
MBA induction session highlights the power of the collective cohort/collaboration
They say: “It’s not how you start but how you finish that’s most important” – this may be true in some cases but a great start can also be a real boost to energy, confidence and motivation in any new endeavour, leading to a better finish or result.
The Global MBA class of January 2025 started its journey with an induction session highlighting the strengths of the collective cohort in providing mutual support among students combined with the guidance of alumni and experienced support from the student and careers teams at the Dubai branch.
Setting the scene at the start of the session was the welcome by the Founding Director of The University of Manchester - Dubai, Randa Bessiso, followed by an introduction to the entire team at the branch.
The team was joined for the first time by the first local academics appointed by the University in Dubai - Nada Jammoul Messaikeh, Senior Lecturer & UoM Dubai Associate Director- Research; and Amin El Kholy, Senior Lecturer & UoM Dubai Associate Director – Teaching & Learning.
The session also included welcome messages from Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) including Professor Ken McPhail (Head of AMBS); Xavier Duran Global MBA Programmes Director at AMBS, also recorded a special video message for the cohort. 2 An introduction to the University followed its key milestones and development since its foundation in 1824 (this now includes the 26 th Nobel Prize presented to a current or former member of staff or student, which was awarded last year). The presentation also looked ahead to the plans for a special year for AMBS, which celebrates its 60 th anniversary in 2025.
All the ingredients for ultimate success were covered in the induction session, which included well-established elements such as the new student ice breaker session, followed by a cohort group photo for the records and souvenir of this once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
Presentations by the Dubai Student Support and Careers and Alumni Support teams highlighted the vast experience acquired by the teams over almost 20 years of operation, and all of which is easily accessible to the new students. The contribution of five senior alumni - Saad Ansari, Co-Founder & CEO, Xpence; Omar Murad, Associate Director Nakheel Malls; Rehab Rekabi, Project Manager DLR Group Middle East: Marco Fornier, Associate Consultant The Academy for Sales; Jitesh Motwani, Team Lead Risk & Due Diligence CRIF GULF (Dun & Bradstreet) - in sharing their own MBA experiences, while answering questions posed by students, was a critical part of reassuring the new cohort about the journey on which they were embarking, and instilling the self-belief and confidence needed to meet the demands of a rigorous academic programme.
The student-adviser relationship is key to a successful journey and this is also the first point of contact at the University for every student, all of whom benefit from the personal support and guidance of a highly experienced counsellor.
The ‘student lifecycle’ laid out the MBA pathway and covered all the essentials of learning, collaborating, and managing the challenges – from personal to family and work – that inevitably happen along the way, during a prolonged period of intense and demanding part- time academic study. The University provides all the tools and resources - and very personal support – to meet the challenges and students can provide their own feedback to the University through the elected cohort representative.
Learning is a social experience and no student is on their own. So, every new student has an ‘alumni buddy’, access to Entrepreneur and Sports clubs, as well as social responsibility activities in addition to regular networking opportunities, to complement the academic studies and support personal development.
Day one of the MBA ended with a team building activity and prize giving, followed by the opportunity for individual networking alongside a celebration of the 10 students marking birthdays in January.
That’s a great start.
At a glance
- The January 2025 cohort for the Middle East comprises students of 20 nationalities and the majority are following the Global MBA programme, with others selecting the GEMBA or Finance Accelerated pathway.
For the University’s Global MBA generally in the Middle East –
- The average student age is 37 and almost half the students have between 11 and 20 years of work experience
- Female students account for 19% of all MBA students in the Middle East
- More than 80% of students are resident in countries in the GCC and Middle East, and almost half live and work in the UAE.
- Students are working in a wide range of industries, including Banking & Finance, ICT, Construction, Manufacturing, and Consulting.
- Around 70% of all students from the Middle East have graduated with a merit or distinction.