UAE, February 17, 2016– Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), the much awaited Innovation Arabia 9 (IA9) Congress is set to kick off in March under the theme ‘Accelerating Innovation towards Sustainable Economy.’ A select group of regional and international speakers, senior experts, officials and decision makers from various sectors and disciplines will participate in one of the most important annual events in the education sector. The congress fosters a culture of innovation and creativity in economic and social sectors.

In a move that aims to highlight the country’s march towards ‘smart’ transformation and sustainability, HBMSU launched ‘Innovation Arabia 9’ application to serve as an interactive smart platform for all the participants. The app enables them to communicate effectively, be updated about the agenda, set appointments for discussion sessions, and access all details about the congress’ events. It can be downloaded using iOS and Android devices through Apple Store and Google Play Store.

HBMSU Chancellor, Dr. Mansoor Al Awar said the upcoming Innovation Arabia 9 Congress will focus on scientific research and effective mechanisms to develop local research capabilities through a series of sub-conferences, discussion sessions, and training workshops. The three main conferences of IA9 will focus on ‘Quality and Business Management,’ ‘Smart Learning Excellence’ and ‘Health and Environment’. Dr. Al Awar added that a wide range of pressing topics will be discussed during the course of three days in an interactive platform. The event will bring together leading academicians, researchers and industry leaders to discuss regional and international issues, aspects and best practices. 

The first day will feature three key conferences, with the opening remarks and keynote speech to be delivered by Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, and Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du), respectively. The 1st conference titled ‘Quality and Business Management’ will be opened with speeches by Prof. Khaled Sartawi, Dean, School of Business & Quality Management, HBMSU; and Prof. Adrian Wilkinson, Director, Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing at Griffith University in Australia. The conference will conduct an informative discussion titled ‘Innovation and Quality: Two Faces of the Same Coin’ and a number of educational sessions. The opening remarks for the 2nd conference titled ‘Smart Learning Excellence’ will be delivered by Prof. Abtar Singh, Dean, School of e-Education, HBMSU followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Dae Joon Hwang from Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, and a discussion titled ‘The Next Wave of Pedagogical Landscapes in Smart Learning.’ Finally, the 3rd conference under the theme ‘Health and Environment’ will be opened by Prof. Adi Arida, Dean, School of Health & Environmental Studies, HBMSU; and Dr. Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and the Environment Department, WHO. The conference will be concluded with a panel discussion on ‘Smart Governance for Health & Environment in the 21st Century’, followed by a series of interactive sessions with the participation of leading industry experts. 

On the second day, the congress will feature the ‘Quality and Business Management’ conference and other interactive activities. Keynote speaker Prof. Hans Henrik Christensen, Director, Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), Dubai Government. The conference will include a panel discussion titled ‘Ecosystem for Sustainable Entrepreneurship’. Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr, Assistant Director General, The Executive Office, Dubai, will share the Best Practice Success Story from UAE. The ‘Smart Learning Excellence’ conference will start with a keynote speech by Samer Abu-Ltaif, Regional General Manager, Gulf Region, Microsoft Corporation. A panel discussion on ‘New Multidisciplinary Research Paradigms for Smart Learning’ will be held on the sidelines of the conference, highlighting HBMSU’s smart learning achievements and best practices. The ‘Health and Environment’ conference will commence with a keynote speech by Waleed Salman, Chairman, Dubai Green Economy Partnership, SVP Strategy & Business Development, DEWA. A panel discussion on the ‘Importance of Green Economy to Arab World’ will take place during the conference, which will review the Best Practice Success Story in Health from UAE. A gala dinner will also be held during the second day of congress to gather all the participants and to share knowledge, strengthen communication, and establish relations. 

On the last day, the keynote speech on ‘Quality and Business Management’ conference will be delivered by Prof. David (Daud) Vicary (Abdullah), President & CEO at INCEIF, followed by a panel discussion titled ‘Islamic Financial Landscape: Current Development’ that will be moderated by Prof. Nabil Baydoun, Vice Chancellor for Enterprise & University Advancement at HBMSU. Prof. Michael Meimaris, Director of the University Research Institute of Applied Communication. University of Athens, will deliver the keynote speech during the ‘Smart Learning Excellence’ conference, which will include a panel discussion on ‘Leadership Frameworks to Nurture E-Learning Practitioners’. Dr. Marwa Zohdy, Vice President, Joint Commission International (JCI), will deliver the third keynote speech during the ‘Health and Environment’ conference, followed by a panel discussion titled ‘Global Perspective: Excellence in Quality and Patient Safety’. At the congress’ conclusion, the winners of the Best Paper Awards will be announced as well as the details for Innovation Arabia 10 (IA10).

Dr. Al Awar concluded: “The annual Innovation Arabia Congress receives overwhelming response every year. This is a clear demonstration of the event’s success especially in terms of supporting the country’s smart transformation efforts in the areas of education, scientific research and health, all of which are main pillars for building an integrated knowledge-based economy. The ninth edition reflects HBMSU’s relentless commitment to promote a comprehensive sustainable development in line with the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership.”