DSG policy forum entitled "The 99: How the Private Sector Can Succeed in Public Diplomacy."

Dr. Al-Mutawa is the founder and CEO of Kuwait-based Teshkeel Media Group, publishers of the award-winning comic book series THE 99. The superheroes are seen as global ambassadors for a tolerant Islam and a successful public diplomacy tool, and do not incorporate any religious content in the storylines. Each member of THE 99 embodies one of 99 global values such as wisdom, mercy, strength or faithfulness. Characters originate from 99 different countries on seven continents.

The comic is widely distributed throughout the Middle East, South Asia and Indonesia, and is making strong inroads into the Western market. Teshkeel Media Group is now working with Endemol to develop an animated series based on the popular comic, while Batman and Superman will be teaming up with THE 99 in a new global series to be published by DC Comics. Forbes magazine has named THE 99 as one of the "Top 20 Trends Sweeping the Globe."

In the lecture, Dr. Al-Mutawa described some of the numerous struggles he has faced in developing THE 99 into a successful entrepreneurial venture, and challenged attendees to "think big" and not settle for anything less than world class standards.

He explored the genesis and concept of THE 99 characters, and discussed how they serve as positive role models and Islamic cultural archetypes, while retaining universal relevance and appeal.

Dr Al-Mutawa's involvement in the field of human rights and

DSG News

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:17:42 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef Speaks at UNESCO Youth Forum •
Dean Tarik Yousef delivered a plenary presentation at the 6th UNESCO Youth Forum, held in Paris from October 1 to 3.
• •
Dean Tarik Yousef delivered a plenary presentation at the 6th UNESCO Youth Forum, held in Paris from October 1 to 3. Addressing around 150 young people from 96 countries, as well as 50 observers representing 34 international organizations, Dean Yousef spoke on the topic of "Making Markets Work for Young People in the Middle East."

The theme of this year's Youth Forum was "Investing out of the crisis: towards a partnership between UNESCO and youth organizations." The three-day event was opened by Pierre Sané, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, and closed by Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï, Chairman of the Organization’s Executive Board, and the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura.
•

6th UNESCO Youth Forum

• 274 •

DSG News

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:25:27 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • Sometimes the Sound and the Fury Signify Nothing •
In Saturday’s The National, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi castigates the Arab media for circulating the "noise" of unfounded rumors about the UAE.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Over the past few weeks two unfounded rumors about the UAE have snowballed on the pages of some newspapers in the Arab world and have even been picked up by newswires. Some media organizations seem so inclined to print negative news about this country that once they have exhausted the typical stories about the effects of the global financial crisis on the UAE, they no longer have an issue with presenting negative rumors as facts.

For instance, one report published last month alleged that 45 Lebanese Shia were denied re-entry into the UAE as part of a conspiracy against our Lebanese Shia brothers and sisters, an estimated 100,000 of whom live and work in the Emirates. Note that last year in one emirate alone, a new immigration program denied 54,000 people of various nationalities entry into the country. Conspiracy theorists can draw a variety of conclusions from this data to launch accusations that the country has barred one ethnicity or another from entering.

The UAE, like any other country, has the right to deny any individual entry should it deem this necessary for its national security. This country happens to have a justice system prosecuting former ministers and members of ruling families. The capable judicial system of the country, not a certain element in the media, can decide if any cases merit review.

Additionally, the UAE’s relations with Lebanese Shia are a testament to Arab solidarity. After the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000, the UAE initiated a major de-mining program that cleared 123 villages fro

DSG News

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:15:17 GMT
Khalid Al-Yahya • Khalid Al-Yahya Paper Accepted for Journal Publication •
"The Over-Educated, Under-Utilized Public Professional: Evidence from Oman & Saudi Arabia," by Khalid Al-Yahya, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Management & Public Policy.
• •
"The Over-Educated, Under-Utilized Public Professional: Evidence from Oman & Saudi Arabia," by Khalid Al-Yahya, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Management & Public Policy.

The Journal of Management & Public Policy (JMPP) is a biannual peer-reviewed international journal published in March and September every year by the Management Development Research Foundation, New Delhi (India).

Based on DSG Working Paper 08-01, the paper is a comparative study that examines public administrators’ perceptions of organizational human capital utilization (and underutilization) and its relationship to organizational policies and practices in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Paper Abstract

The paper is a comparative study that examines public administrators’ perceptions of organizational human capital utilization (and underutilization) and its relationship to organizational policies and practices in Saudi Arabia and Oman (N=540). The study findings expose a widespread under-utilization problem. Skills and abilities of civil employees, although relatively and increasingly abundant, are invariably underutilized or misplaced. It is found that effective utilization of knowledge and skills is closely associated with factors related to employment policies and practices and organization design, namely power-influence s

DSG News

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:34:15 GMT
• How do College Students Form Expectations? •
Basit Zafar of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York presented the findings of his research on the process of expectations formation among college students at this DSG Research Seminar.
• •
Dr. Basit Zafar, economist in the Microeconomic and Regional Studies Function at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, presented the findings of "How do College Students Form Expectations?" at this DSG Research Seminar.

Abstract
Students rely on their subjective expectations when choosing a college major. Understanding this process of expectations formation is crucial for policy recommendations. This paper focuses on how college students form expectations about various major-specific outcomes. For this purpose, I collect a unique panel dataset of Northwestern University undergraduates that contains their subjective expectations about major-specific outcomes. Though students tend to be overconfident about their future academic performance, I find that they revise their expectations about various major-specific outcomes in systematic ways. For example, students who receive extremely positive information (about their ability) revise upward their prediction of short-term future GPA, and similarly individuals who receive very negative information revise their GPA beliefs downward. Furthermore, students seem to update their probabilistic beliefs in a manner consistent with Bayesian analysis: Prior beliefs about outcomes realized in college tend to be fairly precise, while new information influences prior beliefs about outcomes realized in the workplace. Moreover, students who are more uncertain about the major-specific outcomes in the initial survey make greater absolute revisions in their beliefs. Finally, I present evidence that learning plays a role in the decision to switch majors. Negative revisions in beliefs about graduating in four years, enjoying coursework, and expect

DSG News

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:30:07 GMT
Djavad Salehi-Isfahani • Iran Sanctions: Who Really Wins? •
In this commentary piece, Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Djavad Salehi-Isfahani questions the efficacy of international sanctions in response to the Iranian nuclear program.
• •
By Djavad Salehi-Isfahani

US and Iranian representatives meet this week at a time when trust between the two countries is at a low ebb following the revelation last week of a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear facility under construction and the test firing of Iran’s long-range missiles on September 28. Meanwhile, the Obama administration’s policy of engagement with Iran has emerged as little more than the old policy of "carrots and sticks."

The focus of the debate in the US has shifted from Iran’s internal political crisis to its economy. The group of 5+1 (the five UN Security Council members plus Germany) is weighing the costs and benefits of additional sanctions on Iran as a way of pressuring the Ahmadinejad government to change its position on the nuclear issue.

The discussion on sanctions takes place under considerable uncertainty about their effectiveness and the state of Iran’s economy. The emerging consensus in Washington that new, "crippling" sanctions could persuade Iran to change its nuclear policy seems in part based on the lack of a better alternative. But it is also based on two assumptions that I find questionable: first, that the existing sa

DSG News

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:24:00 GMT
Victor Pineda • Victor Pineda on the UAE Disability Act of 2006 •
Visiting Scholar Victor Pineda presented an overview of his ongoing research into the role of the UAE Disability Act of 2006 in improving the lives of persons with disabilities in the UAE.
• •
In "Institutional Development and the UAE Disability Act of 2006," Visiting Scholar Victor Pineda presented an overview of his ongoing research into the role of the UAE Disability Act of 2006 in improving the lives of persons with disabilities in the UAE.

Mr. Pineda began by defining a disabled person as "someone who has one or more impairments of a major life function," and providing perspective on the ways in which disabled persons have been segregated and forced by many societies to lead marginalized lives. He described the modern approach to disability policy as having four main aspects: dynamic interaction of a person with their environment, diversity of experience, consideration of disability in the context of lived live experience, and a human rights approach which enables persons with disabilities to participate in substantive citizenship.

Mr. Pineda then summarized the findings of his research, asserting that the UAE Disability Act of 2006 is necessary but not sufficient to advance the social inclusion of people with disabilities in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, and that both formal and informal institutions hinder the capacity of disabled people to participate in the law’s development and implementation, thereby effectively diminishing the Act’s impact across key sectors of public life. The ensuing discussion centered on strategies for promoting implementation of the Act, and integrating persons with disabilities more effectively into UAE society.
•

Audio of the Presentation

&bu

DSG News

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:05:13 GMT
Vali Nasr • NPR's On Point Features Vali Nasr •
National Public Radio's On Point with Tom Ashbrook devoted a full show to interviewing Vali Nasr, DSG Senior Fellow and author of Forces of Fortune.
• •
National Public Radio's On Point with Tom Ashbrook devoted a full show to interviewing Vali Nasr, DSG Senior Fellow and author of Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What it Will Mean for Our World. Nasr discussed the rise of the middle class in the Muslim world, and its resultant effects on society and politics.

According to Nasr, "It is very clear that when you have a middle class that is integrated into the world economy, that relies on the private sector, it has also been a force for moderation, for democracy and for stability."

On Point airs live daily across the United States on National Public Radio.
•

On Point interviews Vali Nasr

Forces of Fortune

• 283 •

DSG News

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:34:46 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef Comments on Dubai Metro Launch •
Appearing on Dubai One’s televised coverage of the launch of the Dubai Metro, Dean Tarik Yousef placed the event in the context of the city’s long-term infrastructure development.
• •
Appearing on Dubai One’s televised coverage of the launch of the Dubai Metro, Dean Tarik Yousef placed the event in the context of the city’s long-term infrastructure development.
•
Video of Tarik Yousef on Dubai One
• 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:20:44 GMT
Vali Nasr • Vali Nasr on The Daily Show with John Stewart •
DSG Senior Research Fellow Vali Nasr appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart, where he discussed the effects of a growing middle class in the Muslim world.
• •
DSG Senior Research Fellow Vali Nasr appeared on the September 22 showing of The Daily Show with John Stewart, where he discussed the effects of growing middle class in the Muslim world. Nasr asserted that a prosperous middle class with ties to markets, commerce and trade has an interest in moderate, democratic political systems and peaceful interaction with the international community.

In addition to being a Senior Research Fellow at DSG, Vali Nasr is Professor of International Politics at Tufts University, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Special Advisor to Richard Holbrooke (Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan). He is author of numerous publications, and his most recent book is Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What it Will Mean for Our World.
•

Vali Nasr Interview on The Daily Show

Forces of Fortune

• 283 •

DSG News

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:35:42 GMT
Tabitha Decker • Tabitha Decker Quoted in the Los Angeles Times •
DSG Visiting Scholar Tabitha Decker was quoted in the Los Angeles Times on the significance of the newly-opened Dubai Metro to the development of the city.
• •
DSG Visiting Scholar Tabitha Decker was quoted in the Los Angeles Times on the significance of the newly-opened Dubai Metro to the development of the city.

"Dubai unveils $7.6-billion mass-transit rail system" quotes Decker, who is writing her doctoral dissertation on the development of the metro.

"It's about aesthetics and commercialism, but when you combine it with the fact that this is also a public good, this is a bit of a surprising moment in Dubai's history. It's not fitting into our idea of what Dubai is," she said. "I think it's something Dubai should be proud of."
•

"Dubai unveils $7.6-billion mass-transit rail system"

My Dubai Metro Web site

• 447 •

DSG News

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:21:57 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef Presents New MEYI Book at USC •
Dean Tarik Yousef led a seminar at the University of Southern California (USC) on the forthcoming Middle East Youth Initiative edited volume Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East.
• •
Dean Tarik Yousef led a seminar at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Policy, Planning, and Development on the forthcoming Middle East Youth Initiative edited volume Generation in Waiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Young People in the Middle East (Brookings Institution Press, 2009).

Generation in Waiting, which Yousef co-edited with Navtej Dhillon, director of the Middle East Youth Initiative, and Yousef, contains research by a number of scholars in the MEYI network, including Ragui Assaad, Brahim Boudarbat, Jad Chaaban, Nader Kabbani, Taher Kanaan, Djavad Salehi-Isfahani and Edward Sayre. The volume is due out in the fall of 2009.

Jeffrey Nugent, Professor of Economics at USC, served as discussant, while Eric Heikkila, Professor of Policy, Planning and Development at USC, served as guest chair for the session.
•

Generation in Waiting

Middle East Youth Initiative

• 274 •

DSG News

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:55:54 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • Our Cartoon Heroes – Now That They Are Really Our Own •
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi lauds the growth of indigenous animated cartoons in the Gulf, and describes their contribution to strengthening national identity.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Last week the Dubai Press Club held the first in a series of Ramadan majlis discussions, with the session revolving around the animation industry in the UAE. This nascent industry has only existed for five years and gained popularity with animation clips that were only a few seconds long of Sha’biyat Al Cartoon characters, which Emiratis sent to each other via mobile phones using bluetooth technology.

In 15-minute episodes, Sha’biyat tackles life in one of Dubai’s former shanty towns; in Gulf Arabic, shabiya refers to low-income housing. Another popular Emirati cartoon is Freej, its four burqa-clad older ladies having become icons in the psyche of young and old generations in the Gulf. This presence in popular culture wasn’t always the case however.

In the 1980s as I was growing up in the Emirates, most of our cartoons were Japanese anime that were dubbed with beautiful classical Arabic. Much of my generation learnt classical Arabic from shows such as Adnan Wa Lina, one of the inspirations for Haider Mohammed, the creator of the Sha’biyat series who worked for 13 years as a caricature artist in Al Bayan and Emarat Alyoum newspapers.

These shows tackled basic human issues such as survival and righteousness. Sadly, today many cartoons have become soulless commercial initiatives that are broadcast in crass local dialects. One concerned parent that I am aware of said he refused to let his children watch Timon and Pumbaa in Arabic because of the characters’ crude dialect spoken in the otherwise beautiful Egyptian accent.

DSG News

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:30:23 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef on Middle East Business Report •
Dean Tarik Yousef commented on proposed changes in the labor laws of Bahrain and Kuwait on the BBC's August 15 Middle East Business Report. Watch
• •
The BBC’s Stephanie Hancock interviewed Dean Tarik Yousef on proposed changes in the labor laws of Bahrain and Kuwait for the August 15 Middle East Business Report.

Video of the Interview
• • 274 •

DSG News

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:02:41 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • Mobility for All is not a Luxury, It’s a Basic Right •
Nonresident Fellow Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi lauds steps the UAE has taken toward increased access for the disabled, and calls for more.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

From my extensive travels in the region I have come to realise that Abu Dhabi is the only largely pedestrian and wheelchair friendly city I have been to in the Arab world.

This is mostly because of the strategy that Sheikh Zayed laid out for the capital in the 1970s, and it makes me wonder why other cities in the Arab world haven’t tried to accommodate pedestrians and wheelchair users. I recall historic Cairo’s gaping potholes, wealthy Riyadh’s sandpits and new Beirut’s haphazard pavements.

After all, mobility is among the first factors that one considers when assessing whether to relocate to a city. Recently, an Iraqi friend of mine was considering moving with his family from London to the UAE. A large part of his family’s decision not to move to the particular emirate in which his brother-in-law teaches was that the pavements are not wheelchair friendly for his sister. "We can’t expect her to stay cooped up in the house all day. She’s an independent woman who expects to move around freely," he said.

In the UAE many of our public and private institutions have yet to accommodate people with special needs. Others have made an effort, but could still do with a bit of adjustment.

For instance, when a close friend of mine from Saudi Arabia came to visit, and I booked a room for him at the Kempinski Hotel in Dubai, what surprised me was that all the wheelchair friendly rooms available were deluxe rooms – which we ended up booking anyway, although it was beyond budget. The reason we did so was so that he could wander around the adjace

DSG News

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:34:34 GMT
Nabil Al-Yousef • Public Policy in the Current Downturn: Constraints and Opportunities •
DSG organized a half-day regional conference on how to manage public policy in the downturn and the ways in which the crisis can be leveraged for future opportunities.
• •
DSG organized a half-day regional conference titled "Public Policy in the Current Downturn: Constrains and Opportunities," which was attended by dignitaries from the Arab world including representatives from United National Development Programme (UNDP), ministers from several Arab countries and heads of public departments as well as executives from private firms such as Deloitte, a partner in this event.

The conference consisted of two panel discussions. The first session titled "Managing Public Policy in the Downturn" explored the implications of the downturn for the fiscal space available to policymakers, the tradeoffs between equity and efficiency in service delivery, and how governments can safeguard against reversal in reform. The speakers included Nabil Al Yousef, Vice Chair of DSG’s Board of Trustees; His Excellency Dr. Maher Al-Mujtahed, Secretary-General of the Cabinet of Ministers, Syria; His Excellency Dr. Zuhair Mudhaffar, Minister of State for Administrative Development, Tunisia; and Julian Hawkins, Senior Partner of international consultants Deloitte.

The speakers at the second panel on "Leveraging the Downturn for Future Success" were His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani, President of Qatar Connect and Dame Sue Street, Strategic Advisor to Deloitte. This session was moderated by His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Zayed, Chairman of the Bin Zayed Group. It examined emerging opportunities in the post-crisis world, and outlined mechanisms for leveraging existing opportunities.

Experts at the conference collectively argued that at a time like this governments need to focus on grea

DSG News

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:59:47 GMT
• John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed on "Who Speaks for Islam" •
John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed present the findings from their latest book in their lecture titled "What a Billion Muslims Really Think: Obama, US Policy and the Muslim World."
• •
In 2008, Gallup Books published John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed’s book titled "Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think." Based on the largest and most comprehensive poll of the Muslim world, it has revealed Muslim views on extremism and violence, the role of women in society, democracy, and attitudes towards the West. The study was the result of a comprehensive six year study undertaken by the Gallup World Poll that represents 90% (or one billion) of the world’s Muslims in some 35 Muslim countries, of varying demographics pertaining to age, occupation, gender, education, etc.

In the lecture, Dalia Mogahed began by presenting the key findings of the study, such as the fact that both Muslims and Americans equally consider attacks on civilians morally unjustified. In addition, it was found that those Muslims who condone acts of terrorism are a minority and are not necessarily more religious than the rest of the population. Ms. Mogahed further argued that according to the study what Muslims admire most about the West is its technology and democracy – the same two top responses given by Americans when asked the same question. Moreover when critiquing the West, Muslims and Americans were also in agreement stating that the least admirable feature of the West is its perceived moral decay and breakdown of traditional values. Finally, the polls showed that the one thing the West can do to improve its relations with the Muslim world would be to moderate their views towards Muslims and respect Islam.

In the remainder of the lecture, John L. Esposito discussed the relevance of these results to the challenges facing the Obama administration, the Arab and Muslim world

DSG News

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:50:53 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh • Gender Research Seminar: Her Excellency Amat Al Alim Alsoswa •
Her Excellency Amat Al Alim Alsoswa delivered a talk entitled "The Effect of the Economic Crisis on Gender Equality in the Arab World."
• •
Her Excellency Amat Al Alim Alsoswa, Assistant Secretary General, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau of Arab States of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was the speaker at the Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar entitled "The Effect of the Economic Crisis on Gender Equality in the Arab World." She was introduced by May Al-Dabbagh who opened the lecture speaking on "Solving the Crisis by Closing the Gap: Rewriting the Rules of the Game on Gender Inequality in Organizations in the Arab World."

HE Amat Al Alim began the seminar by announcing the completion of the United Nations’ latest Arab Human Development Report which will focus on the vital theme of Human Security, due for release in Beirut on July 21, 2009. Based on the research conducted for the report she discussed some of the inequalities that exist between men and women in the region. Illiteracy, for example, is the largest problem that women currently face in the Arab world with some countries having illiteracy rates of up to 80% among women. Other issues of concern are maternal mortality rates, unhealthy social practices, and lower levels of education among women.

In the remainder of the lecture, HE Amat Al Alim discussed the implications of the economic crisis on these trends and its effect on various categories of women. Research illustrates that in times of crisis governments tend to cut spending on health and education first, which affects women more negatively than men, particularly the most vulnerable categories of women. Moreover, there is a likelihood that rates o

DSG News

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:50:55 GMT
• The Effects of Monetary Policy on Bank Lending in the US •
Dr. Chetan Dave of the University of Texas as Dallas presented the findings of "The Bank Lending Channel: a FAVAR Analysis" at a DSG Research Seminar.
• •
Dr. Chetan Dave of the University of Texas as Dallas presented the findings of "The Bank Lending Channel: a FAVAR Analysis," co-authored with Scott J. Dressler and Lei Zhang, in a DSG Research Seminar on July 20.

Abstract
The bank lending channel (BLC) of monetary policy concludes that significant movements in aggregate bank lending volume follow changes in the stance of monetary policy. Since the seminal contribution of Bernanke and Blinder (1992), this channel has been a prominent mechanism in the literature on monetary transmission. The BLC focuses on the balance sheets of commercial banks and assumes that insured, reservable deposits and other forms of external loan finance (e.g. time deposits, CDs, etc.) are not perfect substitutes due to the higher costs of acquiring the latter. Therefore, a monetary contraction resulting in less reservable deposits should result in a decrease in the supply of loans. This decrease in the supply of loans then reduces available credit, out of which firms can engage in physical investment and/or consumers can engage in spending. Thus, the resultant decrease in investment and consumption causes a contraction in real GDP.

This paper empirically examines the BLC of monetary transmission in a factor-augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR). A FAVAR exploits a large number of macroeconomic indicators to identify monetary policy shocks, and commonly used lending aggregates for the U.S. are added, as well as lending data at the bank level. While the results suggest that the BLC is stronger than previously thought, this feature is not robust. In addition, the results indicate a diffuse response to monetary innovations from individual banks grouped across a

DSG News

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:29:54 GMT
• The Role of Media in Shaping Societal Values •
Dr. Sadig A. Malki of King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) presented findings of a case study comparison of two films and instances of untruthfulness in each.
• •
As part of the School’s Research Seminar Series, Dr. Sadig A. Malki of King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) presented findings of a case study comparison of The Sound of Music and Hub Ahla min Hub ("A Love More Beautiful than Love") and instances of untruthfulness in each. Hub Ahla min Hub was chosen as a comparison study as it is considered an Arabic "remake" of The Sound of Music.

According to Dr. Malki, "Closer inspection of the influences which weaken truthfulness in society, including the messages conveyed by mass media, may be central to the study of social development and how the process varies among different societies."

Asserting that mass media is an influence which can serve to either strengthen or weaken the prevalence of truthfulness in society, Dr. Malki compared the relatively small number of untruths uttered by characters in The Sound of Music (seven lies in a 23-minute period) with the much larger number in Hub Ahla min Hub (42 lies in a comparable 23-minute period). Seven clips representing comparable scenes were chosen from each film. The analysis also compared whether each act of lying was portrayed positively or negatively in both films.
•

http://www.drsadigmalki.com/

• •

DSG News

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:54:05 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Paul Dyer • Bahrain, Oman Country Reports Released • DSG has announced the release of the latest Oman and the Bahrain Country Profiles, published by the Cairo-based Economic Research Forum (ERF). • •
DSG has announced the release of the latest Oman and the Bahrain Country Profiles, published by the Cairo-based Economic Research Forum (ERF). The ERF is a regional network dedicated to promoting high quality economic research to contribute to sustainable development in the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey. The reports throw fresh light on the two countries’ macroeconomic policies, financial systems, trade and investment dynamics, labor markets and governance.

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef served as the Project Director responsible for managing and steering the development and production process of both reports. Paul Dyer, Research Associate at DSG, assisted in the compilation of the reports, which include contributions from key regional economists. Mr. Dyer also authored a chapter on Bahrain’s labor market and human capital development.

The Bahrain Country Profile indicates that the island nation is one of the fastest growing economies in the Arab region by virtue of its low inflation and sensible fiscal policies that complement its sound financial sector. In addition, a multitude of trade agreements with partners across the globe have opened new doors for development. The report also suggests that reforms to the country’s political system and labor market regulations have contributed to a restructuring of the Bahraini economy. However, internal labor pressures and rigid market regulations continue to inhibit economic expansion.

The report recommends further diversification of trade goods and partners in order to stabilize the external sector. Continued efforts at reforming Bahrain’s labor

DSG News

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:33:09 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • Time for Arabs to get Serious About Iraq •
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi urges Arab states to reestablish ties with Iraq in an editorial in The Guardian’s Comment is Free site.
• •
The Arab countries have been slow to establish ties with post-Saddam Iraq. But it's in everyone's interest that they do.

By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

The evil bombings continue and so do the kidnappings and terror but Iraq is slowly coming out of the woods. It has already shown that the region is able to produce more than the one-man shows that we have in many Arab countries today.

Iraqi's current leaders differ from their regional brethren in that they may not be in office until "the last breath" as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak put it so eloquently.

Iraq also enjoys the rather odd position of having Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, as its president. Odd, because he was elected under occupation and is not ethnically Arab (though he puts other Arab leaders to shame with his command of classical Arabic).

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, with his eye on next year's polls, is already in effect lobbying and electioneering – a sight we that Arabs seldom see. Iraq also has politicians who constitute a serious alternative to the current government, such as Ghazi al-Yawer and Iyad Allawi. There is almost no other Arab country where one can point to an alternative president or leader without risk of being persecuted. This spirit of independent leadership has produced one of the major positive signs in Iraq.

The Gulf states have so far made very few serious steps towards Iraq, though the UAE is the most forthcoming. Abu Dhabi was first to send an ambassador and has received the Iraqi president and foreign minister several times. Similarly, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zay

DSG News

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:47:07 GMT
• Adel Iskandar: New Media Configurations in/from the Arab World •
Dr. Adel Iskandar described the "tectonic shifts" occurring within the Arab media landscape at a lecture delivered at the School on January 28.
• •
In collaboration with the Embassy of Canada, DSG welcomed Dr. Adel Iskandar of Georgetown University to the School for a January 28 lecture and discussion on "Al-Jazeera and Beyond: New Media Configurations in/from the Arab World."

Dr. Iskandar described the current period in Arab media as "one of tremendous ferment, in which we are witnessing a revival in production of media content from and by Arabs themselves, moving away from a period of dependency on outside media sources." He outlined five major periods in modern Arab media history, moving from dependency on Western propaganda broadcasting in the early to mid-20th century into a "revolutionary" period of social and political transformation, characterized in the media realm by Nasser’s "Voice of the Arabs." After the discrediting of Voice of the Arabs in 1967, the region moved back into more dependency on Western broadcasters such as the BBC and Radio Monte Carlo. In the mid-1990s, the emergence of Arab satellite networks such as Al-Jazeera heralded a reemergence of Arab voices, while the current stage is being shaped by the introduction of new types of media and a changing social and political role for Arab media.

Iskandar noted the greater role played currently by "revolutionary social movement" media, such as the Al-Manar channel of Hezbollah. Other characteristics of the current period include the emergence of multilingual, transnational broadcasts from the region (such as Al-Jazeera International) in non-native languages, as well as the greater prominence of diasporic media. Iskandar noted the shifting relations between government and media, pointing to new configurations of public and private ownership and stressing that "religious media" is now n

DSG News

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:59:55 GMT
• Buying Peace: The Politics of Reconstruction in Gaza •
The reconstruction of Gaza requires radical rethinking, according to Husam Zumlot, Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Center for Middle East Studies, who spoke at a DSG Policy Forum on March 5.
• •
Reconstructing Gaza requires rethinking the current discourse, according to Husam Zumlot, Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Center for Middle East Studies, who spoke at a DSG Policy Forum on March 4.

Zumlot argued that the current international discourse on reconstructing Gaza is based on the same fallacious premises which have characterized past efforts at peacebuilding and reconstruction in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank. Noting that donor conditions are largely centered on two necessary conditions—Palestinian unity and the acceptance by all parties of a two-state formula—he pointed out that these conditions were largely present during the failed Oslo process. These conditions alone, he argued, do not ensure reconstruction, and the international community should not recycle the same formula this time.

According to Zumlot, donors during the Oslo process believed that a two-state solution was very close. However, well-intended assistance from outside ended up simply restructuring the occupation in a way that was less costly to Israel.

Zumlot asserted that Israel has continuously worked to alter the discourse on Palestine from a political discourse to a humanitarian one: "Israel’s set of policies aiming at reducing the Palestinian society from a vibrant nation with legitimate political aspiration to a humanitarian case and from a situation of economic prosperity to charity, remain unchanged."

Moreover, "As long as Israel can reverse reconstruction and economic regeneration in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at will, none of this assistance will make any difference."

If given the chance, however, Gaza can regenerate itself. Zuml

DSG News

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:15:11 GMT
• Policy Forum: Amr Hamzawy •
Amr Hamzawy, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, spoke at DSG on May 28 about "Challenges of Political Participation in the Arab World."
• •
Amr Hamzawy, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, spoke at DSG on May 28 about "Challenges of Political Participation in the Arab World." Dr. Hamzawy opened the presentation by describing a typology of Arab political systems, as well as particular challenges faced by each type. The lecture concluded with Dr. Hamzawy’s observations on the trajectories of political participation in various Arab countries in recent years.

According to Hamzawy, Arab political systems can be characterized roughly according to three types. In "failed or failing states," state institutions have degenerated and the state has lost its monopoly on the legitimate use of violence. The primary challenges for failed states, according to Hamzawy, are to effectively regulate political activity so that a viable state, with a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence, can emerge.

The second type of Arab political system, the "semi-authoritarian states, or liberalized autocracies" are relatively stable structures where authority is dominated by the executive power. Autocracies are entrenched in these states, but have gradually opened up to domestic forces outside the regime. With few checks and balances on the power of the executive, semi-authoritarian states need to formulate more effective constitutional frameworks for power sharing, as well as involve opposition and civil society actors to tap into greater dynamism for reform.

The third type of system described by Hamzawy was the "authoritarian" system. While there is great diversity within each typology, in the authoritarian system there is one key actor, the executive, from which power clearly flows in a top-down direction. Hamzawy noted that there is sometimes

DSG News

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:40:16 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • What I Learned from the Last Big Meltdown •
In an editorial in Thursday’s issue of Gulf Business, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi explains why "there’s no time to start a business like a recession."
• •
Markets crashing, panic in the air, and a taste for some entrepreneurial investment? There's no time to start a business like a recession.

By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

People generally shy from starting a new business during a financial crisis, I however did just that. It was the autumn of 2000; the world had just gone through a financial crisis known as the dot-com bubble that although not as large as the one we are suffering from today was historic nonetheless.

I had just graduated from university two years before and was itching to start my own business. I found a dormant brokerage licence in our company books that was suspended on the orders of my late father just prior to the great UAE crash of the late 1990s. Emaar had reached 140 dirhams then, although no one really knew what the record price was since all trading was conducted over the counter (or under it) as there was no official stock markets. Still, brokerage houses, twenty of whom existed then recorded the prices and a lot of work was done on the basis of trust. As Emaar broke the two digit ceiling my father ordered the company to cease work since it looked like a crash was imminent.

He feared that buyers would not honour their commitment to pay these exorbitant prices, and sellers would defer selling stocks since a better price was a phone call away. However, the one reason that resonated the most in my mind was him saying that if people bought at such high prices and then the market crashed it would be said that the victims bought their shares through the family firm and my father would have none o

DSG News

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:29:11 GMT
Tarek Coury • UAE Monetary Policy, Wages and Output Growth •
Tarek Coury analyzes recent data regarding inflation and money supply in the UAE, arguing in Sunday’s Khaleej Times that the dirham’s peg to the dollar helps to ensure macroeconomic stability.
• •
By Tarek Coury

Interesting news about the current rate of inflation in the UAE and the rate of domestic money growth sheds some light on the relative health of the UAE economy. First, we’ve seen a fall in prices in June, driven by housing and food and beverages. These account for about 44 per cent of the composition of CPI and therefore impact inflation in a substantial way.

On the other hand, data on M3, a measure of broad domestic money, shows that the rate of growth of money supply in the UAE has fallen to its lowest level since 2001. M3 has seen growth of about 9 per cent on an annualised basis so far this year; this compares to 22 per cent for last year and 37 per cent in 2007. Is this recent data consistent with a recovery or a continued contraction?

The data on inflation is relatively straightforward to interpret: the deflationary episode is being driven by the fall in equity prices which, in turn, was caused by a mass sell-off of properties and stocks. This is causing a negative wealth effect which is making aggregate demand fall. In an economy where the currency is allowed to float, the resulting fall in demand for the domestic currency would cause a fall in the nominal value of the dirham. But the UAE Central Bank follows a policy of pegging the dirham to the dollar. As a result, any fall in currency demand has to be met by a fall in the supply of the currency to keep the nominal exchange rate stable.

This is reflected in the data as slowing money growth rates. So the current data suggests that the economy is contin

DSG News

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:14:03 GMT
Tarik Yousef • DSG Receives Malaysian Government Delegation •
A delegation of Malaysian diplomats in the UAE visited the Dubai School of Government on Wednesday, August 5, where they met with faculty members and administrators.
• •
The Dubai School of Government today announced it hosted a delegation of Malaysian diplomats comprising HE Datuk Yahya Abdul Jabar, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE, HE Syed Mohammed Hasrin Aidid, Consul General of Malaysia in Dubai, Mr. Shushilil Azam Shuib, Consul – Education, Mr. Haikal Hanib, Vice Consul (Trade), and Mr. Dzulkifli Mahmud, Senior Trade Commissioner in Dubai.

Led by Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of Dubai School of Government, a group of faculty members and administrators from DSG received the delegation. Discussions focused on possible opportunities for future cooperation and the development experiences of Malaysia and the UAE.

Dr. Tarik Yousef said: "The Malaysian delegation’s visit proved highly informative. We identified several areas of interest for collaboration between educational institutions in both countries. Toward our mission of supporting good governance in the Arab world, the Dubai School of Government is constantly building alliances with countries and organizations that lead to tangible outcomes of mutual benefit."
•

Malaysian Delegation Coverage

• 274 •

DSG News

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:58:56 GMT
• Middle East Youth Initiative Cited in The Economist • A special report of The Economist on the Arab world on July 23 cited the concept of "waithood," crediting the Middle East Youth Initiative, the Dubai School of Government and the Brookings Institution. • •
A special report of The Economist on the Arab world on July 23 employs the concept of "waithood," noting that it was "identified in research by the Middle East Youth Initiative (a project of the Brookings Institution and the Dubai School of Government)."

The reference comes as part of "The Fever Under the Surface," a section within the report which describes a variety of factors contributing to an environment of stagnant formal politics combined with dynamic social and economic change.

The report’s references list cites the "Why Shabab? Youth, Demographics, and Economic Growth" section of the Middle East Youth Initiative Web site, as well as "Inclusion: Meeting the 100 Million Youth Challenge," by Navtej Dhillon and Tarik Yousef.
•

Middle East Youth Initiative

Economist Special Report on the Arab World

• •

DSG News

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:35:36 GMT
Susan Crotty • Better Access for the Disabled is an Economic Need Too •
In an editorial in Tuesday’s The National, Susan Crotty encourages a closer look at how implementing smarter policies for the disabled can benefit Dubai through greater productivity and innovation.
• •
By Susan Crotty

Imagine that 95 per cent of your favourite places in Dubai were suddenly off-limits. When you finally manage to access these places, the stares, comments and ostracism would probably keep you at home. A recent serious accident involving four fractures – including two in my pelvis – has given me particular insight into the plight of those with disabilities in the UAE.

The UAE Government passed Federal Law No 29 in 2006. This law mandates that those with disabilities have access to education, work opportunities, health and rehabilitation services, legal assistance and equal access into new property development projects. I applaud the Government for addressing this issue, but we are far from finished in creating equal opportunities for all.

As I hobble around on my new walker, there are two areas of concern for those with disabilities that deserve particular attention. First of all, existing structures in Dubai are anything but disability-friendly. Bringing a walker is impossible to many places and a wheelchair, unthinkable. Second, changing buildings is one thing; changing attitudes is another. We need to recognise that people with disabilities are not something to be hidden away – in fact, they have the ability to make substantial contributions to our society.

While Victor Pineda eloquently appealed to our sense of ethics and morality last month in these pages, calling for the integration of disabled persons into society, I appeal to your self interest. Because

DSG News

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:49:12 GMT
• The CEO Shift: A Solution to Help Organizations Succeed through the Crisis •
In his lecture entitled "The CEO Shift: Recovery, the Changing Dynamics of the Future, and Success," Dr. Tommy Weir discusses five critical shifts that CEOS need to make to succeed.
• •
In "The CEO Shift: Recovery, the Changing Dynamics of the Future, and Success," Dr. Tommy Weir, Managing Director of Leadership Solutions at Kenexa, presented the findings from his book on how organizations and governments are affected by the current crisis, and the challenges that CEOs and organizational leaders must overcome to ensure that their organizations successfully recover from the global meltdown.

Dr. Weir argued that the recovery from the crisis will be directly impacted by a leader’s ability to understand and respond to the new society. Although government and economic development recovery is determined by how organizations respond, governments need to encourage organizations to allow society to play a part in their recovery strategy. By doing so, they will need to rethink their models of business by shifting focus to the location of the market, size of growth and rate of speed, all of which are crucial factors to consider when recovering from the crisis.

Dr. Weir then noted that coming out of the financial crisis, organizations are going through a crucial transition and their success will depend largely on their making five shifts:

Market Shift

Growth Shift

Speed Shift

Talent Shift

Leaders Shift

Finally, Dr. Weir cautioned that given the current circumstances CEOS and organizational leaders must avoid making reactionary decisions on behalf of their governments and institutions. Instead, they should reassess their strategies for facing the crisis to ensure that they address the changing dynamic of the future, and are therefore successful in their recovery.

DSG News

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:00:55 GMT
Victor Pineda • Without this Human Wealth, a Nation Limits Itself •
Victor Pineda published an Op-Ed in The National, in which he argues for the implementation of UAE’s Federal Law No 29, which aims to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream society.
• •
By Victor Pineda

"The development of man is the foundation on which a nation is built. This building cannot be considered complete without first developing the citizens, who are regarded as human wealth, constantly giving."

These words from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, illustrate well the connections between the people of the UAE, the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the UAE’s Federal Law 29. As of today, 139 nations, including the UAE, have signed the Convention. Now is the time for the UAE to lead nations in implementing these articles, for the benefit of this nation, its people and the world.

According to the UN, "the Convention… takes to a new height the movement from viewing persons with disabilities as ‘objects’ of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing persons with disabilities as ‘subjects’ with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives".

For its part, the UAE’s Federal Law No 29 of 2006, created opportunities to integrate disabled persons into the mainstream of society. The law mandates meaningful partnerships across sectors and regulates the construction of accessible infrastructure. It also provides people with disabilities in the UAE access to education and employment opportunities.

For the past decade I have been working on developing the Convention for all people around the world who, like me, live with some type of disability. I w

DSG News

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:29:21 GMT
Tarek Coury • UAE Monetary Policy, China and the SDR • In an editorial in the Khaleej Times, Tarek Khoury sheds light on the latest discussions centered on shifting to a global reserve currency whereby the US dollar would no longer be the dominant currency. • •
By Tarek Coury

We have recently heard Chinese and Russian leaders talk about moving to a monetary regime where the US dollar does not hold the dominant position it currently enjoys. In particular, the discussion has centered on creating a new global reserve currency that would take the place of the dollar.

In light of these events, the head of the UAE central bank has announced a policy of staying-the-course with the dollar peg. How should we make sense of the idea of a reserve currency and should it influence monetary policy in the UAE?

Before discussing the viability of a global reserve currency, it makes sense to trace back the origins of the current international monetary arrangement. The US dollar is not the world’s reserve currency by chance. The US trade deficit with China has contributed to the rise of the dollar. It is paid for by running a (US) capital accounts surplus which takes the form of purchases by the Chinese government of US-denominated assets, and in particular government-issued debt. These assets, of course, are purchased in US dollars. This buoys the value of the dollar and contributes to its status as a reserve currency.

Interestingly, this situation is driven as much by the willingness of Americans to buy cheap Chinese goods as it is by the Chinese government’s monetary regime: by not allowing the Yuan to float against other currencies, the Chinese government is forced to accumulate foreign-denominated assets in its reserves, thereby stemming increases in the value of its  domestic currency.

DSG News

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:31:16 GMT
Khalid Al-Yahya • The Gulf Paradox: Skilled People, in the Wrong Jobs • In his Op-Ed for The National, Khalid Al Yahya argues for organizational development and governance reforms to fill human resource gaps in the GCC. • •
By Khalid Al-Yahya

There has been much debate in recent months about the role of human capital resources (knowledge-skill-ability) in the performance of government, private industry and society at large. This debate is dominated by three familiar arguments: the claim of a deficit in those resources, the need for more investment in talent and leadership development programmes, and the call for workforce nationalisation.

Poor performance is often blamed on the shortage of qualified and motivated nationals to fill a wide range of jobs in both public and private sectors, and to perform them well. The accepted solution has been an increase in the number of management, leadership and skill-development programmes for nationals, and scholarships to study abroad. The assumption is that improvements in performance will come automatically from investment in education, training and technical innovation. Another, more difficult, fix is to promote nationalisation of the workforce, which coincides with growing concerns about national identity.

However, there has been a low return on investment in education and training throughout the region in the past three decades. Studies continue to show that there has been no significant effect, especially in the public sector. This is a puzzle: why is all this investment in human capital development failing to bring the desired outcome? Many blame the quality of education and training programmes, or local attitudes towards work. But there are more pieces to this puzzle than that.

Concerns about the shortage of knowledge and skills and the ne

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:57:45 GMT
• Distinguished Speakers Series: George Ritzer •
George Ritzer of the University of Maryland spoke at DSG on "How Can Today’s Globalized Temples of Consumption Avoid Becoming Tomorrow’s Global Dinosaurs?"
• •
George Ritzer, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, spoke at DSG on "How Can Today’s Globalized Temples of Consumption Avoid Becoming Tomorrow’s Global Dinosaurs?"

According to Ritzer, the consumerism that characterizes the US economy and has spread through globalization throughout the world has already slowed and is likely to diminish further. Attended by students, policy makers and other key stakeholders, Prof. Ritzer’s insightful talk, which came as part of the School’s "Distinguished Lectures" series, demonstrated how the current hyper-consumption patterns that we are witnessing today are a legacy of globalization at its height.

"While globalization gave people access to goods and even places, the idea of a ‘spectacle’ took precedence with a preoccupation towards aiming for the tallest building, the biggest burger, the largest meal - anything that would wow consumers and make them consume even more. This happened immediately after World War II when the US emerged as the predominant production house for the world and the only superpower. Along with this came the rise of techniques and tools to make this consumption possible, such as modern day advertising and time and space manipulation.

"While the US has emerged as the primary example of a hyper-consumer society, with credit cards given even to college kids without jobs, other societies such as Macau or Dubai are following this pattern, which may prove extremely dangerous and destructive to their people."

Prof. Ritzer predicted that many "cathedrals of consumption," such as giant shopping malls, luxury cruise ships, hotel casinos and theme parks are likely to become extinct soon, with the current economic crisis hi

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:38:07 GMT
Fadi Salem • Workshop on ICT and Innovation •
Together with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Microsoft, DSG conducted a workshop to explore utilizing ICT to foster a culture of innovation for youth empowerment in the UAE.
• •
Together with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Microsoft, DSG conducted a workshop to explore utilizing ICT to foster a culture of innovation for youth empowerment in the UAE.

This workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Culture and other federal government departments, as well as experts and scholars from the Dubai School of Government and private sector practitioners from Microsoft, to brainstorm and explore the potential of creating a culture of innovation in the UAE. Fadi Salem organized and co-designed the workshop with Microsoft.

The discussions focused on topics including whether ICT-enabled educational initiatives can help youth to develop creative thinking skills and innovative approaches to learning; how technology can rewire information flows between society and government and transform social trust; how government can measure the effectiveness of ICT in creating a culture of innovation, and defining the role of ICT in helping youth develop analytical thinking, communication skills, societal integration, entrepreneurial skills and professional ethics.

•

Participation of 5 Ministries and Instututions - Al Khaleej

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:23:47 GMT
• Senator Bob Graham Speaks on US Relations with the Muslim World •
Former US Senator and presidential candidate Bob Graham delivered a talk at the School entitled "From 9/11 to Barack Obama: US Relations with the Muslim World."
• •
Former US Senator and presidential candidate Bob Graham delivered a talk at the School entitled "From 9/11 to Barack Obama: US Relations with the Muslim World."

Pragmatism, hope and mutual respect will increasingly characterize relations between the US and the Arab world under the Obama administration for the benefit of both regions, according to Senator Graham, two-term governor of Florida and a former member of the US Senate for 18 years.

Senator Graham said: "While the relations between the US and the Arab world have soured in the last eight years, the trend has already begun to reverse with several bold initiatives being undertaken by President Barack Obama, and all of them point in the right direction."

Speaking of terrorism and global threats emanating from organizations that intend to spread violence and hatred, Senator Graham pointed out the US administration is making concerted efforts to pre-empt and prevent further attacks in any part of the world. But the means of doing this will be markedly different from those of the previous administration, he pointed out.

Speaking of President Obama and what the Arab world can expect in terms of US relations, he said: "He is a remarkable person who is very gifted. He is also a pragmatist who does not heavily rely on any ideology to solve problems in the real world. An incrementalist, he is adept at solving problems one by one – setting goals and finding solutions step by step.

"One can expect him to do the right thing when it comes to dealing with the Middle East and other international issues as he has a unique background, being the son of a Muslim father and a Caucasian mother, having been raised in Indonesia and st

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:14:18 GMT
• Abraaj Capital CEO Arif Naqvi Speaks on Economic Prospects •
DSG welcomed Abraaj Capital CEO Arif Naqvi for a Policy Forum on "The Economic Outlook for the MENASA Region: Taking Stock in Light of the Global Downturn."
• •
DSG welcomed Abraaj Capital CEO Arif Naqvi for an April 27 Policy Forum on "The Economic Outlook for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA): Taking Stock in Light of the Global Downturn."

Mr. Naqvi began by painting an overview of the current crisis, characterizing it as "fueled by greed and inadequate regulation," while faulting excessive leverage and short-term thinking as well. Noting that the speed of the implosion took everyone by surprise, he predicted that the likely outcome is a deep recession, with a paradigm shift toward emerging markets as the new global engines of growth.

He compared the current situation not with the Great Depression of the early 20th century, but rather with the situation of Europe in the 1870s. Then, as now, developed economies had enjoyed several decades of big spending, with the subsequent emergence of a new global superpower (the United States in the 1870s, and China currently). He called for sustained coordination among world leaders, a series of G20 meetings to plan actions, and new regulation to prevent a recurrence of the excesses which led to the current situation. Ultimately, according to Naqvi, "it will be a long, hard grind, but we will work our way out of this problem" in a few years.

Looking to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region, Naqvi painted a considerably more optimistic picture. He noted that GCC countries possess about 62 percent of world oil reserves, and predicted that oil will continue to drive the global economy for a long time to come, with prices ranging from $50 to $80 in the short- to medium-term. Other factors which Naqvi predicts will drive growth rates of five percent in the MENASA region in

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:51:00 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Paul Dyer • Launch of Taqeem Program to Evaluate Youth Education and Entrepreneurship •
DSG helps to launch Taqeem, a program housed under the Middle East Youth Initiative, which will promote impact evaluation to generate new solutions to youth challenges in the Middle East.
• •
In association with Silatech, the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings, and the Issam Fares Institute at American University of Beirut, DSG has announced Taqeem - a new program that will undertake and promote impact evaluation across the Middle East in the critical areas of employment and entrepreneurship. The launch took place at the 2009 Doha Summit on Young People, Enterprise, and Employment and was attended by Tarik Yousef and Paul Dyer.

Taqeem, housed within the Middle East Youth Initiative, will focus on impact evaluation to generate new solutions to youth challenges by linking effective policy, sound knowledge and smart investment. The program will employ a holistic and integrated approach working with public and private stakeholders on regional, national, and local levels to achieve the following goals:

Measure the impact of interventions to influence the next generation of policies and programs targeting youth. Taqeem will undertake impact evaluations of local programs and policies. By doing so, the new program will assist policymakers and civil society in establishing standards for effective policymaking. Through streamlining benchmarking efforts, Taqeem will also generate best practices for policymakers, civil society, and private sector stakeholders.

Drive smar

DSG News

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:43:09 GMT
Tarek Coury • Monetary Policy, De-leveraging and Deflation in the UAE •
In his latest Op-Ed for Khaleej Times, Tarek Coury discusses de-leveraging in the real estate and stock market and the possible effects of deflation in the UAE.
• •
By Tarek Coury

The biggest proportion of the consumer price index, or CPI, for the UAE is housing. The fall in the real-estate market has caused inflation to fall.

This may seem like good news for consumers but the profit squeeze resulting from slower price increases or an outright deflationary episode may eventually translate into lower money wages and increase the rate of unemployment. Consumers’ perceived gains from an eventual deflation may be just another case of “money illusion”: If money wages fall by the same proportion as prices, purchasing power is unlikely to change much.

We know that the high inflation rates and inflation volatility experienced in the UAE in the past few years have been a consequence of high levels of economic growth and high oil prices. They have also negatively impacted growth both in the UAE and the GCC since its creation in the early 1980s.

This of course reflects in part the costs of the fixed exchange rate regime that Gulf States have adopted in the past few decades; clearly a second-best policy given institutional challenges that are present in the Gulf. What are the real risks associated with a prolonged deflationary episode in the UAE?

Before we answer this question, let’s see what constitutes the main problem posed by a so-called “deflationary trap”: a well-functioning economy has a rate of output growth that corresponds to some stable rate of inflation.

This is why many big economies like the UK, the US and the Eurozone have a (more or less explicitly-defined) policy of using monetary policy

DSG News

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:19:39 GMT
• Conference: "Gender and Economics in MENA: from Theory to Policymaking" •
In partnership with the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the World Bank, the Dubai School of Government organized and hosted a conference on November 16-17 entitled "Gender and Economics in MENA: from Theory to Policymaking."
• •
In partnership with the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the World Bank, the Dubai School of Government organized and hosted a conference on November 16-17 entitled "Gender and Economics in MENA: from Theory to Policymaking." The conference brought together over 130 scholars, policy makers, media and NGO representatives from throughout the region for two days of dialogue.

The event featured winners of the research competition of the Gender Economic Research and Policy Analysis (GERPA), who presented their findings on a variety of cross-cutting gender themes such as education, employment, health and poverty in the Middle East. This was followed on November 17 with an exploration of how gender sensitive research can be disseminated and more effectively integrated within teaching programs and in policymaking processes.

HE Mr. Nabil Alyousuf, Executive President and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government, opened the gathering by emphasizing the importance of gender-sensitive policies due to the effect of gender inequality on national social and economic development. Alyousuf also noted the role of the Dubai School of Government, and particularly its Gender and Public Policy Research Initiative, in promoting gender research and greater awareness of gender issues throughout the public policy community in the Arab world.

Nobel Economics Laureate Professor Gary Becker of the University of Chicago delivered a keynote speech on "Women in Higher Education." Becker described “a notable and rapid increase of the percentage of women in hi

DSG News

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:08:59 GMT
• The Concept of "Gender" and the Distribution of Social Roles in the UAE Community •
Dr. Suaad Al-Oreimi, Assistant Professor of Sociology at UAE University, highlights the concept of gender and how to deal with it from a religious-cultural perspective in the UAE society.
• •
Dr. Suaad Al-Oreimi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the United Arab Emirates University, delivered a lecture entitled:"Gender and the Patriarchal System in the UAE", in which she highlighted the concepts of "gender" and "patriarchy" and how to tackle them from a socio- religious and cultural perspective in UAE society.

She defined "Patriarchy", as a socio-economic system or structure which transfers absolute authority to men. It is based on men’s complete control and widespread power within the family. This system is based on the accumulation of capital and concentration of power in institutions like the family, tribe and the nation. She then defined the concept of "Gender" as a social construct which attributes different roles to women and men. Definitions of gender vary somewhat from one culture to another, based on the division of labor and the need for women’s work. Gender is also defined by biology and the physiological structure of women and men. Next, Dr. Al-Oreimi explored the origins of patriarchal societies through a short literature review, and provided explanations of patriarchy by authors such as Maria Mais; Marx and Engels and Nancy Hardsok. Women’s movements have attributed the development of the patriarchal system to the historical division of labor within the household and amongst family members, which has been further compounded by the capitalist system.

Dr. Al-Oreimi also outlined some of the earlier phases in history, prior to the institutionalization of patriarchy, such as the hunter-gatherer phase, followed by the matriarchal structure, during which women reigned over the family and controlled the soci

DSG News

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:05:42 GMT
• Rebuilding and Reforming Public Administration in Iraq •
Larry Cooley, President of Management Systems International, discusses their efforts to promote government effectiveness and reform in Iraq’s public sector in a talk entitled "Back to the Future: Rebuilding and Reforming Public Management in Iraq."
• •
In this lecture Larry Cooley, Founder and President of Management Systems International (MSI), who has been involved in an ambitious project to reform public administration in Iraq discussed the current state of public administration in Iraq against the backdrop of its recent history. Mr. Cooley began by stating that Middle Eastern countries have consistently scored very poorly according to government effectiveness indicators, with 50 percent of the countries being in the 25th percentile or below.

Tatweer is an MSI program in Iraq that has been running since August 2006. It aims to improve government effectiveness by implementing comprehensive public management reforms across the country. This is the largest US-funded public administration program since Vietnam, employing approximately 300 professionals, and is expected to run until December 2010. The approach used for implementing the reforms has been a combination of three strategies - top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out. The goals of this ambitious project are to improve the basic public management skills of 80,000 civil servants, who account for 15 percent of the civil service in Iraq; develop the internal capacity of the managers for skills development; and modernize the public administration system to ensure that the ministries and government institutions involved in the program will be capable of effectively conducting four main activities: regulation, policy making, enforcement and service delivery.

Although it is difficult to assess the success of the program at such an early stage in the implementation process, Mr. Cooley argued that these public manage

DSG News

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:15:33 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh, Tarik Yousef • Arab Education Discussed at Fourth Arab World Conference •
Tarik Yousef moderates panel on education at Harvard Arab Alumni Association’s Fourth Arab World Conference titled "The Arab World: Shaping the Future," organized with the help of DSG.
• •
On May 28, DSG helped to organize a panel on education at Harvard Arab Alumni Association’s Fourth Arab World Conference that took place in Cairo. The conference, titled "The Arab World: Shaping the Future," drew over 200 attendees and featured four panels on the topics of finance, economics, education and media. The conference was held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister of Egypt, and introductory and keynote speeches were given by Prof. Jorge Dominiguez, Harvard Vice Provost for International Affairs, and H.E. Mr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Egypt’s Finance Minister.

Organized by May Al-Dabbagh, HAAA’s Regional Director for The Middle East, the education conference panel, titled “Arab Education: Public or Private?”, discussed the rise of private education in the Arab World and its impact on public education and shaping the development of the regional workforce. Speakers on the panel included Dr. Lisa Anderson, Provost of the American University in Cairo, Dr. Rafia Ghobash, President of Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Ahmad Galal, Managing Director of the Economic Research Forum, Dr. Rima Khalaf Hunaidi, former Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States and former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan, and DSG’s Dean Tarik Yousef, who was the panel moderator.

Questions addressed by the panelists included the following: What are the driv

DSG News

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:23:52 GMT
• Ohood Al Suwaidi Speaks on Ways of Combating Domestic Violence in the UAE •
Ohood Al Suwaidi, Marketing and Communications Director of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, shed light on the services provided by the shelter for victims of abuse.
• •
Mrs. Ohood Al Suwaidi, Marketing and Communications Director of the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC), delivered a lecture entitled "Ways of Combating Domestic Violence in the UAE," as part of the Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series. In this lecture, Mrs. Al Suwaidi provided an overview of the services that have been provided by the shelter since its establishment in 2007. As the first licensed not-for-profit shelter for women and children in Dubai, DFWAC serves three categories of victims: domestic abuse, child abuse and human trafficking victims. Although the foundation provides a safe shelter for over 200 women, it also offers free counseling and other services to victims residing in Dubai.

According to its 2008 Annual Report, 37% of the victims residing at the shelter have suffered from domestic abuse, 32% have suffered from child abuse, and 28% have been categorized as human trafficking cases. Though the majority, or 78%, of victims were found to be expatriates, all remaining victims who are UAE nationals have been found to be victims of domestic or child abuse. Moreover, the number of victims admitted to the shelter since the beginning of 2009 has already far surpassed the total number of victims that had been taken in to the shelter in 2008.

Mrs. Al Suwaidi stressed that the organization also aims to contribute to legislations in combating violence against women and children. In fact, they are currently working closely with the government on policies related to the first Child Protection Law. The lecture was attended by students from UAE University and the Dubai Aviation College, in addition to representatives from the Emirate

DSG News

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:40:22 GMT
• Centralization and Decentralization in the Middle East and North Africa •
Mehmet Serkan Tosun Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno spoke on "Centralization, Decentralization and Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa."
• •
Mehmet Serkan Tosun, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno presented the findings of "Centralization, Decentralization, and Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa," a World Bank Policy Research Working Paper coauthored with Serdar Yilmaz. The paper examines the intergovernmental structure in the Middle East and North Africa region, which has one of the most centralized government structures in the world.

Tosun began by discussing the costs, benefits and determinants of decentralization. The author next addressed the reasons behind the centralized structure in the region by looking first at the history behind the tax systems of the region. He reviewed the Ottoman taxation system, which has been predominantly influential as a model, and discussed its impact on current government structure. Tosun then examined the type and degree of decentralization in five countries representative of the region: Egypt, Iran, West Bank/Gaza, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Finally, Tosun emphasized the importance of gathering more data on this topic in the MENA countries as cross-country regression analysis using panel data for a broader set of countries could lead to a better understanding of the factors behind heavy centralization in the region. He concluded by arguing that the research so far shows that external conflicts constitute a major roadblock to decentralization in the region.
•

Audio of the Presentation

• •

DSG News

Thu, 28 May 2009 12:35:41 GMT
Fadi Salem • Conference on ICT and Development •
DSG has joined with the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) to host the 10th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries.
• •
From May 26 to 28, DSG joined with the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) to host the 10th International Conference of the IFIP 9.4 working group on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries. Under the theme of “Assessing the Contribution of ICT to Development Goals,” over 100 representatives from the policy making and ICT communities gathered at the School to discuss how information and communication technologies can contribute to meeting development goals such as health care, poverty reduction and education.

Panel discussions during the three-day event focused on topics such as ICT policy, health information systems, financial services and development, and ICT and development theory. Keynote addresses were delivered by Chrisanthi Avgerou, Professor of Information Systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science, George Ritzer, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, and Victor Pineda, Visiting Scholar at the Dubai School of Government.

DSG’s Fadi Salem co-edited the conference proceedings with Elaine Byrne and Brian Nicholson. The proceedings are now available on the DSG Web site (http://www.dsg.ae) and the conference Web site (http://ifip.dsg.ae).
•

Conference Web site

Tarek Coury • Whither the Monetary Union •
Tarek Coury explores the consequences of the UAE’s recent decision to withdraw from Gulf monetary union in an editorial published in The Khaleej Times.
• •
By Tarek Coury

What are the consequences of the UAE pulling out of the planned common currency? Many proponents of the monetary union have been dismayed by the decision of the UAE government to opt out.

Yet, it is not clear that there should be much cause for dismay. The first argument that has been advanced has to do with the threat a GCC currency would pose to the domestic currency. Since Saudi Arabia is in favour for a common currency being initially pegged to the dollar, the risk of a currency attack on the dirham (once the common currency is formed) is rather muted.

The second argument has to do with the viability of the common currency now that the UAE has stepped out. Making sense of this argument is rather more complicated. First, one should consider the criteria for the creation of a successful monetary union and whether the economies comprising the Gulf fulfil these criteria.

Since a common currency involves a unique monetary authority, any decision made regarding interest rate changes will affect the economies of all countries involved. For example, a decrease in the interest rate by the common central bank would stimulate all of the economies involved in the common currency. Of course, if the business cycles of these economies are not synchronised, this policy instrument will benefit some but hurt others. As it turns out, the economies of the Gulf States do not display much in the way of synchronised business cycles (as measured by correlations of output gaps and CPI-induced inflation).

Therefore the costs of joining this currency area for any given country are ra

DSG News

Thu, 28 May 2009 05:42:42 GMT
Bryan Early • Research Seminar Series: Bryan Early •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Bryan Early spoke on "Trading with Sanctioned States: A Case Study of the UAE’s Commercial Relationship with Iran during US Sanctions."
• •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Bryan Early spoke on "Trading with Sanctioned States: A Case Study of the UAE’s Commercial Relationship with Iran during US Sanctions."

Early detailed the results of his ongoing research from over 100 cases of US-imposed sanctions from 1950 to 2000. He noted that in the past half-century, no other country has employed economic sanctions more than the United States. US sanctions often have far reaching political and commercial effects that extend far beyond its relationships with the states it sanctions. Indeed, the US often attempts to compel other countries to participate in its efforts. Yet even as its sanctions can disrupt their targets’ trade relationships with other countries, they also create commercial opportunities for the states that do not participate in them.

He detailed how the US sanctions against Iran have affected the UAE’s commercial relationship with Iran, evaluating how the UAE has balanced its strategic partnership with the U.S., while at the same time becoming Iran’s chief entrepôt for international trade and investment.
•

Audio of the Presentation

•

DSG News

Thu, 28 May 2009 05:41:02 GMT
Khalid Al-Yahya • Mohamed Aljishi Speaks on Human Resources in the Gulf •
In "The New Role of HR: Theory and Practice," Mohamed Aljishi discussed the challenges and opportunities facing HR professionals in the Gulf region.
• •
In "The New Role of HR: Theory and Practice," Mohamed Aljishi, HR Consultant of the VP of Human Resources in Saudi ARAMCO, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing HR professionals in the Gulf region. Khalid Al-Yahya of the Dubai School of Government delivered opening remarks on "The Neglected HR Issues in the Current Policy Debate on the Role of HR in Organizational Development & Success."

The speakers described how the recent realities of the global economic environment and shrinking financial and human resources have refocused attention on the strategic role of HR in the Gulf region. In spite of this recent recognition, however, the current debate on the relationship of HR with organizational development and performance continues to neglect major issues that affect these linkages, and thus the effectiveness and success of most HR development and management practices.

Dr. Aljishi highlighted the emerging roles that human resources professionals are increasingly asked to play in organizations, as well as the new capabilities that they must acquire if they are to survive. He contrasted this with the on-the-ground reality which prevails in many organizations, and presented his ideas on how organizations can develop a strategy which most effectively utilizes their human capital.

Currently the HR Consultant of the VP of Human Resources in Saudi ARAMCO, Mohamed Aljishi has 30 years experience in the company, covering a wide variety of HR functions with a focus on human capital management, change facilitation and organization alignment.
•

Natasha Ridge • Getting What You Pay for From a Private Education •
In an editorial in Monday’s issue of The National, Natasha Ridge explains why governments have an important role to play in private education.
• •
By Natasha Ridge

The release of the annual report of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) marks an important step forward in improving the quality of education in Dubai and the UAE. Part of what makes the KHDA endeavour so important is its monitoring and regulation of the private education sector. In light of the recent dispute between the GEMS group, which runs 26 private schools in the UAE, and KHDA it is worth examining why governments have an important role to play in private education.

According to the latest UNESCO figures, government spending on education worldwide totals nearly $2 trillion a year. It is only relatively recently that the private sector realised the potential profits to be made. Globally, there has been a steady increase in the number of companies specialising in educational services.

And private companies not only run private schools, but increasingly also are involved in running public schools and advising governments on how to run school systems. Examples of all of these can be found in Britain, the US and now in the UAE, where we have a large private school system, public-private partnerships and a growing use of private firms to plan education strategies.

But what does this mean for parents? First, the KHDA report tells us 85 per cent of students in Dubai are in private schools. Secondly, we know that non-nationals are typically not able to attend public schools. So for private providers of education in Dubai, there is a captive market. And as private companies acquire more schools, consumers – parents and students – face le

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 12:31:23 GMT
• Financial Times Highlights Youth Initiative Report •
An article in Wednesday’s Financial Times highlights the findings of a report recently released by the Middle East Youth Initiative.
• •
An article in Wednesday’s Financial Times highlights the findings of a report recently released by the Middle East Youth Initiative. Written by Andrew England, "Downturn pressures Mideast jobs market," describes the conclusions of "Missed by the Boom, Hurt by the Bust."

The article can be read in full here.
•

Missed by the Boom, Hurt by the Bust

Middle East Youth Initiative

• •

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:39:07 GMT
• Anita Weiss on the Crisis of the State in Pakistan •
Professor Anita Weiss of the University of Oregon spoke on the current situation in Pakistan and its relation to the weakening of the state in recent years.
• •
Professor Anita Weiss of the University of Oregon spoke on the current situation in Pakistan and its relation to the weakening of the state in recent years. In "The Crisis of the State in Pakistan," Weiss described the current situation in the context of a series of constitutional crises between the executive and judicial branches of the country involving the dismissal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, crackdowns on the media, and the gradual delegitimization of the political class in the eyes of many Pakistanis.

According to Weiss, while many in Pakistan point to India as the source of the current conflict with the Taliban, the causes of the crisis of the state are "deeply internal." She noted that the economy is in a very difficult situation, the court system is very costly and time consuming, the current government is unable to pursue its agenda, and the organs of the state are often incapable of effective governance throughout much of the country. Combined with squabbling between the police, army, security and intelligence services, the weakness of the state has opened the door for some areas of the country to turn to hardline religious groups as an alternative.

She asserted that there is a broad and inclusive consensus against the Taliban throughout the country, and that the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis are impatient with the perceived inability or unwillingness of the government to address their increased presence. Pointing to the future, Weiss expressed hope in a growing resurgence of civil society in Pakistan.
• • •

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:54:19 GMT
• Protecting the Environment and Reducing Organizational Costs •
Francois Feuillet, General Manager of Lexmark Middle East, described how to strengthen the relationship between environmental responsibility and organizational cost effectiveness.
• •
In "A Win-Win Solution: Protecting the Environment and Reducing Organizational Costs," Francois Feuillet, General Manager of Lexmark Middle East, described ways to strengthen the relationship between environmental responsibility and organizational cost effectiveness.

Feuillet began by noting that the business environment is increasingly changing toward increased support for environmental sustainability, with changes in expectations from government, civil society, customers and the media. Whereas environmental conservation has often been considered a burdensome cost for businesses, higher energy costs, regulatory compliance measures and corporate social responsibility have shifted the ground in favor of greater conservation.

Moreover, Feuillet demonstrated how environmental improvements can substantially reduce an organization’s costs. In addition to measures such as increasing energy efficiency, and cutting waste, carbon emissions, water usage and pollution, reducing office output such as printing offers the potential for substantial savings. The presentation outlined a number of ways in which organizations can reduce their environmental impact while simultaneously improving profitability through efficiency.
•

Audio of the Presentation

• •

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:39:30 GMT
• IMF Director Speaks on Implications of the Global Economic Slowdown •
Masood Ahmed, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the IMF, spoke to DSG students, faculty and researchers on economic prospects for the Middle East and Central Asia.
• •
Masood Ahmed, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the IMF, spoke to a group of students, faculty and researchers from the Dubai School of Government on the implications of the global financial crisis on the Middle East and Central Asia, the measures adopted by various countries in response to these shocks, and the IMF views on policies needed to mitigate the impact of the global slowdown.

The talk comes in the context of the recent launch of the IMF’s May 2009 Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia.
• • •

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 08:09:07 GMT
Fatma Abdulla • A Closer Look at Gender Parity in UAE Health Care •
In an editorial in The National, Fatma Abdulla argues that a shift in health policy will reduce the prevalence of "lifestyle diseases" which disproportionately target women.
• •
By Fatma Abdulla

Despite its short history, the UAE has achieved substantial improvements in health for both men and women. These improvements were achieved through a remarkable reduction in communicable diseases through better sanitation, immunisation and improved access to health care in both rural and urban communities. However, economic development has also led to an increased prevalence of non-communicable or "lifestyle" diseases.

In 2008, the World Economic Forum produced the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), which evaluates countries on how equitably they distribute resources and opportunities between women and men, assessing gender gaps in four main areas: education, economic opportunity, health and survival and political participation. In the health and survival sub-index, the UAE achieved the worldwide average, having closed 96 per cent of the gender gap in this category.

In the UAE, rapid changes in nutritional habits and the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles have resulted in the increased incidence of such non-communicable ailments as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, resulting in a lowering of healthy life expectancy in general, and of female life expectancy in particular.

An important finding from the health and survival sub-index relates to "healthy life expectancy" – the number of years men and women can expect to live in the absence of disease, violence and other factors that impact longevity. While the World Health Organisation estimated life expectancy at 75 years for males and 78 years for females in the UAE

DSG News

Thu, 14 May 2009 06:58:04 GMT
Victor Pineda • Victor Pineda Foundation Conducts Workshop on Special Needs Education • The Victor Pineda Foundation held a three-day workshop for 40 educators on the needs of special needs students. Victor Pineda is a Visiting Scholar at the Dubai School of Government. • •
The Victor Pineda Foundation recently held a workshop on the needs of special needs students for about 40 special-needs teachers, supervisors and school principals from the UAE. Held in Sharjah at the Regional Centre for Educational Planning, the workshop included case studies, problem solving and an overview of new educational techniques and trends. It comes in the context of an ambitious plan by the Ministry of Education to integrate children with special needs into state schools during the upcoming academic year.

The Victor Pineda Foundation (VPF) is an educational non-profit organization that promotes the rights and dignities of young people with disabilities. The organization’s founder, Victor Pineda, is a Visiting Scholar at the Dubai School of Government.
•

"School pilot programme opens door to disabled"

Victor Pineda Foundation

• 542 •

DSG News

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:50:41 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Asma Siddiki • Moroccan Ambassador Visits DSG •
HE Mr. Abdul Kader Zawi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, visited the Dubai School of Government for discussions possibilities of future cooperation between DSG and Morocco.
• •
HE Mr. Abdul Kader Zawi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, visited the Dubai School of Government for discussions possibilities of future cooperation between DSG and Morocco.

While at the School, he met with Dean Tarik Yousef and Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki.
• • 274,265 •

DSG News

Thu, 07 May 2009 14:43:20 GMT
• Jeffrey Williamson Speaks on Third World Emigration •
Harvard University Professor and leading economist Jeffrey G. Williamson presented an overview of his most recent work on Third World emigration.
• •
Harvard University Professor and leading economist Jeffrey G. Williamson presented an overview of his most recent work on Third World emigration to an audience of academics, students and policy makers at DSG on May 6.

Williamson first presented the commonly received wisdom on Third World emigration to Western countries, which is that it is likely to rise rapidly in coming decades, and that this can only be stemmed through restrictive immigration policies and the growth of economies in the sending countries. According to Williamson, who analyzed data going back to the 18th century, emigration numbers typically follow a cycle. In the current cycle, Third World emigration rates to the US have been level or declining since a peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the current economic crisis will only serve to accelerate those trends. The exception to this pattern is African emigration, which has risen sharply instead of declining. Following from this, Williamson posited that the typical immigrant to the United States will increasingly be of African origin.

Prof. Williamson noted that paradoxically, emigration rates often rise sharply when countries begin to experience solid economic growth, attributing this primarily to the acquisition of usable skills by emigrant labor population. He also focused on other economic and demographic fundamentals driving emigration life cycles to the US, including income and education gaps between the US and the sending country, poverty traps and the size of the cohort at risk in the sending country, and the migrant stock in the US. In closing, he projected that pressure on Third World emigration over the next two decades will not increase, and then it will decline.

Professor W

DSG News

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:33:42 GMT
• Distinguished Speakers Series: Suad Joseph •
Dr. Suad Joseph founding Director of the Middle East/South Asia Studies Program at the University of California, Davis, delivered a talk in DSG’s Distinguished Speakers series on March 23.
• •
Stereotyping of any religion or ethnicity needs to be challenged, and the patterns of misrepresentation of Muslims by even some of the more respected Western media may have long-term negative implications, according to Dr. Suad Joseph, founding Director of the Middle East/South Asia Studies Program at the University of California, Davis.

Dr. Joseph’s comments came during a talk organized by the Dubai School of Government as part of its Distinguished Speakers series hosted for students, policy makers and members of the public. The talk was co-hosted by DSG's Gender and Public Policy Research Initiative.

Throughout the lecture, Dr. Joseph shared her insights about the US media and its representation of Muslims, following extensive research she conducted with her team on the New York Times, the leading liberal US newspaper, and the Wall Street Journal, the leading conservative newspaper. The focus of her DSG talk was commentary (Op-Ed) articles in the Wall Street Journal from 2000-2007. The objective of the exercise was to assess whether there was a systematic pattern of representation in the most highly respected news media in the US.

Dr. Suad Joseph said: "What we discovered in our research is that post 9/11, there has been a renewed interest in the Muslim world in the US. However, some of this media interest has displayed systematic patterns of misrepresentation. Many WSJ writers of Op-Ed articles have painted Muslims, Islam, and Arabs in negative and derogatory terms."

She and her research partners have found a systematic misrepresentation of Islam, Muslims, Muslim Americans, and Arab Americans, as "alien," and as people both incomprehens

DSG News

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:12:46 GMT
• Gender Research Seminar: Maryam Sultan Lootah •
Dr. Maryam Sultan Lootah delivered a talk in the Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series entitled "Political Culture and Women's Empowerment in the Arab World."
• •
Dr. Maryam Sultan Lootah, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the United Arab Emirates University, delivered a talk in the Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series entitled "Political Culture and Women's Empowerment in the Arab World." In the lecture, which was delivered in Arabic, Dr. Lootah employed a holistic approach to examining the causes behind the “Arab” decline and the decline in the status of Arab women, specifically women’s low levels of political participation. Dr. Lootah asserted that both causes are intrinsically connected, and that one cannot improve women’s status in the Arab world without improving the overall Arab reality.

Based on the premise that there is a directly proportional relationship between values for change and political participation, Dr. Lootah argued that the more deeply rooted values for change are in a particular societal culture, the more likely opportunities for genuine political participation will arise amongst its members, and vice versa. She focused on five main focal points: first, the “Arab” condition and movement toward political participation; second, values of participation in Arab culture; third, Arab political reality and the stalling of social progress; fourth, Arab political culture and values of change and preservation; finally, Dr. Lootah examined Arab culture and the position of women between empowerment and marginalization.

Dr. Lootah focused on the dynamic and changing nature of Arab society and the struggle for women’s empowerment within it. She presented a chronological overview of political and economic events contributing to many changes in Arab society, from the 1950s (anti-colonial movements) to the present. She looked at th

DSG News

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:44:26 GMT
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/experts/1725/michael_robbins.html?back_url=%2Fproject%2F53%2Fdubai_initiative.html%3Fpage_id%3D17&back_text=Back%20to%20The%20Dubai%20Initiative • Research Seminar Series: Michael Robbins •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Michael Robbins presented a talk on "What Accounts for the Success of Islamist Parties in the Arab World?" in an April 28 Research Seminar.
• •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Michael Robbins presented a talk on "What Accounts for the Success of Islamist Parties in the Arab World?" in an April 28 Research Seminar.

Robbins began by listing a number of definitions of "political Islam," noting that all of them have in common "Islam used instrumentally for a political end." He noted the distinction between Islamist groups (who attempt to win power militarily), movements (who seek to change society through grassroots movements, e.g. the Muslim Brotherhood) and parties (who participate in the political process, e.g. Hamas, Hezbollah and Islah).

He asserted that in Arab countries where Islamist parties have been allowed to participate in the political process, the success of those parties has varied over time within the same society, as well as cross-nationally. According to Arab Barometer, a survey project of Arab countries carried out by the Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan, support for Islamist parties ranged from 1.4 percent in Jordan to 41 percent in Palestine.

In the case of Jordan, support for the Islamic Action Front has dropped dramatically over the last two decades. In Yemen, support for Islah has remained largely constant, while within the West Bank and Gaza support for Hamas has increased dramatically during the same period. In all three cases, political parties are legal and have been allowed to compete in elections and each of these parties represents a relatively similar political ideology derived primarily from the teachi

DSG News

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:07:49 GMT
• Australian Professors Discuss the Role of Turkey •
DSG welcomed Professor Joseph Camelleri, Dr. Michalis Michael, and Dr. Luca Anceschi of Australia’s Latrobe University for a discussion on "Turkey’s Role in Europe and the Middle East."
• •
DSG welcomed Professor Joseph Camelleri, Dr. Michalis Michael, and Dr. Luca Anceschi of Australia’s Latrobe University for a discussion on "Turkey’s Role in Europe and the Middle East."

Dr. Michalis Michael, Research Fellow at the Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, led much of the discussion, which focused on the changing identity of Turkey and its role in the region. Dr. Michael noted the significance of US President Barack Obama’s choice of Turkey as the location for a recent address to the Muslim world. Recounting Turkey’s "historic dilemma" between East and West, he outlined the polarity of Turkish society. While there is a strong "Western, secular" Turkey, there is also an "Eastern, Islamist" Turkey.

Dr. Michael recounted a number of key years in Turkey’s history, including the foundation of the secular republic by Kemal Ataturk in 1923, the country’s first military coup in 1960, the Cyprus crisis in 1974, and the first Gulf War in 1990. He emphasized the importance of resolving the Cyprus issue in order to unblock Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Professor Joseph Camelleri presented an overview of the Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, of which he is the Director.
•

Audio of the Presentation

Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University

• •

DSG News

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:05:53 GMT
Stephen J. Ramos • Stephen Ramos: Dubai as a Port City •
Dubai Initiative Fellow Stephen Ramos presented "Dubai as a Port City" at a DSG Research Seminar on April 14.
• •
Dubai Initiative Fellow Stephen Ramos presented "Dubai as a Port City" at a DSG Research Seminar on April 14. Ramos began by describing the work of Ronen Palan and Jason Abbot, who claim in their work on the notion of the "competitive state" that the competitive state promotes policies that will promote national competitiveness as the driving force for economic development and, in pursuit of this objective, switch its focus from traditional demand-side measures to the supply-side measures. Throughout the presentation, Ramos explored the spatial expression of this development logic in Dubai, and demonstrated how this switch has signified the end of comprehensive master planning, giving way to the predominance of interrelated large-scale infrastructural developments that are responsive to a matrix of global flows of goods, services and capital.

According to Ramos, four principal processes comprise Dubai’s particular brand of urbanism. First, it has employed a large-scale, supply-side developmental strategy, with strategically linked infrastructural projects. Second, the transportation structure has been used to loosely guide infill development. Third, Ramos asserted that Dubai’s urbanism is characterized by "typological borrowing, prototyping and replication according to location requirements." Finally, this replication and borrowing is characterized by amplification, as well as programmatic and scalar intensification.

Ramos recounted a number of key milestones in Dubai’s development, beginning in 1960 with the dredging of the Creek and the first master plan

DSG News

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:03:29 GMT
• Microsoft VP Speaks on Technology’s Role in Social Issues •
On April 13, the School hosted Anoop Gupta, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Unlimited Potential Group, for a lecture on "Key Societal Issues and Microsoft’s Technology Vision."
• •
In today’s world, technology has a greater role to play in education and empowerment, the two key factors that increase the community’s access to information and eventually contribute to poverty alleviation, according to Anoop Gupta, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Unlimited Potential Group.

Gupta’s remarks came during an April 13 talk at the Dubai School of Government entitled "Key Societal Issues and Microsoft’s Technology Vision." The event was attended by students, policy makers and other key stakeholders.

Gupta said: "At Microsoft, we believe technology can impact people’s lives, enriching them significantly while enabling governments and private institutions to effectively tackle global poverty.

"Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential Group has analyzed the possible impact of building a valuable cycle of sustained social and economic development. This cycle drives communities, helps build connections to form new communities, and is fuelled by local and global partnerships. Most importantly, it ultimately becomes locally sustainable, a key indicator of the effectiveness of such programs and a long-term measure of success. Personal and professional connections are made easily, while products and services are sold conveniently. Progress is also achieved more readily. Yet, for more than five billion people the opportunity to learn, connect, create, and succeed still remains elusive."

One of the initiatives under the umbrella, the "Partners in Learning" program, is active in over 101 countries and aims to enhance learning by integrating technology and providing a platform for knowledge creation and dissemination. It has reached over four million teachers and more

DSG News

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:11:41 GMT
• Larisa V. Shavinina on Leadership •
Professor Larisa V. Shavinina of the University of Québec en Outaouais (UQO) spoke on "Why Leadership Talents are Even More Important During an Economic Downturn."
• •
Professor Larisa V. Shavinina of the University of Québec en Outaouais (UQO) spoke on "Why Leadership Talents are Even More Important During an Economic Downturn."

According to Dr. Shavinina, superior leadership is comprised of seven essential talents—creative abilities and exceptional innovation, great excellence, practical intuition, applied wisdom, managerial talent, entrepreneurial giftedness, and courage. If one of these seven talents is not well developed, people and organizations/companies are in trouble and at risk, while the rare combination of these unique talents paves the right road to success.

Dr. Shavina asserted that the lack of these talents, as well as the rarity of true wisdom, explains why innovation does not happen very often, as well as the high mortality rate amongst new start-up companies. The right combination of those seven unique talents becomes critical in times of economic recession. She pointed out that some great businesspersons are actually not greatly affected by the crisis. Why? Because they possess exceptional wisdom and the six other talents previously mentioned. The bottom line is that the combination of well developed creative abilities, exceptional innovation, great excellence, practical intuition, applied wisdom, managerial talent, and entrepreneurial giftedness are abilities that can serve an organization well through good and bad times. Dr. Shavina emphasized that individuals and businesses should be wise, innovative, creative, excellent, talented, and entrepreneurial, as well as rely on their intuition. If organizations subscribe to this approach, then they will succeed and thrive even during tough economic times.

Larisa V. Shavinina, Ph.D., is a Professor of Project

DSG News

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:47:50 GMT
Hafed Al-Ghwell • Hafed Al-Ghwell Interview on BBC • DSG Director of External Affairs Hafed Al-Ghwell appeared on the BBC's "Middle East Business Report," commenting on the importance of transparency and access to information. • •
DSG Director of External Affairs Hafed Al-Ghwell appeared on the BBC's "Middle East Business Report," commenting on the importance of transparency and access to information.

The full interview can be found here.
•

Transparency is Dubai’s Future, March 21, 2009

• 282 •

DSG News

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:49:12 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh,Huda Sajwani,Shaima Gargash, Lana Nusseibeh’ • Report Launched on Women’s Participation in UAE Parliament •
HE Dr. Anwar Gargash announced the release of a joint report by DSG and the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs on women’s participation in the UAE political arena.
• HE Dr. Anwar Gargash with (left to right) report authors Lana Nusseibeh, Dr. May Al-Dabbagh, and researcher Shaima Gargash. Huda Sajwani is not pictured. •

By May Al-Dabbagh, Huda Sajwani, Shaima Gargash, Lana Nusseibeh

His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government (DSG), announced the release of a report on women’s participation in the UAE political arena.

Entitled "Women in Parliament and Politics in the UAE: A Study of the First Federal National Council Elections," the report details the results of an independent study jointly authored by Dubai School of Government’s Gender and Public Policy Program and the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs. Through surveys and interviews of members of Parliament and candidates who stood in the 2006 FNC elections, the study provides specific policy recommendations on how to improve women’s political participation in future elections in the UAE.

DSG News

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:54:27 GMT
• DSG Hosts Leaders from the Chief Executives’ Organization •
On March 19, the School hosted over 50 members of the Chief Executives’ Organization (CEO), an elite community of leaders from the social and business community of the US.
• •
On March 19, the School hosted over 50 members of the Chief Executives’ Organization (CEO), an elite community of leaders from the social and business community of the US. The CEOs exchanged ideas and discussed issues of gender leadership, as well as women’s role in business and the larger community.

Dean Tarik Yousef of the Dubai School of Government addressed the CEOs, saying: "The UAE has set a precedent as one of the most progressive countries in facilitating women’s empowerment. We have women leaders in both the public and private sectors who have not only set the benchmark for the Emirati women, but also for the entire Arab world.

These are role models in the Arab world who are redefining the power dynamics and effectively balancing the gender leadership equation. At DSG, we are very keen to understand this process and to continue promoting increased women’s participation in the government and civil society."

James Ellis, Dean of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and head of the CEO delegation, said: "We are delighted to visit Dubai and interact with the faculty and staff at DSG. We could see for ourselves the marvelous progress the UAE and Dubai have achieved in business and leadership, and we are particularly impressed with the role women play in this part of the world, certainly defying stereotypes.

Women have a lot to contribute to the society, and it is heartening to note the positive attitude of the leadership in the UAE that has aggressively pioneered gender-equality initiatives."

The delegates were given a guided tour of the DSG campus, during whi

DSG News

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:20:49 GMT
• DSG Alumni Association Launched •
His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the DSG Board of Trustees, today inaugurated the DSG Alumni Association.
• •
His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the DSG Board of Trustees, today inaugurated the Dubai School of Government Alumni Association.

High-ranking government officials, various heads of private and public sector organizations and business leaders from throughout the region attended the event, which was held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

DSG also announced the appointment of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, as the first Honorary President of the DSG Alumni Association. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan is an alumnus of a specialized training program from the School, which is the first in the region to offer curricula in public policy and administration through partnerships with globally renowned institutions.

DSG Dean Tarik Yousef said: "The launch of the DSG Alumni Association is a significant milestone for the School. It celebrates the accomplishments of our alumni and ensures that every past student of the institution remains connected. The new body is also an effective platform to keep these professionals informed of the latest developments in public policy, while providing them with continued access to DSG’s community of policy experts.

"It is an honor for the association to be chaired by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan, who is one of our distinguished graduates. We are proud of our academic growth, and look forward to strengthening our bonds with former students who have benefited from our academic and executive education programs. We believe the establishment of the DSG Alumni Association will he

DSG News

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:10:55 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Memorandum of Understanding Signed with Dubai Department of Finance •
On April 20, DSG signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dubai Department of Finance to provide training in financial planning and budgeting.
• •
On April 20, DSG signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dubai Department of Finance to provide training in financial planning and budgeting.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, and Nasser Al-Shaikh, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Finance.

The key objective of the MoU is to provide participants across government entities in Dubai with an advanced understanding of the underlying themes, concepts and principles of financial budgeting, as well as its relationship with fiscal planning and policy.

The five-module certificate program in Public Financial Management will include an introduction to the macroeconomics of budget and fiscal policy, budget planning, budget management and execution, as well as capital budgeting and public investment.

The program will initially offer a comprehensive two-tier training opportunity in financial budgeting and planning for relevant officers in each segment of finance, specifically the division heads and their team members at government entities. The objective is to develop a core group of officials functioning within the government, as well as across public entities.

Dr. Tarik Yousef said: "This timely program will feature an excellent combination of academic and practitioner perspectives on key issues of public financial management. The content is designed to equip officials with the tools and techniques that will help them make informed decisions."

Nasser Al-Shaikh said: "The partnership with DSG will be rewarding, as the

DSG News

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:18:09 GMT
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi • Why Irena Should Find her Home in Abu Dhabi •
DSG Nonresident Fellow Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi lays out Abu Dhabi’s case to host the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in an editorial in The National.
• •
By Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi

Over the past few months a quiet effort has been underway in one of the most recognisable buildings in Abu Dhabi. A team has been carefully assembled under specialised leadership and their mission identified. Their target has been established: her name, Irena, born in Bonn in January 2009 and now in need of a home. The team’s mandate: to secure Irena – short for the International Renewable Energy Agency – a home in Abu Dhabi.

I had the fortune of witnessing first hand how this team, lead by the capable Dr Sultan Al Jaber, presented their case to host Irena to a visiting president of a foreign country in Dubai. It didn’t take too long to win him and his country’s precious vote over. But it was just one success in a more arduous journey.

This is a tough race but no developing country has put out such a bold but realistic proposal to host the global headquarters of any UN entity. The team has travelled to lobby presidents, prime ministers and senior government officials from the 77 signatory nations and approached these country’s allies to lobby them. And they must – two major European cities are also vying to host Irena.

Hosting Irena in the UAE is important because ever since the establishment of the United Nations in the aftermath of the Second World War almost every single entity that was established under its banner has been headquartered in a first world or developed state. Out of the UN’s 192 members only a handful have been honoured by hosting a global headquarters of any of i

DSG News

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:02:51 GMT
• Ambassador Richard Murphy Speaks on Peacemaking •
Ambassador Richard Murphy provided perspective on past and current Arab-Israeli peacemaking efforts at a March 5 lecture at the School entitled "Arab-Israeli Peace Making: A Fresh Start with Obama?"
• •
Ambassador Richard Murphy provided perspective on past and current Arab-Israeli peacemaking efforts at a March 5 lecture at the School entitled "Arab-Israeli Peace Making: A Fresh Start with Obama?"

Amb. Murphy addressed criticisms of American inactivity in recent years, as well as a growing perception in the Arab world that the United States is an "enemy of Islam, "hypocritical in its application of democratic principles, and supportive of repressive regimes within the region. He noted that these views are increasingly shared not only by "Islamists" or "strident nationalists", but also by those who would be considered "moderate" by the West. This perception is a cause for concern by the United States.

He noted that while Israelis overwhelmingly supported the attacks on Gaza, there is now a growing sense of unease, as many see the chances of a negotiated two-state solution slipping away. According to Amb. Murphy, in the absence of a two-state solution, the three remaining alternatives are (1) ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza and total absorption of these areas by Israel, (2) full democracy and equality for all within a one-state framework including the West Bank and Gaza, and (3) "muddling along" in a version of the current situation, whereby Israel imposes an increasingly obvious form of apartheid in order to retain the Jewish nature of Israel while continuing to occupy the territories. Option 3, according to Murphy, is the most likely path, but an increasing number of Americans and Israelis are aware of the short lifespans that apartheid regimes have faced, and hence seek a two-state solution.

Murphy noted a shift in US publ

DSG News

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:44:21 GMT
• Kjetil Selvik on Private Industrialists in Iran •
University of Oslo Assistant Professor and Gulf Research Center Visiting Scholar Kjetil Selvik spoke Wednesday on "Private Industrial Entrepreneurs in the Islamic Republic of Iran."
• •
University of Oslo Assistant Professor and Gulf Research Center Visiting Scholar Kjetil Selvik spoke Wednesday on “Private Industrial Entrepreneurs in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Selvik opened the presentation by noting that private sector entrepreneurs have usually been perceived as "victims" of the Islamic Revolution. This perception, he asserted, has been shaped by events like the Revolutionary Council’s dispossession of the Pahlavi industrial elite in 1979, as well as the general anti-capitalist mood of the revolutionary movement.

However, the revolution also opened up a number of entrepreneurial opportunities for private industrialists. The revolution removed the old bourgeois class and presented remaining industrialists with the opportunity to "prove themselves" and emerge strengthened. Moreover, the Iran-Iraq war, international sanctions, protectionist economic policies and government subsidies gave entrepreneurs both a strong market for their goods and limited foreign competition.

Dr. Selvik’s research on the rise of this new "industrial class" in Iran is based on fieldwork and interviews with 60 private industrialists in the Islamic Revolution. After describing three distinct stages (the regaining of legitimacy phase, the "legalist" phase, and the most recent "neo-conservative" phase), Dr. Selvik concluded with the assertion that private industrialists in Iran have gone from being seen as "enemies of the revolution" to become a widely acclaimed ideal.
•

Audio of the Presentation<

DSG News

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:44:39 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Asma Siddiki, Khalid Al-Yahya • DSG Delegation Meets with Saudi Officials •
A delegation from DSG met with representatives of leading institutions of learning and development during a three-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• •
A delegation consisting of Dean Tarik Yousef, Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki and Assistant Professor Khalid Al-Yahya met with representatives of leading institutions of learning and development during a three-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition to HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Chairman of the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies, the group met with representatives of institutions including the Institute of Public Administration, the Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Ministry of Labor, the King Khaled Foundation, the Institute of Banking, Al Olayan Foundation, Al Waleed bin Talal Foundation, Prince Sultan University, King Saud University, Al Amthal Company, Masic Company and the Prince Salman Centre for Local Governance.

The tour also saw the DSG team interacting with alumni of its academic and executive education programs who are currently heading influential public and private sector organizations in Riyadh.
• • 274,265,258 •

DSG News

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:29:49 GMT
• Allan Goodman on Academic Mobility in a Globalized World •
Dr. Allan Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE), spoke at DSG on "The 21st Century Silk Road: Academic Mobility in a Globalized World."
• •
Dr. Allan Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE), spoke at DSG on "The 21st Century Silk Road: Academic Mobility in a Globalized World." Commencing the talk by observing the multinational, diverse nature of the audience in attendance, Goodman explained how "international education" constitutes a circulation of knowledge that promises to do for this century what the establishment of the Silk Road trading routes did two millennia ago. He noted that over the last 15 years, over three million Chinese have studied in the United States, while over the last five years, around 800,000 have studied in Australia, Germany and the UK. For its part, India has become the primary country sending students to the United States. Whereas in the past, this often led to a "brain drain," these expatriates are now returning to their countries of origin, who are benefiting from a "brain gain."

Goodman recalled the popularity of overseas branch campuses of US academic institutions during the 1990s, and their subsequent decline and reduction in number. The current situation, he asserted, is quite different from then, as international academic endeavors are thriving. This is especially the case in the Gulf, according to Goodman, who stressed that this is due in large part to the vision of the region’s leaders.

Dr. Goodman focused on the case of the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, in which "students, faculty and curriculum are borderless," stressing that this is ultimately the form that globalized education will take in the future. He decried the lack of international education in the United States, and the paucity of experience Americans have in traveling abroad and understanding ot

DSG News

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:20:57 GMT
• Josh Lerner Speaks on Sovereign Wealth Funds and Private Investing •
Professor Josh Lerner of the Harvard Business School spoke on "The New Face of Private Equity? Sovereign Wealth Funds and Private Investing" at DSG on March 3.
• •
Professor Josh Lerner of the Harvard Business School spoke on "The New Face of Private Equity? Sovereign Wealth Funds and Private Investing" at DSG on March 3. Dr. Lerner outlined a number of worries associated with private equity investing, including cycles in alternate investing, the exaggerated success and then failure of the largest funds, which rely heavily on debt to leverage purchases, an antiquated fee structure utilized by most funds, repeated boom/bust cycles, and the concentration of capital in underperforming funds.

With the unprecedented turmoil and challenges facing private equity funds today, many Sovereign Wealth Funds are increasingly seeking to undertake private investments themselves, rather than through private equity funds. Citing studies he conducted in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, however, Lerner stressed that private equity funds add value to both individual firms and to the overall economy. While private equity has "gone too far" with the recurrence of boom/bust cycles, it has been proven to improve the performance of companies.

While direct investment may seem like an attractive option for Sovereign Wealth Funds at the current time, Lerner asserted that "the track record of direct investment suggests the need for caution."
•

The Global Economic Impact of Private Equity Report 2008

DSG News

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:07:50 GMT
• Nada Hashmi on Social Entrepreneurship •
Nada Hashmi, Fellow at the Legatum-MIT Center spoke at a Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar on "Social Entrepreneurship: Is it for the Middle East?"
• •
Nada Hashmi, Fellow at the Legatum-MIT Center spoke at a Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar on "Social Entrepreneurship: Is it for the Middle East?"

Ms. Hashmi began the presentation by pointing out that there are numerous definitions of "social entrepreneurship," but that they usually involve financially sustainable enterprises which are designed to contribute to the overall social good. Some of the forms such enterprises can take include social firms, development trusts, community businesses, cooperatives, credit unions, "charities trading arms," community interest companies and fair trade organizations, to name but a few. Hashmi noted that the most difficult issue related to studying social entrepreneurship is that of measurement: how does one quantifiably measure social benefit?

Looking at the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, and focusing specifically on Saudi Arabia, Ms. Hashmi challenged the audience to predict whether certain types of social entrepreneurship could qualify for the Islamic definitions of zakat, sadaqat and barakat. She described how the additional integration of women into the labor force in Saudi Arabia could qualify as social entrepreneurship, and asserted that the primary factor keeping their current integration low is social attitudes of Saudis—especially women themselves—toward both work itself and the role of women in the workplace. Moreover, while certain progressive policies—such as mandatory childcare facilities in workplaces with over 10 women—are in place, they are seldom enforced.

Asserting that "The power of social entrepreneurship is in its business aspect," Hashmi closed the talk by challenging attendees to consider that the best way to make change is not only

DSG News

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:04:15 GMT
• Steve Smith on Globalization and Higher Education •
Professor Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, spoke on "Universities and Globalization: Higher Education’s Role in Combating the Economic Downturn."
• •
Professor Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, spoke at a March 31 DSG Policy Forum on "Universities and Globalization: Higher Education’s Role in Combating the Economic Downturn."

Professor Smith outlined how globalization is influencing the evolution of higher education, as universities and national higher education systems are becoming more reliant on each other to succeed. Opportunities for collaboration and partnership in research have been increased by globalization, and competitive pressures facing universities have been heightened, as students and staff can travel the world to seek out the best universities.

According to Smith, the economic downturn is hitting universities with significant budget cuts, especially related to research programs. Research funding is directed at a smaller number of universities, while postgraduate training is increasingly being delivered by these "research-led" institutions. The profile of the "typical student" is changing as well, with the number of students studying in the private sector rising, while part-time student numbers are increasing and full-time declining.

Smith described how a more commercial relationship is developing between students and universities, with universities treating their students more as "customers" than in the past, and focusing on graduate employability, while students are increasingly looking to postgraduate education to gain an advantage in the job market. Throughout the world, according to Professor Smith, teaching is increasingly being delivered by technology enhanced facilities and resources.
•

Tarek Coury • A Dollar De-peg Do-over •
In an Op-Ed in Sunday’s Khaleej Times, Tarek Coury explains why the UAE Central Bank’s decision to re-peg the dirham to the US dollar is fundamentally sound.
• •
As the UAE rides the financial crisis, we are again hearing calls for de-pegging the dirham to the dollar. Currently, the only alternative being discussed is re-pegging the dirham to a stronger basket of currencies. Kuwait, which re-pegged its currency to a basket in 2003, is an example of a Gulf state which took the jump off the US bandwagon. From 2003 until 2007, the Kuwaiti Dinar was allowed to float within a 3.5 per cent band against the dollar and has since then become pegged against a basket of currencies.

While the precise composition of this basket is unknown, exchange rate movements of the KD against other currencies suggest that this basket is heavily dominated by the US dollar.

Has Kuwait experienced lower rates of inflation than the UAE? Yes, in the past few years, inflation (as measured by changes in the Consumer Price Index) in Kuwait was about half that of the UAE. The lower inflation was not however driven by the difference in currency pegs.

First, Kuwait’s rates of growth are lower than those in the UAE, the UAE has a far more diversified economy with greater inflationary demand for goods and services (driven in part by government spending on infrastructure) than that of Kuwait and the real estate market in the UAE has experienced far greater gains in valuations than its Kuwaiti counterpart. The latter explains much of the difference in inflation performance between the UAE and its GCC neighbours. The trade-off between output growth and inflation means that high inflation in the UAE is the price to pay for high rates of growth.

The decision to re-peg the dirham should therefore be taken with due consideration to the excepti

DSG News

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:11:56 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh • May Al-Dabbagh Quoted on CNN Arabic •
An interview with Dr. May Al-Dabbagh was featured on the CNN Arabic Web site in "The Recent Cabinet Reshuffle in Saudi Arabia and the Appointment of Dr. Nora Alfayez as Deputy Minister for Education."
• •
An interview with Dr. May Al-Dabbagh was featured on the CNN Arabic Web site in "The Recent Cabinet Reshuffle in Saudi Arabia and the Appointment of Dr. Nora Alfayez as Deputy Minister for Education."
• • 262 •

DSG News

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:30:25 GMT
• World Bank Lead Economist Speaks on the Global Economic Crisis •
Dr. Auguste Tano Kouame, Lead Economist and Acting Chief Economist for the MENA Region, World Bank, presented his thoughts on the effect of the economic downturn on MENA countries at a talk on March 25.
• •
Dr. Auguste Tano Kouame, Lead Economist and Acting Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, World Bank, presented his thoughts on the effect of the economic downturn on MENA countries at a talk on March 25.

Dr. Kouame began by placing the financial crisis which began in the US in the context of high food and fuel prices that were already impacting many developing countries. Since the crisis began, both oil and commodity prices have fallen drastically, resulting in lower incomes for oil and commodity exporting countries. Kouame predicted that the global economy would shrink by 1-2 percent in 2009, with the world seeing sharp declines in industrial production. Although developing economies will mostly continue to grow, they will do so at a much slower rate than previously expected. According to Kouame, excess capacity may produce a deflationary environment, which is particularly worrying for the developing world.

Noting that developing countries often do not have adequate fiscal resources to produce stimulus packages for their own economies, Kouame worried that the large fiscal stimulus packages underway in developed economies will "crowd out" financing that is greatly needed for the developing world. He asserted that around the world, over 100 million people could slip into poverty as a result of the crisis, with a similar number expected in 2009.

Throughout the lecture, he stressed that since developed countries already have reached a level of "investment saturation," stimulus packages should focus more on the developing world, as they can contribute more to a worldwide economic recovery than the United States and E

DSG News

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:35:11 GMT
Hafed Al-Ghwell • Transparency is Dubai’s Future •
In an op-ed in The National, Hafed Al-Ghwell calls for Dubai to use transparency and open information to enhance competitiveness, expose weaknesses in the system and address them directly.
• •
Since the dawn of the global financial crisis late last year, Dubai has been portrayed around the world as a boom town whose bubble has burst.

Numerous reports have depicted this thriving emirate in a calamitous state, with thousands of cars abandoned at its airport as suddenly-unemployed expatriates embark on a mass exodus.

And yet, in my personal experience at least, Dubai remains a busy, sometimes crowded city. Traffic is still a problem, and despite the stories the airport is not overflowing with luxury cars.

Of course, Dubai has been affected by the downturn. As one of the most globalised cities in the world it was going to be vulnerable to the "deglobalisation" induced by the crisis. The slowdowns in the flows of capital, goods and people have exposed the central role trade, tourism, and finance play in its well-being.

But while the stormy economic conditions have toppled many financial institutions, Dubai’s roots run deep and its fundamentals remain strong. Excellent infrastructure, a strong merchant culture, wise leadership and effective public administration provide a robust foundation for sustainable growth once the world’s economy takes off again. Simply put, if you believe things will eventually get better around the world, then you must believe in Dubai. So why the rash of pessimistic media reports? Some can be attributed to "irrational exuberance" by those who – out of misplaced jealousy or a wish to see this Arab success story brought down to size – are eager to do down Dubai.

But there is a more fundamental reason – a general dearth of credible information about Dubai’s economic

DSG News

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:56:50 GMT
• Experts Discuss Water Security •
On March 22, DSG hosted Dr. Saleem H. Ali for a policy forum on "Water Security: Challenges for Asia and Beyond," followed by Dr. Christophe Tourenq, who provided local UAE context.
• •
In partnership with the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, the Dubai School of Government hosted Dr. Saleem H. Ali for a lecture on "Water Security: Challenges for Asia and Beyond." Dr. Christophe Tourenq of the Emirates Wildlife Society followed Dr. Ali with a presentation focusing specifically on water-related issues of the UAE.

Dr. Ali, who is Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Doha Center and Principal Adviser for the Asia Society’s Leadership Group on Water Security, presented an overview of the Asia Society Leadership Group’s upcoming report, "Asia’s Next Challenge: Advancing Security through Water Cooperation," which will be officially launched in New York on April 17.

According to Ali, Asia has less fresh water per person than any other continent with the exception of Antarctica, and one out of five people do not have access to clean water. As population growth and urbanization rates in the region continue to rise, the stress on Asia’s water resources is rapidly intensifying. Climate change is expected to worsen the situation further. Dr. Ali noted that according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2050, more than one billion people in Asia alone are projected to experience negative impacts on water resources due to climate change. Moreover, reduced access to fresh water will likely lead to a cascading series of consequences, including impaired food production, the loss of livelihood security, large-scale migration within and across borders, and increased geopolitical tensions and instabilities. Over time, these effects will have a profound impact on security throughout the region.

Through the forthcoming report, the Asia Society

DSG News

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:55:42 GMT
May Al-Dabbagh • DSG, DWE Join for First Arab Women Leadership Forum •
On January 13-14, DSG joined as knowledge partner with the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) to co-organize their first annual conference, entitled "Women and Leadership: Global Trends and Local Innovations."
• •
On January 13-14, DSG’s Gender and Public Policy Program joined as knowledge partner with the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) to co-organize their first annual conference, entitled "Women and Leadership: Global Trends and Local Innovations." The Forum is an annual conference organized by the DWE which provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of outstanding individuals and organizations that have contributed to advancing women’s leadership worldwide.

Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Women’s Establishment, delivered the keynote speech for the event, which was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in addition to several UAE ministers and dignitaries. May Al-Dabbagh moderated the first panel on "Women and leadership research: The state of the art," and over 400 people attended the event, which was held at the Monarch Hotel in Dubai. The Dubai School of Government also hosted a dinner for conference speakers together with the 46 attendees of the "Negotiating for Leadership" executive education course for women in senior positions.
• • 262 •

DSG News

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:36:59 GMT
Justin Dargin • A Model in Preparation for a "Post-Oil" World •
Justin Dargin outlines how clean energy and conservation initiatives such as the "Heroes" campaign and the Masdar project will secure the UAE’s energy leadership in a post-oil world.
• •
In February the UAE launched a nationwide energy sustainability campaign under the name, "Heroes of the UAE". Developed in conjunction with the Emirates Wildlife Society, the WorldWide Fund for Nature and the Environmental Agency-Abu Dhabi, the campaign’s goal is to seismically reduce the high carbon footprint and energy consumption by UAE nationals and a multitude of expatriates and foreign visitors. The "Heroes" campaign could not have been born at a better historical moment.

With one eye on the volatile global energy market, Saudi Arabia plans to make solar power an essential pillar of its energy mix, and to export this new energy much like it does in-ground fossil fuels. At a 2007 Riyadh summit, Gulf Opec members pledged approximately $750 million to fund clean technology research as part of an enterprise that will undertake meaningful carbon capture and storage.

Along these lines, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Future Energy Company launched a $15 billion initiative to construct the world’s first "zero pollution, zero waste" city. This enterprise will house 50,000 people in close vicinity to their workplaces, industries and educational facilities. The city’s energy needs will come largely from solar power, which will be aided, conducted and contained by an advanced architecture design that permits a passive energy balance. The built-in energy savings will be buttressed by extensive waste recycling and an advanced public transport system. If successful, this futuristic model may become a "gr

DSG News

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:37:19 GMT
• Ali Faramawy on The Role of Technology in an Uncertain Economy •
Microsoft Area VP for the Middle East and Africa Ali Faramawy outlined how innovation and technology can play a pivotal role in driving economic recovery.
• •
At a March 17 lecture at the Dubai School of Government, Microsoft Area Vice President for the Middle East and Africa Ali Faramawy outlined how innovation and technology can play a pivotal role in driving economic recovery.

Faramawy listed five areas of emphasis that good companies will focus on in the current difficult economic climate. First and foremost, they will concentrate on increasing market share. Second, they must maximize return on investment by optimization and controlling costs. Third, Faramawy stressed the importance to organizations of getting the most of their people and leadership. Fourth, it goes without saying that every company must seek to maximize its revenue. Finally, innovation is of very high importance.

Planned and implemented correctly, technology can help achieve targets in each of these five areas. Faramawy stressed that for companies to get the most use out of technology, "they must relate it to the basic mission statement." Moving to the public sector, Faramawy said that while innovation is important, governments must give the highest priority of all to education. He concluded by listing several ways in which government can help stimulate local information technology industries, including partnering with a mixture of local and multinational companies, and expediting the IT project cycle from the original decision to move forward to final payments.
•

Audio of the Presentation

• •

DSG News

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:35:20 GMT
Rasmus Bertelsen • Rasmus Bertelsen: Universities and Soft Power in the Middle East •
Rasmus Bertelsen, Dubai Initiative Research Fellow, presented "Contextual Factors and the Soft Power of American- and French-Origin Universities in the Middle East" at a DSG Research Seminar.
• •
Rasmus Bertelsen, Dubai Initiative Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, presented "Contextual Factors and the Soft Power of American- and French-Origin Universities in the Middle East" at a DSG Research Seminar on March 12.

Dr. Bertelsen outlined the results of his research into whether institutions such as the American University of Beirut (AUB), the Université Saint-Joseph (USJ) in Beirut and the American University in Cairo (AUC) exercise soft power in the interface between their Western societies of origin and their Middle Eastern host societies. Bertelsen began the presentation by asserting that, especially in an age of information, institutions of higher learning are a great source of soft power. According to Bertelsen, "(foreign) universities serve as bridges of information, interest, financial resources and elite individuals between their host society and their society of origin."

He pointed out that the American University of Beirut was originally founded as a missionary project by American Presbyterians. However, while the local Lebanese rejected American Protestantism, they were attracted by the educational opportunities offered by the university. Thus influenced by the host society, AUB reduced and eventually lost its "missionary mission" to focus entirely on education. Bertelsen noted that throughout the history of AUB, the institution was firmly accepted as a part of Lebanese society, and remained safe and "of

DSG News

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:33:13 GMT
• Peter Moore: The War Economy of Iraq •
Peter Moore presented an overview of research conducted for a project analyzing the domestic and political economy effects of the war in Iraq.
• •
Peter Moore presented an overview of research conducted for a project analyzing the domestic and political economy effects of the war in Iraq. The project compares Iraq with similar civil conflicts in Algeria and Lebanon, drawing on a wider literature about "war economies," how they evolve and what sustains them.

According to Moore, economic aspects of a war economy include the capture of means of production and resources to support violence, the utilization of violence as an instrument to support monopolies, and the flourishing of organized crime and/or militias. Politically, war economies are characterized by the contesting of control over the state, the emergence of sub-state actors, and "spillover" or "regional embeddedness."

Dr. Moore recounted the domestic antecedents of Iraq’s war economy, detailing how Iraq’s economy was opened up to the private sector in the late 1980s, with resources and monopolies being granted to regime loyalists. Trade flourished through the Jordanian port of Aqaba, and a discount oil program was established to tie in the Jordanian and Iraqi economies. This relationship developed further during the sanctions of the 1990s, and eventually served as a foundational element of the war economy. Moore asserted that the Iraqi insurgency was funded largely by insurgent control of the road network, especially the main highway linking Baghdad with Jordan.

Dr. Moore is a 2008-09 Fulbright Fellow at Zayed University, Dubai. He is also Associate Professor of Political Science at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and member of the editorial board of The Middle East Report.
•

Ambassador Cumber recounted his successes as Special Envoy to the OIC in helping various Muslim charities to receive clearance to continue raising funds in the United States, as well as in working with the Department of Homeland Security to expedite the visa issuance process to the US for individual Muslims in need of assistance.

Throughout his talk, Ambassador Cumber emphasized the need for Muslims to work together to make the Islamic world stronger, more prosperous and more politically open. Claiming that the Muslim world has 24% of the world’s population but only 8% of the world’s GDP, he stressed that in 60 years, or three generations, the Islamic world could become a powerful force in the geopolitical arena if it strengthens its societies through good governance, civil society, gender and minority rights, rule of law, transparency, accountability and higher education.
• • •

DSG News

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:32:42 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Asma Siddiki, Nabil Alyousuf • MoU Signed with University of Chicago •
The Dubai School of Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.
• •
The Dubai School of Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago to jointly work towards knowledge exchange and develop projects of mutual benefit. Dean Tarik Yousef of the Dubai School of Government and Dean Susan Mayer of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies signed the agreement in the presence of HE Nabil Alyousuf, Executive President and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai School of Government.

The agreement will include academic programs hosted by both institutions, allowing students from either school to pursue additional postgraduate studies in public policy at the other institution. The MoU also mandates both entities to collaboratively launch joint degree programs.

Dr. Susan Mayer, Dean of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, said: "Of all the institutional relationships that the Harris School has, our affiliation with the Dubai School of Government is the one of which we are most proud. We are confident of the capacity of DSG, and look forward to exploring productive synergies between two institutions who are fully committed to quality scholarship and teaching in the field of public policy."

Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: "Through this strategic partnership, we aim to give our students access to some of the world’s leading thinkers on matters of public policy. We strong

DSG News

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:28:26 GMT
Mohammad Al Ississ • The Positive Cross-Border Financial Impact of Violent Events •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Mohammad Al Ississ presented the results of his research on "The Positive Cross-Border Financial Impact of Violent Events" at the School on Thursday.
• •
Dubai Initiative Research Fellow Mohammad Al Ississ presented the results of his research on "The Positive Cross-Border Financial Impact of Violent Events" at the School on Thursday, February 26. Al Ississ measured the performance of equity markets in the periods immediately before and after 66 violent events in 32 countries, finding that—in the short term—political violence boosted equity market performance in neighboring and distant countries, while countries in a middle range of distance had either a negative effect or none at all.

•

Audio of the presentation

• •

DSG News

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:01:55 GMT
Jim Krane • Dubai’s Rise and the Legacy of Its Emergence •
DSG Visiting Fellow Jim Krane presented an overview of his forthcoming book "Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City," to be published in September.
• •
DSG Visiting Fellow Jim Krane presented an overview on March 1 of his forthcoming book "Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City," to be published in September.

Krane detailed the unlikely transformation of Dubai from a village into a global financial megalopolis in the space of little more than a generation. According to Krane, who interviewed around 200 people during the course of his research, the main theme of the book is the extreme contrasts that make Dubai unique: the emergence of a wealthy and educated generation that was raised by poor and illiterate parents; and the state of a city that had no ice, electricity or paved roads at a time when nearby countries were launching rockets into space.

Krane noted that the population of the area that is now the UAE had settled at around 80,000 for over 1,000 years due to short life expectancy and harsh living conditions. In the 1960s, however, rapid change was introduced in the form of paved roads, electricity, running water, and other accoutrements of modern life. Krane recounted how, in the 1960s, HH Sheikh Rashid commenced a number of major infrastructure projects in Dubai and "set the risk taking tone" that increasingly characterized the Emirate’s path of development. Under HH Sheikh Mohammed, Dubai continued to invest heavily in trade and infrastructure development, and opened its economy up to real estate, tourism and an increasing use of free zone economic areas. Krane also noted the emphasis placed by HH Sheikh Mohammed on the creation of institutions, as opposed to relying heavily on individuals.

While Dubai has

DSG News

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:58:31 GMT
Justin Dargin • Prospects for Energy Integration in the GCC •
Dubai Initiative Fellow Justin Dargin spoke on March 3 about "Prospects for Energy Integration in the GCC" at the latest lecture in the School’s Research Seminar series.
• •
Dubai Initiative Fellow Justin Dargin spoke on March 3 about "Prospects for Energy Integration in the GCC" at the latest lecture in the School’s Research Seminar series.

Mr. Dargin presented an overview of the energy sector in the GCC, and noted that although the region possesses 25% of world natural gas reserves, it is currently experiencing an energy shortage because the region’s natural gas has not been exploited effectively. Dargin pointed out that power demand in the GCC has grown 8-9% during the last several years—the highest rate of growth in the world—and that the GCC will need another 60 gigawatts of power by 2015. The region is utilizing a variety of strategies to cope with power demand, including renewable sources, nuclear energy, oil, conservation and coal. However, more efficient exploitation of the region’s natural gas reserves and increased infrastructural interconnectivity among the GCC states are urgent priorities.

What has caused the shortage of natural gas supplies in the GCC while Qatar, Iran, Iraq and the UAE have large reserves? According to Dargin, Qatar has placed a moratorium on exploitation of additional supplies, while the UAE’s natural gas contains impurities and is difficult to extract. Iraq presents its own difficult set of challenges, while Iran faces external sanctions, price disputes

DSG News

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:38:34 GMT
• The Global Financial Services Meltdown-The Silver Lining •
James Greene, Vice President of Global Financial Services Practice for Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group, spoke on the implications and opportunities of the global financial crisis at a talk delivered at the School on March 2.
• •
The region’s financial sector needs to emulate the communications success of the retail industry in order to fully capitalize on the inevitable upswing in the global economy, says James Greene, Vice President of the Global Financial Services Practice for Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG). "The tumultuous market conditions the world is facing present banks with the biggest opportunity to build customer loyalty and goodwill."

In an address given at the Dubai School of Government on March 2, Greene suggested that there was a "silver lining" to the current economic downturn, with organizations now having the opportunity to redefine their operations to take advantage of the new generation of communications platforms—networks that are capable of transporting multimedia and multi-service traffic at high speed. According to Greene, the business paradigm is shifting toward "connected commerce," where financial services companies must find new ways to interact with consumers.

"Financial services are increasingly evolving into an e-commerce vector. Given banks’ current interaction with both consumers and merchants, banks are in a unique position to provide these ‘connected’ commerce propositions," revealed Mr. Greene.

"Retail institutions are ahead of the curve in terms of new communications technology delivery and consumers will use their experiences with these organizations as a benchmark for quality of service," he said. "Financial institutions need to ensure they can match this quality to attract and retain customers as the global economy starts to pick up again," he continued.

These changing

DSG News

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:32:32 GMT
Mike Helal • Research Seminar Series: Mike Helal •
Visiting Researcher Mike Helal presented analysis of Dubai’s scores in the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) test.
• •
Visiting Researcher Mike Helal presented analysis of Dubai’s scores in the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) test. Overseen by scholars from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, the TIMSS has become one of the leading international indicators of comparative educational performance in the world. Participating countries are tested once every four years, at grade 4 and grade 8, in mathematics and science. Dubai fared well in both mathematics and science in comparison with other Middle East/North Africa region participants, but ranked lower than worldwide averages in both subjects.

Mr. Helal presented a detailed analysis of the findings, and presented specific recommendations — including changes in curriculum content, more stringent teacher certification and professional development, a shift away from rote memorization in pedagogical style, and additional time devoted to instruction —on how to improve education in Dubai schools. Mr. Helal’s research is to be released in a forthcoming DSG Policy Paper.
•

The National: "Schools fall short of world standards"

Audio of the presentation

• •

DSG News

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:03:49 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef on the Riz Khan Program • Dean Tarik Yousef appeared on the Riz Khan program on Al Jazeera International television network on February 24. The topic of the show was "Dubai: Is the Party Over?" • •
DSG Dean Dr. Tarik Yousef appeared as a guest on the Riz Khan program on Al Jazeera International television network on February 24. The topic of the show was "Dubai: Is the Party Over?"

Khan discussed the effects of the financial crisis on Dubai, as well as the future viability of the "Dubai model" with guests including Dr. Nasser Bin Ghaith, consultant on international economics, and Dr. Christopher Davidson, professor at the University of Durham (UK).
•

Video of the program

• 274 •

DSG News

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:35:34 GMT
Khalid Al-Yahya • Khaled Al-Yahya Speaks on Human Capital in the Gulf •
Dr. Khaled Al-Yahya spoke on the "Imbalance between Human Capital Development and Development Performance in the Gulf" at a conference organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR).
• •
DSG Assistant Professor Dr. Khaled Al-Yahya spoke on the "Imbalance between Human Capital Development and Development Performance in the Gulf" at the "Human Resources and Development in the Arabian Gulf" conference organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR).

The conference, which took place in Abu Dhabi from February 2-4, brought together scores of public officials, academics, and experts from around the world to address the critical challenges of human resources in the Gulf region. The debate was dominated by three pervasive arguments: the claim of the relentless deficit in human capital in the GCC countries, the need for more investments in human capital development, and then the call for workforce nationalization.

In his presentation, Dr. Al-Yahya noted that the longstanding claim about national deficit is often elevated as the key factor explaining the low levels of performance at various levels — economic, social, and organizational. The popular solution, then, is an increase in the number of management, leadership, and skill development programs in the form of executive education, vocational and managerial training, or scholarships to study abroad. Another recent fix is nationalization of the workforce, mostly in private sector jobs. In the UAE, these worries coincide with growing concerns about strengthening national identity. Dr. Al-Yahya stressed that sustaining human resources and national identity seem to consume the national narrative.

What complicates the pub

DSG News

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:27:07 GMT
Natasha Ridge • The Search for Solutions: Education Reform in the Gulf •
In an op-ed in Thursday’s The National, Natasha Ridge asks why major investments in education have not produced desired results in GCC countries, and calls for more research to inform policy decisions.
• •
In recent weeks, there has been much alarm raised about the state of education in the UAE, including the low achievement of students in examinations, substandard performance in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) test, and a lack of male Emirati teachers. The picture that has been presented of the UAE education sector looks less encouraging every day, in particular for the parents of children in government schools. But why is this the case? Typically when we see underperformance in a sector we think about resource constraints or, more particularly, a lack of money which prevents a government from reforming education in the ways it would like. In the UAE, and in many of the Gulf states, however, a lack of resources has not been the problem.

The UAE and Qatar both have been particularly active in investing in programs to improve the quality of public education. They have embraced innovation in the form of programs such as the Madares Al Ghad (Schools of Tomorrow), model schools and public-private partnerships (PPP). The UAE Ministry of Education (MOE), Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have each brought in expatriate advisors to train teachers and to work with local counterparts. They have introduced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), standardized testing in math and English, and are currently working on a full-scale curriculum revision to shift away from rote learning. In Qatar, the Rand Corporation was hired to overhaul Qatari schools; it also introduced similar reforms involving public-private partnerships, model scho

DSG News

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:20:12 GMT
• Japan, the Arab World, and the Global Financial Crisis •
In collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan, DSG welcomed Professor Haruo Shimada for a lecture on "Japan, the Arab World and the Global Financial Crisis."
• •
In collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan, on February 11 the School welcomed Professor Haruo Shimada for a lecture on "Japan, the Arab World and the Global Financial Crisis." Professor Shimada analyzed the underlying reasons behind the rise of Japan in the second half of the twentieth century. Located in the Far East with scant natural resources, the country has grown to the second largest economic power in the world. Prof. Shimada noted the slowdown of the Japanese economy since 1990, but remained upbeat about the underlying fundamental strengths that have enabled the country to achieve its current level of prosperity. The lecture also addressed the nature of Japan’s relations with the Arab world.

Professor Shimada is the President of Chiba University of Commerce. He served as chairman of the Economic Research Center Fujitsu Research Institute from April 2004 to March 2008, and was involved in the formulation of government policy as a Special Advisor to the Cabinet Office from 2001 to 2006. He is the author of numerous books on the Japanese economy, international management and labor problems, as well as a frequent commentator on television networks, both in Japan and abroad, such as CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS and BBC.
•

Al Khaleej

• •

DSG News

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:11:01 GMT
• School Hosts HE Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Vietnam •
HE Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the DSG Board of Trustees, welcomed a 35-member Vietnamese delegation led by HE Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the DSG campus.
• •
His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Dubai School of Government (DSG), welcomed a 35-member Vietnamese delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Monday to the DSG campus.

Her Excellency Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, UAE Minister of State, Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of DSG, and other high-ranking UAE government officials were present at the occasion.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said: "We are delighted to visit a world-class institution such as the Dubai School of Government, which enjoys strong partnerships with recognized leaders in the world such as the Harvard Kennedy School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

"Our visit to the UAE has culminated in the signing of five agreements that aim to boost bilateral economic ties. The knowledge and expertise available at DSG is critical to helping us build on the longstanding relations between Vietnam and the UAE."

His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash said: "We are honored to receive the Vietnamese delegation led by His Excellency the Prime Minister, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung. Vietnam has the potential to become a very important partner for the UAE, and we look forward to further cementing our relationship with this emerging regional power in Southeast Asia."
•

Al Bayan

Tarik M. Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: "We are honored to host Jonathan Murray for this event, which marks another stage in our collaboration with Microsoft. The collaboration between DSG and Microsoft has become a fruitful partnership, and we believe this exchange of ideas and knowledge will help the region to understand and adapt technology for the benefit of the entire community."

Focusing on the role of government policies, Murray said: "I believe there are three issues the UAE needs to address in its ongoing effort to stay at the forefront of technology adaption. First and foremost is the need to focus on existing industries and upgrade them with newly emerging technologies.

"Secondly, while doing so, a debate is imperative on such a transformation and how government policies should evolve to support this while taking into c

DSG News

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:10:19 GMT
Rami Khouri • Rami G. Khouri Speaks on Change and the Current State of the Arab World •
Internationally-syndicated columnist and DSG Senior Fellow Rami G. Khouri delivered a talk entitled "Change Happens Everywhere: The 'New Middle East' that Awaits Obama" at the School on January 26.
• •
Middle Eastern societies are going through a crucial transition phase, and their success will depend largely on their ability to capitalize on current opportunities, according to Rami G. Khouri, Senior Fellow at the Dubai School of Government and Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.

Khouri was delivering a lecture at the School on January 26 entitled "Change Happens Everywhere: The ‘New Middle East’ that Awaits Obama." A cross-section of more than 70 academic faculty, students and opinion makers from throughout the UAE came to hear Khouri, who is also an internationally syndicated columnist and Editor-at-Large of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut.

He described a region that has seen enormous change since the end of the Cold War, which he said had immobilized the region politically for decades. However, since 1990 numerous opportunities have been missed, and there has been a collective inability to change the region for the better, in spite of an overwhelming desire to do so by most people.

According to Khouri, the Middle East has failed in five major challenges: border disputes which still prevent the emergence of cooperative relations; the dilemma of citizen/state relations, in which the limits of the state are not clear; a crisis of identity within the region, where shifting forms of affiliation (national, ethnic, religious, etc.) compete; a crisis of relations with the non-Arab world, where Arab publics and government

DSG News

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:14:19 GMT
Tarek Coury • Forex Trading and the Value of the Dirham • Tarek Coury examines factors influencing the valuation of currencies, including the UAE dirham, in an editorial in Monday’s Khaleej Times. • •
What determines the value of a currency? If you hold a bank account denominated in British pounds, you may have been recently pondering this question.

For a number of years before its recent collapse, the pound was worth about two dollars, until mid-2008. It has since lost 25 per cent of its value and is currently trading at around 1.45 dollars. Many pundits believe that the pound will lose further value but according to at least one measure, the pound should stabilise around its current value. The measure, purchasing power parity (PPP), values a currency according to what it can buy. For example, if one can purchase a representative basket of goods in the US for say, $150 and this same basket costs £100 in the UK then the implied PPP exchange rate is 1.5 dollars to the pound. Anyone living in the UK knows that prices for most consumer goods are much higher than their US counterpart and that, accordingly, the exchange rate that prevailed between the dollar and the pound until the summer of 2008 implied that the pound was overvalued relative to its long-run PPP value. According to the most recent IMF estimate, the PPP exchange rate stands at 1.55 dollars to the pound. While the long-run beckons for the sterling pound, what do PPP exchange rate data tell us about the actual value of the Dirham?

According to the October 2008 IMF World Economic Outlook, the most recently available database since the onset of the financial crisis, the current PPP value of the dirham stands at Dh5.326 to the dollar. According to the Fund’s predictions, the PPP exchange rate is set to deteriorate in the next five years to Dh5.958 to the dollar. The currency peg therefore overvalues the dirh

DSG News

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:16:20 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef on "The Logic of Authoritarian Bargains" • Dean Tarik Yousef presented "Redistribution Versus Democratization: The Logic of Authoritarian Bargains" at the Global Development Network’s Tenth Annual Global Development Conference in Kuwait. • •
Dean Tarik Yousef attended the Global Development Network’s Tenth Annual Global Development Conference in Kuwait. Speaking on a panel entitled "The Political Economy of Natural Resources," he presented "Redistribution Versus Democratization: The Logic of Authoritarian Bargains."

Full video of the conference presentations, including Tarik Yousef’s presentation, can be found here.
•

Video Video of the conference

Conference Web site

Conference blog

Global Development Network Web site

• 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:30:02 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Asma Siddiki • Qatari Officials Discuss Cooperation with DSG •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef and Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki met with senior Qatari officials to discuss areas of possible cooperation between DSG and the Government of Qatar.
• •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef and Associate Dean for Development Asma Siddiki met with senior Qatari officials to discuss areas of possible cooperation between DSG and the Government of Qatar. On February 9, they met with a delegation from the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers for discussions which focused on identifying areas of possible future cooperation in academic and executive education programs, research initiatives, and joint events. Headed by HE Sheikh Nasser Bin Mohamed Abdul Azizz Al-Thani, State Minister of Cabinet Affairs, the delegation included the following members: Sheikh Abdulla Bin Eid Bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Director of Follow-up Dept. for General Authorities & Corporations; Eisa Saad Al-Naimi, Secretary-General; Abdulla Mohd. Al- Merekhi, Civil Affairs Service Dept.; Ali Misned Al-Misned, Director of Administrative & Financial Affairs; and, Fatima Rashid Al-Khater, Director of Analysis & Evaluation of Governmental Programs Dept.
• • 274,265 •

DSG News

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:24:23 GMT
• Master Class Promotes Environmental Sustainability •
DSG partnered with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) to host an environmental master class for 40 regional business leaders.
• •
The School partnered with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) to host an environmental master class for 40 regional business leaders to help the United Arab Emirates realize the opportunities of transitioning to a sustainable business model. The event was the first in the UAE to define the critical environmental and social issues relevant to businesses and society.

The high-level program drew upon the long experience of WWF and their solutions-driven partnerships and collaborations with corporations and experts around the world.

Delivering the keynote address, His Excellency Dr. Salem M. Al Dhaheri, Director-General of the Federal Environmental Agency, called for the enhanced adoption of sustainable initiatives to keep the UAE in the forefront as a global pioneer of green technologies.

Jimmy Brannigan and Joss Tantram, members of the WWF’s "One Planet Leaders" initiative, conducted the master class, which offered an array of processes and management tools aimed at mainstreaming sustainability into core organizational practices, building more profitable and longer-lasting businesses as a result.

Jimmy Brannigan, Director of ESD Consulting Ltd., said: "This is an incredible opportunity for us to share key perspectives and help the UAE make a big impact in terms of environment and social sustainability. We are here to inform the business leaders on how to identify and develop environmentally sustainable business models."

Joss Tantram, Partner – Corporate Sustainability at Terra Consult, said: "The time is right to address the larger issues of water and energy conservation, and prompt thought leaders to explore innovative solutions for ac

DSG News

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:43:53 GMT
Nabil Al-Yousef,Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak • Sustainability Must be a Choice that the UAE Makes Today •
In Tuesday’s The National, DSG Executive President Nabil Alyousuf and Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Emirates Wildlife Society calls for the UAE to develop "One Planet Leadership" for environmental sustainability.
• •
As the world faces an economic and ecological credit crunch, it is encouraging to know that more than 40 leading decision makers from the public and private sector in the United Arab Emirates are coming together today to explore how to enhance leadership and co-operation, and to emphasize environmental and social issues as part of their core operations.

While the extraordinary growth of the UAE has brought considerable improvements to our lifestyles, it has also placed significant pressures on our natural environment. Biodiversity is in decline, while energy and water consumption in the UAE, as well as waste production, are among the highest per capita in the world. The UAE has the highest per capita ecological footprint on Earth, 80 per cent of which is due to carbon-producing services. If everyone across the world adopted a "UAE lifestyle", we’d need the equivalent of 4.5 planet earths to sustain that level of consumption. Clearly there is room for improvement if we are to ensure a safe and comfortable planet for future generations. We need to adopt a "One Planet Living" model.

To see change on the scale required and for humans to live within the natural limits of the planet, we need to improve the level of dialogue, co-operation and implementation between all sectors of our economy. We need to see cross-sectoral leadership emerge in the UAE to adopt a sustainable path forward.

Such action needs to be taken across all segments of society – individuals, businesses and government. While individually we can

DSG News

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:45:12 GMT
• Sudanese Delegation Visits DSG •
A six-member high-level delegation from Sudan held consultations with DSG officials on facilitating knowledge exchange, capacity building measures, as well as executive education programs.
• •
A nine-member, high-level delegation from Sudan held consultations with DSG officials on facilitating knowledge exchange, capacity building measures, as well as executive education programs. The Sudanese delegation included officials from a variety of academic and governmental organizations in Sudan, including the Sudanese Academic Council, the Presidential International Public Affairs Department, the Scientific Committee at the Public Affairs Development Department, and other institutions. The delegation was led by Mr. Abdullah Al-Bushra Mohammed Abdelrahman, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Administrative Reform.

They met with a delegation from the School’s senior management, including DSG Dean Dr. Tarik Yousef and Hafed Al-Ghwell, Director of External Affairs and Communication. The Sudanese guests enjoyed a tour of the DSG campus and learned about the School’s various educational programs and research initiatives.
•

DSG News

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:20:16 GMT
• William Overholt Speaks on Global Financial Crisis •
DSG welcomed Dr. William Overholt to a packed audience for a lecture on "The Global Financial Crisis: The Real Causes and the Political Obstacles to Real Solutions."
• •
DSG welcomed Dr. William Overholt to a packed audience for a lecture on "The Global Financial Crisis: The Real Causes and the Political Obstacles to Real Solutions." Dr. Overholt began by describing three primary causes of the current financial crisis. First, and most important of the three, according to Overholt the world is simply awash with excess liquidity caused primarily by low interest rates over an extended period. The mismanagement of financial institutions and rating agencies is the second main factor leading to the crisis. Finally, the crisis was prompted by an overall breakdown in corporate governance. Overholt described how compensation based on current performance (quarterly or yearly) incentivizes a very short-term perspective and leads to risky and sometimes unethical financial instruments. According to Overholt, while considerable attention is being paid currently to the second factor—mismanagement of financial institutions and rating agencies—excess liquidity and poor corporate governance are actually the most decisive causes of the financial meltdown. He stressed that focusing exclusively on improving the regulation of financial institutions "is like improving the service on the Titanic."

Overholt listed a number of factors from the United States contributing to causing and then worsening the crisis: namely, the large budget deficits of the Bush administration, an "addiction" to low interest rates championed by Alan Greenspan, a tendency to let institutions such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac grow "too big to fail," and an inconsistent governmental response to the crisis.

In the area of global economic governance, Overholt made the point that the IMF and World Bank had no role at

DSG News

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:06:35 GMT
• Gender Research Seminar Series: Rema Hanna •
Dr. Rema Hanna, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, spoke on "Gender and Health in India: Microfinance Products for Rural Women."
• •
Dr. Rema Hanna addressed the School’s Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series, speaking on "Gender and Health in India: Microfinance Products for Rural Women." In many developing countries, high percentages of women deliver babies at home rather than at an institution. Many women who do deliver in an institution take out crippling loans from moneylenders at incredibly high interest rates to pay for the delivery.

Dr. Hanna described her ongoing research involving a pregnancy financing product for rural women in India. The product provides women with both savings and loan opportunities to finance delivery in an institution, and seeks to both increase access to healthcare in rural areas as well as reduce the burden of debt frequently incurred by women during the childbearing process.

Rema Hanna is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Her fields of interest include development and environmental economics, and her developmental work focuses mostly on India and Indonesia.
•

AME Info

Trade Arabia

UAE Today

Zawya

PDF of the Presentation

• •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:59:37 GMT
Mohamed Lahouel • Mohamed Lahouel on Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority •
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mohamed Lahouel was quoted extensively in "New Audit Authority Sharpens Insight," an article in Sunday’s issue of The National.
• •
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mohamed Lahouel was quoted extensively in "New Audit Authority Sharpens Insight," an article in Sunday’s issue of The National. Dr. Lahouel commends the establishment of the new Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority, stressing that "It sends the right signal. This is not just a technical authority auditing financial statements. Accountability is very important." He goes on to recommend additional ways to strengthen the institution, including greater transparency and appointing the chairman for a fixed term.

The full article can be found on The National Web site.
• • 276 •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:56:56 GMT
• Negotiation Course Completed in Cairo •
On December 21-22, DSG Executive Education extended its regional scope by holding a two-day course in Cairo, Egypt.
• •
On December 21-22, DSG Executive Education extended its regional scope by holding a two-day course in Cairo, Egypt. "Capturing the Power of Negotiation" introduced over 40 senior executives to cutting-edge analytical frameworks and approaches that the Harvard Negotiation Project has developed over the past 30 years.

Led by Professor Dan Shapiro of Harvard University, the course provided participants with innovative and practical frameworks to enhance success in negotiation, and challenged them to improve their skills and strategies through case studies and negotiation exercises. The course was held in partnership with the Future Generation Foundation.

More information on Dan Shapiro’s work with the Dubai School of Government can be found in a September 2008 New York Times article here.
• • •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:52:34 GMT
Asim Ijaz Khwaja, David Clingingsmith, Michael Kremer • Proof that the Hajj makes pilgrims more religious – and more tolerant •
In an opinion piece in The National newspaper, DSG Research Fellow Asim Ijaz Khwaja, David Clingingsmith and Michael Kremer recount the findings of their study of Pakistani hajj pilgrims, showing that while the hajj leads to greater religious orthodoxy, it also bolsters the desire for peace and tolerance toward others, including non-Muslims.
• •
For many people in the West, Islam is increasingly associated with violence and terrorism. According to a 2007 survey conducted by the PEW Forum, 45 per cent of Americans believe Islam is more likely to encourage violence than other religions, up from 36 per cent in 2005. Close to a third of respondents used negative words like “fanatic”, “radical” and “terror” to describe their impressions of Islam.

So, does increased religious orthodoxy promote violence and intolerance? A study we carried out of Pakistani pilgrims on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca suggests this association is wrong. In fact, our study showed that while the hajj leads to greater religious orthodoxy, it also increases pilgrims’ desire for peace and tolerance toward others, even non-Muslims.

These findings echo the experience of Malcolm X, who radically altered his views on race after performing the hajj. In a letter from the hajj, he wrote: "We were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white… what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought patterns previously held."

The hajj is an inherently communal and international event, with more than 2 million Muslims from all over the world gathering for several days of prayer and rituals. Pilgrims intera

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:46:26 GMT
• Philip Seib Speaks on "The Al-Jazeera Effect" •
Philip Seib, author of "The Al-Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics" addressed journalists at the Dubai Press Club.
• •
Philip Seib, author of "The Al-Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics" addressed journalists at the Dubai Press Club. Dr. Seib cited examples from throughout the world of how politics is being reshaped by the influence of new media such as satellite television, the Internet, and other high-tech tools, and argued that this represents more than just a refinement of established practices but, rather, a "comprehensive reconnecting of the global village and a reshaping of how the world works."

He recalled that ten years ago, there was much talk about "the CNN effect," the theory that news coverage—especially gripping visual storytelling—was influencing foreign policy throughout the world. Today, according to Dr. Seib, "the Al Jazeera effect" takes that a significant step further. The concept encompasses the use of new media as tools in every aspect of global affairs, ranging from democratization to terrorism, and including the concept of "virtual states." Today, the media have a larger popular base than ever before and, as a result, have unprecedented impact on international politics. According to Dr. Seib, the media can be tools of conflict and instruments of peace; they can make traditional borders irrelevant and unify peoples scattered across the globe. This phenomenon, "the Al Jazeera effect," is reshaping the world.

Philip Seib is Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Southern California. He studies linkages between media and war and terrorism, as well as public diplomacy issues. He is author or editor of numerous books.
• • •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:41:03 GMT
Tarik Yousef • DSG Dean Speaks at Carnegie Conference •
Dean Tarik Yousef spoke on October 24 at the "Emerging Powers and the Middle East" conference in Beirut, Lebanon.
• •
Dean Tarik Yousef spoke on October 24 at the "Emerging Powers and the Middle East" conference in Beirut, Lebanon. Jointly organized by the Carnegie Middle East Center and the Heinrich Boll Foundation, the conference examined the effects on the Middle East of the global shift of power toward (re)emerging powers such as India, China and Russia.

Dr. Yousef spoke on the effects of new economic flows on the region as part of the "Economies at Large" panel. The session explored the possibility of a new economic and financial balance of power in the wake of the recent turbulence of the international financial system, as well as the effects on the Middle East and developing countries of the concentration of wealth brought about by high energy prices and booming exports from China and India.

For the conference agenda, click here.
• • 274 •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:37:13 GMT
• Reforming the UN Security Council •
DSG, in association with the Dubai Press Club, today hosted Professor Richard Hartwig of the Department of Political Science at Texas A&M University-Kingsville for a lecture.
• •
DSG, in association with the Dubai Press Club, today hosted Professor Richard Hartwig of the Department of Political Science at Texas A&M University-Kingsville for a lecture. Presenting from his paper, "Squaring the Circle: A Regional/Economic Proposal for Reform of the United Nations Security Council," Professor Hartwig stressed on an urgent need to reform the UN Security Council. He explained that regional representation at the UNSC is a necessary step for reform that brings back to the United Nations its lost power and legitimacy.

Professor Hartwig explained that "a satisfactory reform of the UN Security Council is important, but currently impossible given the veto power of the five permanent members and an absence of consensus among other members of the UN". He advocated radical UNSC reform through what he calls the Regional/Economic Proposal (REP) that would require revising the 60 years’ old UN Charter. He argued that as the world becomes increasingly multipolar and international problems become less easy to manage, his proposal would look politically more feasible, way before the year 2020, the deadline set by the High-Level Panel for a review of the composition of the Security Council.

Professor Hartwig explained that his Regional/Economic Proposal envisions a UN Security Council composed of ten geographic Regions; each presided over by anchor or co-anchor countries. A Region’s UN representative could only vote on a particular issue if supported by countries representing 60 per cent of its population and 60 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product. In situations that are of emergency nature, only anchor and co-anchor countries would vote, and there would be no veto power. Regions with at leas

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:31:57 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef at Arab Sustainability Leadership Group Conference •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef spoke on a panel during a two-day conference of the Arab Sustainability Leadership Group in Amman, Jordan, dedicated to promoting sustainable business practices in the Arab world.
• •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef spoke on a panel during a two-day conference of the Arab Sustainability Leadership Group (ASLG) in Amman, Jordan, dedicated to promoting sustainable business practices in the Arab world. Formed by Queen Rania earlier this year, the ASLG is open to all organizations based in the Arab region that are committed to the principles of sustainability. Members agree to work towards the goals of ASLG, including adopting a strategy to implement sustainability management within their organizations, and having a plan in place to produce sustainability reports within a reasonable timeframe.

Led by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, the panel discussion focused on youth employment and employability in the Arab world. In addition to Dean Yousef, speakers included Dame Julia Cleverdon, Vice President of the UK-based organization "Business in the Community," and Helmy Abouleish, Managing Director of Sekem in Egypt.

Drawing on their experiences in developing sustainable solutions to such issues, each of the panelists shared insights about how to support education and how to bring in the right kind of buy-in from government, civil society and other partners in the private sector. The international panel cited their own national frameworks of governments, business and civil society working together.

Dame Cleverdon spoke about her experiences with a number of relevant initiatives in the UK that targeted homeless and unemployed yo

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:28:30 GMT
• Gender Research Seminar Series: Rohini Pande •
Dr. Rohini Pande presented a talk in the School’s Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series entitled "Powerful Women: Can Exposure Reduce Bias?"
• •
Dr. Rohini Pande, Mohammed Kamal Professor of Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, presented a talk entitled "Powerful Women: Can Exposure Reduce Bias?" Dr. Pande's research explored using a random assignment of gender quotas for leadership positions across Indian village councils to show that prior exposure to a female leader is associated with subsequent electoral gains for women. She provided experimental and survey evidence on one channel of influence – changes in voter attitudes. Prior exposure to a female chief councilor improves perceptions of the effectiveness of female leaders and weakens stereotypes about gender roles in the public and domestic spheres.
•

Women as Political Leaders: Can Quota affect Attitudes?

Women as Political Leaders: Does Exposure Increase Future Electoral Success?

Audio of the Presentation

• •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:12:40 GMT
Tarek Coury, Khalid Al-Yahya • How Does the Middle East Rank in Wealth and Happiness? •
DSG and the Legatum Institute co-hosted a panel discussion of the 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index, which measures how well nations are promoting holistic prosperity.
• •
DSG and the Legatum Institute co-hosted a panel discussion of the 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index, which measures how well nations are promoting holistic prosperity, including both economic growth and happiness. Dr. William Inboden, Senior Vice-President of the Legatum Institute, presented the in-depth results of the Index relevant to this region, while DSG assistant professors Tarek Coury and Khalid Al Yahya offered ideas on how countries in the Middle East can achieve long-term prosperity in the future.

The 2008 Legatum Prosperity Index finds that countries in the Middle East enjoy varying degrees of success in promoting the fundamentals of prosperity, with the UAE and Kuwait leading the region. Jordan and Saudi Arabia are also in the top 50, although Yemen ranks at the very bottom of the Index.

In his presentation, Dr. Inboden asserted that "The Prosperity Index shows that in addition to economic success, a society’s prosperity is based on strong families and communities, political and religious liberty, education and opportunity, and a healthy environment." He elaborated on the Prosperity Index findings for the region, commenting that "Most Middle Eastern countries score very high on satisfaction with health, on family life, and on religious faith, although almost all countries in the region score poorly on political liberties and religious freedom."

Positively, some of the richer Middle Eastern countries report high levels of charitable giving, which is a robust indicator of life satisfaction according to the Index. Volunteerism, ho

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:08:46 GMT
• Gender Research Seminar: Hoda Elsadda •
Dr. Hoda Elsadda of Manchester University presented an overview of her paper, "The 'Arab Woman' as an Object of Study:
• •
Dr. Hoda Elsadda of Manchester University presented an overview of her paper, "The 'Arab Woman' as an Object of Study: A Critical Analysis of the AHDR 2005," to the Gender and Public Policy Research Seminar Series on October 16. The paper examines the Arab Human Development Report 2005: Towards the Rise of Women in the Arab World, with the purpose of raising questions regarding the geopolitics of the production and consumption of knowledge. Dr. Elsadda deconstructed the report by questioning the dominant discursive foundations shaping our understanding and asking "who produces knowledge and for what purpose?" While noting the difficulty of producing such a document, as well as the inherent problems of translation, Dr. Elsadda asserted that the report falls within the dominant analytical narrative of "the Arab woman."

The Speaker
Professor Hoda Elsadda currently holds a Chair in the Study of the Contemporary Arab World at Manchester University. In 1992, she co-founded and co-edited Hagar, an interdisciplinary journal in women's studies published in Arabic. She has written articles and edited two books dealing with discourses on gender in modern Arab history, particularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She has argued that a revision of the dominant modernist discourses in the twentieth century that takes into consideration gender as a category of analysis will lead to a revision of some of the assumed ideological dichotomies that dominate Arab history.

In addition to her scholarly interest in gender in Arab cultural history, she has been engaged in activist campaigns and has founded and participated in independent women's groups and projects in Egypt and the Arab world since 1992. In 1997, she co-founded (and was D

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:06:01 GMT
Christine Assaad • Gender Research Seminar: Christine Assaad •
DSG Research Associate Christine Assaad presented an overview of her recently-published policy brief, "Gender Equality in the United Arab Emirates: A Driver for Increased Competitiveness?"
• •
DSG Research Associate Christine Assaad presented an overview of her recently-published policy brief, "Gender Equality in the United Arab Emirates: A Driver for Increased Competitiveness?" The brief describes the reasons behind the UAE’s performance in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), where it ranked 105 out of 128 countries, and argues that increased gender equality will improve the country’s economic competitiveness.

Ms. Assaad noted that the UAE performs relatively well in terms of equal access between men and women to health and educational resources, as well as in terms of political participation. However, she pointed out that the GGGI indicates that UAE women lag far behind men in regards to economic opportunity and integration into the labor force. Ms. Assaad examined reasons behind the UAE’s ranking and score on the GGGI, and noted a number of shortcomings in the data mentioned. The presentation concluded with recommendations in changes in labor policies to stimulate the economic inclusion of women. Ms. Assaad called for improvements in data collection, analysis and dissemination, and asserted that with more accurate and timely information, a truer picture of gender equality in the UAE will emerge and policy solutions can be more effectively formulated.

Multimedia of this event can be found here.
• • 280 •

DSG News

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:02:11 GMT
• Leadership Dialogue with Canadian Diplomats, Dubai Leaders •
In association with the Embassy of Canada, on November 16 the Dubai School of Government welcomed a group of visiting Canadian diplomats.
• •
In association with the Embassy of Canada, on November 16 the Dubai School of Government hosted a leadership dialogue between a group of visiting Canadian diplomats and several prominent public sector leaders from Dubai. Over 40 participants in the Canadian government’s “Advanced Leadership Program” visited the School, where they met with Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director-General, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dr. Najeeb Al Khaja, Director, Department of Health and Medical Services, and Engineer Nazek Al-Sabbagh, Managing Director, Trakhees. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Tarek Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, in the presence of HE Ms. Sara Hradecky, the Ambassador of Canada.

Dr. Abdullah Al Karam of the KHDA recounted the development of Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Knowledge Village and Academic City, outlining Dubai’s drive to develop its “soft infrastructure,” of human capital. Dubai now has 58 institutions of higher learning, he noted, "and this development has made a big difference in people’s lives."

Focusing on "hard infrastructure," Ms. Nazek Al-Sabbagh asserted that Trakhees has been able to keep pace with the rapid building boom in Dubai only through innovative management and ubiquitous automation. Trakhees is the regulatory arm of Dubai World, responsible for ensuring high standards of quality throughout all DW constructions.

The final speaker, Dr. Najeeb Al Khaja of the Department of Health and Medical Services, placed today’s rapid development in perspective by recounting the position of Dubai and the UAE in the early 1970s, when the drive to develop the country’s physical infrastructure and educational system took off. The key to the country’s suc

DSG News

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:17:34 GMT
Asim Ijaz Khwaja • Hajj Study Featured on CNN •
"The pilgrimage that brings more than 2 million Muslims to Mecca every year tends to make them more religiously observant and also more tolerant, a huge study of Pakistani pilgrims suggests."
• •
"The pilgrimage that brings more than 2 million Muslims to Mecca every year tends to make them more religiously observant and also more tolerant, a huge study of Pakistani pilgrims suggests." In "Hajj makes Muslims more tolerant, study suggests," CNN International.com highlights the findings of a study conducted by DSG Research Fellow Asim Ijaz Khwaja with David Clingingsmith and Michael Kremer.

The study appeared as DSG Working Paper 08-04, "Estimating the Impact of the Hajj:
Religion and Tolerance in Islam’s Global Gathering," and as Policy Brief 7, "The Impact of the Hajj."

To read the CNN article, click here.
• • 277 •

DSG News

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:35:16 GMT
Tarek Coury • UAE Economy: Time to Move Up the Value Chain •
In Thursday’s Khaleej Times, DSG Assistant Professor Tarek Coury calls for the UAE to diversify its economy more into high value-added economic activities in the non-oil sector.
• • Recently, the World Bank announced that the global economy will likely enter a recessionary phase, defined as a period of below 3 per cent growth; in fact the World Bank predicts average growth rates well below one half of a per cent. Despite this, the setback to the national economy is likely to be only temporary, even if the global credit crunch takes a year or two to dissipate. The current crisis is ultimately a monetary phenomenon and is being addressed by world economies, including our own, with greater liquidity provision by central banks and higher levels of fiscal spending.
However, the current crisis should not mask longer-term challenges faced by our national economy, in particular diversification toward high value-added economic activities.

To be sure, much can be learned from business practices leading up to the crisis. For example, it is now well understood that the securitisation of debt instruments (in particular mortgages) has contributed to the gradual unravelling of the banking sector witnessed beginning 2007.

Creative financial repackaging of bad debts into mortgage-backed securities and accounting rules associated with so-called special purpose vehicles allowed both banks and the derivatives traded by their subsidiaries to be assigned risk and solvency ratings far more favourable than they actually deserved.

The story leading up to the current crisis suggests many ways in which national authorities, in association with international organisations, can effect regulatory changes in global banking activities. And while it may certainly not feel like it, the current crisis is

DSG News

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:08:08 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Education and Good Governance •
Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National featured DSG Dean Tarik Yousef in an article in Sunday’s edition.
• •
Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National featured DSG Dean Tarik Yousef in an article in Sunday’s edition. In "Education and Good Governance Go Hand in Hand, Dean Says,” Dr. Yousef stresses the crucial role of training for improving public sectors throughout the region. According to Yousef, “You cannot hope to modernize, grow and integrate into the world economy … unless you have effective public sectors."

The article can be accessed here.
•

Education and Good Governance

• 274 •

DSG News

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:02:58 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Rami Khouri • Governance Newsmaker Interview with Tarik Yousef •
An extensive interview with Dean Tarik Yousef was featured in the December issue of Governance News and Notes, a monthly newsletter of the World Bank’s MENA vice presidency.
• •
An extensive interview with Dean Tarik Yousef was featured in the December issue of Governance News and Notes, a monthly newsletter of the World Bank’s MENA vice presidency. Conducted by DSG Senior Fellow Rami Khouri, the interview explores the region’s need to generate knowledge and share experiences on governance and public administration, as well as the importance of institutionalizing accountability and transparency at the organizational level.

The full interview is available here.
• • 274,284 •

DSG News

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:58:52 GMT
Tarik Yousef • Tarik Yousef on BBC Arabic Radio •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef was interviewed on the Hadeeth al-Sa’a ("Discussion of the Hour") program on the BBC Arabic Radio network.
• •
DSG Dean Tarik Yousef was interviewed on the Hadeeth al-Sa’a ("Discussion of the Hour") program on the BBC Arabic Radio network. The discussion focused on the content of US President Barack Obama’s inauguration speech and its relevance for the Middle East region.
The program can be accessed (in Arabic) here.
• • 274 •

DSG News

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:51:58 GMT
Mike Helal • How does Dubai Measure up in Standards of Education? •
Visiting Researcher Mike Helal measures Dubai’s strengths and weaknesses in a global education benchmarking examination in an opinion piece published in Thursday’s Gulf News.
• •
The 2007-2008 school year marked Dubai's first participation in the international Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS), a global comparative test assessing student achievement in mathematics and science hosted by the Lynch School of Education at Boston College every four years. The test assesses students at the fourth and eighth grade levels, two educational milestones considered to signify the end of primary schooling and the end of lower-secondary school. To better inform education policy, TIMSS also poses an array of background questions to students. By participating in the test and interpreting results in light of the included contextual information, Dubai now has internationally comparable data about the progress of local education that will inform future educational policy decisions and allow policymakers to improve the quality of education.

The results of the 2007 TIMMS, released on December 9, 2008, show Dubai to have a strong standing amongst GCC countries and nations within the Middle East in general. In fact, public and private students in Dubai achieved the highest marks in mathematics and science of any included Arab country. However, room for improvement exists when compared to the rest of the world. Neither grade 4 nor grade 8 students met the international average in science or mathematics, and both fell nearly 100 points below world leaders Singapore and Hong Kong. In the fourth grade, only 2% of students managed to achieve the advanced international benchmark, compared to 41% of Singaporean students, 10% of students in the United States and an international average of 5%. A slightly brighter picture emerges from grade 8, where 3% of all

DSG News

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:58:31 GMT
Ashraf Meraj • Efficient Government Means Accountability: We’re Getting It •
An editorial by Ashraf Meraj in The National newspaper commends the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority and posits further steps to improve transparency and accountability.
• •
By Ashraf Meraj

The establishment of the Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority (ADAA) is an important step towards strengthening public sector accountability and transparency. At the federal level, the UAE already has the State Audit Institution (SAI), which is an independent body that reports directly to the Federal National Council (FNC) and is responsible for the auditing and oversight of state funds and those of other specified public entities. But the establishment of the ADAA will complement and enhance that role at the local level in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This is a measure worth emulating by the other Emirates.

The new Accountability Authority replaces the erstwhile Audit Authority. With an independent juridical personality, the new entity has a broader mandate—not only to ensure financial propriety and compliance with rules and regulations, but also to promote the principles of accountability and transparency at the “subject entities.” This is a clear shift from traditional financial control to what is called “value for money auditing” and a departure from simple accounting to real accountability. External oversight bodies are now moving more towards accountability, performance, and outcomes in line with government objectives and directives, rather than just compliance with routine processes and provisions. The establishment of the ADAA is in line with this trend within modernizing governments around the world towards greater public sector accountability.

Reportedly, the State Audit Institution will soon be b

DSG News

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:52:47 GMT
Tarik Yousef, Mohamed Lahouel • DSG Launches Master of Public Administration Program •
The Dubai School of Government (DSG) today announced it has launched a one-year Master’s program in Public Administration for 35 officials representing various Arab governments.
• • One-Year Master’s Program Will Enable 35 Participants from Arab Governments to Assume Leadership Roles in Home Countries
The Dubai School of Government (DSG) today announced it has launched a one-year Master’s program in Public Administration for 35 officials representing various Arab governments. The program is administered in cooperation with the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

As part of the first day, DSG organized an orientation session to brief participants on the objectives and content of the program, as well as to introduce faculty members. Additionally, an on-site tour familiarized students with the various departments and technical facilities of the School.

Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government, said: “In line with our mission to promote good governance in the Arab world, the Dubai School of Government has commenced 2009 by welcoming our first cohort of master’s students.

"We believe that these students will dedicate themselves to deriving the maximum benefit from this program, and that this will enable them to contribute to the development of public institutions in their home countries. The need for effective institutions and innovative governance is pressing, and through this program we at the Dubai School of Government are working to empower future Arab leaders with the competencies and skills they need to address the challenges they are certain to face."

Mohammad Lahouel, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, said: "The candidates for the maste

DSG News

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:17:34 GMT
Tarik Yousef • DSG Helps Launch Arab Council for the Social Sciences •
Scholars and researchers from throughout the Arab world gathered in Cairo, Egypt to officially launch the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) on December 17 and 18.
• •
Scholars and researchers from throughout the Arab world gathered in Cairo, Egypt to officially launch the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS) on December 17 and 18. The Dubai School of Government played a vital role in the initial development of the ACSS, offering organizational leadership and support, with the Council becoming independent upon its launch in Cairo.

Leading Arab social scientists present at the Cairo launch of the ACSS included Ibtisam Al-Kitbi from the UAE, Ragui Assaad from Egypt, Mustafa Hamarneh of Jordan, Rahma Bourkiya from Morocco, Abdul Karim Barghouti from Palestine, Amr Hamzawy from Egypt, Raoufa Hassan of Yemen, Ahmed Baydoun from Lebanon, and Naser Jaby of Algeria.

Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government and member of the Council’s steering committee, commented that "The launch of the Council will pave the way for a larger role for social science research in the Arab region, and empower leaders to make policy decisions based on sound research."

Dr. Yousef added: "The Council will strengthen social science research in the Arab region and promote links between Arab scholars and their regional and international counterparts, fulfilling one of the primary tenets of our mission at the Dubai School of Government."

The Arab Council for the Social Sciences is an effort by leading Arab scholars and experts to address the region’s deficiency in self-produced research. A number of UN reports on human development have emphasized the need for the Arab world to address the "knowledge gap" in order to meet the challenges of development, good governance and secu

DSG News

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:28:27 GMT
Nabil Ali Alyousuf, Tarik Yousef, Vali Nasr, Rami Khouri • State of the Region 2008 •
Scenario assessment and strategic planning were the order of the day on April 14, as over 140 top policy makers, executives and thought leaders from the UAE and neighboring Gulf countries gathered at the annual State of the Region Forum for a dialogue with leading experts.
• •
The State of the Region Forum 2008

"Leveraging Opportunity, Managing Risk"

Scenario assessment and strategic planning were the order of the day on April 14, as over 140 top policy makers, executives and thought leaders from the UAE and neighboring Gulf countries gathered at the annual State of the Region Forum for a dialogue with leading experts. The Dubai School of Government organized the Forum, in association with BusinessWeek Events and DNM Strategies. The State of the Region 2008 was sponsored by the Commercial Bank of Dubai, Etisalat and Sama Dubai. Nima Abu-Wardeh, presenter of BBC World’s "Middle East Business Report," served as overall moderator for the Forum.

After a word of welcome from HE Ahmed Bin Byat, Secretary-General of the Executive Council, the Forum’s first panel commenced. Moderated by Chris Power, Assistant Managing Editor, BusinessWeek, “Emerging Global Powers: The Evolving Role of the GCC” highlighted key geopolitical and macroeconomic developments affecting the Gulf. Ambassador Edward Djerejian, Founding Director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, began the p