Member News

Our masterclasses were a huge success, thanks to Dr. Nikolay Mehandjiev, Dr. Susanne Espenlaub, Dr. Paul Armstrong, and Xavier Duran. The topics covered the use of AI, fintech, education, and career advancement.

The Middle East Centre team also travelled regionally to Oman, Riyadh, and Jeddah this month. We celebrated our bicentenary in Oman and  had the pleasure of meeting with the leadership team at Petroleum Development Oman. Special thanks to Professor Patricia Perlman for delivering a corporate masterclass for them. We look forward to further collaborating with the Petroleum Development Oman team.

Social responsibility is one of our core values and our team was humbled to visit the National Autism Centre in Oman - we got the chance to spend a day at the centre and interact with the kids, and we are very grateful for the opportunity.

The team was also delighted to meet with our student and alumni community in Jeddah and Riyadh. A heartfelt thank you to each one of you who met with us and for your continuous support. We truly appreciate it.

With summer around the corner, we look forward to June and continuing to meet you at our events.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell’s visit to the Middle East Centre

We are honoured to express our gratitude to the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, for her visit to our Middle East Centre. Her presence was truly appreciated and valued by the entire community. 

We are immensely proud to be part of a university led by someone as dedicated and visionary as Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell. Her leadership continues to pave the way for groundbreaking research, inclusive education, and meaningful global partnerships. 

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell was the honoured guest at the Middle East Centre bicentenary celebration, during her speech, she said, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 - 𝘞𝘩𝘺? 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘧𝘧, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘪. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳”.

View event highlights here

Masterclass by Dr. Nikolay Mehandjiev

On May 2nd, Professor Nikolay Mehandjiev delivered a masterclass on "AI Trust and Security"

During the masterclass, we looked into how AI can revolutionise businesses, while delving into crucial topics like trust and risks in adoption. We also explored real case studies featuring industry giants like Airbus and British Telecom, while you understand how to unlock the potential of AI for your business

Meet the Director of our Global Part-time MBA

On May 8th, Global MBA prospective students had a chance to meet and network with our Global MBA Director, Xavier Duran.

It was a very informative session where Xavier introduced students to the programme in general and explained how the programme could elevate their career. From entrepreneurship to international finance you will benefit from the latest thinking and acquire the skills that will set you apart in today's competitive marketplace.

Masterclass by Dr Susanne Espenlaub

On May 9th, Dr Susanne Espenlaub, who is the Programme Director for MSc Financial Management at Alliance Manchester Business School, conducted a masterclass focusing on "The growing world of Fintech".

Professor Espenlaub’s masterclass highlighted FinTech 4.0, focusing on the growing world of FinTech in the Middle East. She discussed key FinTech segments, growth trends, impact on financial services and society, funding through venture capital, and exit routes for investors.

Masters Programme Overview: Riyadh

On May 23rd, the Middle East Centre team had the opportunity to meet with some of you and take you through the various Masters’ programmes we offer at The University of Manchester Middle East Centre. 

Our students and alumni from Riyadh also attended the session and the participants had the opportunity to meet with the student support and alumni and careers leadership teams to get personalised advice on eligibility and requirements. 

Masters Programme Overview: Jeddah

On May 25th, the Middle East Centre team had the pleasure of meeting with many of you to introduce the various Masters programmes at The University of Manchester Middle East Centre.

Students and alumni from Jeddah also joined the session, the session also provided participants the chance to connect with the student support and alumni and careers leadership teams for personalised advice on support during their journeys.

Regional tour - 200 Years (and first 200 graduates) of Making a Difference

The Middle East Centre team is on an ambitious regional tour, celebrating the University's 200th anniversary and reconnecting with students, alumni, and prospects. As part of the '200 years of making a difference’ theme, we also recognise the Centre's first 200 graduates. Since 2006, we have seen around 2,300 part-time Master's students graduate. We recently visited Oman and the evening was quite eventful.

Special thanks to Bernhard van der Merwe who shared his student journey, and guest speakers Michael Eyley from British Embassy Muscat and Zahir Al Wahaibi from Petroleum Development Oman.

We also appreciate Fatma Al-Maawali and Ibrahim Issa Al Rawahy for their continuous valuable contributions towards the University.

Visit to The National Autism Centre in Oman

During our visit to Oman, we had the chance to spend a morning at The National Autism Centre. It was a humbling experience as we did fun activities with the children, gained insight into how the Centre works, and met their wonderful staff. Thank you to the staff of the Centre for hosting us.

Strategic Talent Partner Masterclass

Dr. Paul Armstrong, the current Programme Director for MA Education in Leadership Practice at The University of Manchester, led a captivating Masterclass at International Schools Partnership Limited on May 7th, 2024. During the masterclass, he discussed in-depth Mobilising professional knowledge and how a collaborative research-based approach can be taken to support school leadership.

On his recent visit to the UAE, Dr. Paul Armstrong spoke about the challenges of educational leadership in international schools, particularly in the Middle East region. Read more about it here and click here to watch the video.

International Schools Partnership Limited is our strategic talent partners and this is one of the benefits we bring to our partners.

Exclusive discount for Executive Education

🎉 Don't Miss Out on Our Bicentennial Celebration Offer! 🎉 

This spring and summer, join AMBS’s world-beating academics who will be delivering 4-day courses with themes ranging from Leadership Development and Digital Transformation to Sustainability and Strategic Productivity.

As part of The University of Manchester’s 200th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to offer a 20% discount* for bookings onto any 4-day short course taking place in 2024.

*This offer is valid until 27 June 2024 at 11.59 PM BST and applies to any four-day course taking place in 2024 where a booking form has been received. Discounts are subject to availability and non-transferrable to other courses taken after 31 December 2024. The discount cannot be combined with any other offers for Executive Education courses.