ALHOSN University Vice Chancellor Calls For More Investments Into Education At Entrepreneurship First Symposium

Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni explains entrepreneurship’s role in higher education in the UAE

ALHOSN University Vice Chancellor and CEO Prof. Abdul Rahim Sabouni discussed the importance of investing in the education sector and encouraging entrepreneurship among students during a speech delivered on April 26, 2010 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi as part of the Entrepreneurship First Symposium.

Held under the theme ‘From U.A.E. to Washington D.C.: A New Beginning Realized,’ the Symposium was conducted parallel to the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C. Around 250 successful entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries discussed ways to advance economical and social entrepreneurship and to build networks and partnerships among stakeholders. The event fulfilled the pledge made by US President Barack Obama during his visit to Cairo, Egypt last year that a summit dedicated to strengthening ties between American business leaders, foundations and entrepreneurs and their counterparts in Muslim countries will be organized by USA.

In the UAE symposium, Prof. Sabouni joined 11 other distinguished speakers who spoke of topics ranging from entrepreneurship development through Public Private Partnerships to the enhancement of regional Small and Medium Enterprises.

In his speech, Prof. Sabouni talked about the economic and academic benefits of investing in higher education: “The misconception that private universities are often associated with purely commercial enterprises fails to account for the optimization in efficiency and quality control and assurance that are necessary for continued operations in an increasingly competitive environment. Self-dependent profitable academic institutions, by default, must rely on efficient utilization of resources so that they can continue to produce academically rigorous programs for their students.”

“As the UAE continues to develop at such a rapid pace, investing in private education can be both economically sustainable and academically rewarding. Federal policies and regulations must continue to support both individual and corporate initiatives and foster a culture of innovative entrepreneurship in all sectors, especially in higher education,” he added.

The symposium was organized by Cisco Entrepreneur Institute and Knowledge Horizon in cooperation with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and concluded with a live interactive broadcast of the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C. using new Cisco technology.
 

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