Panel sessions to shape the future of education, entrepreneurship, energy and health care from the perspective of innovation at Innovation Arabia 10

UAE, March 1, 2017- The Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has announced that it is all set for the Innovation Arabia10 congress which will host its first ever ‘Virtual Congress’ this year. Innovation Arabia will be held from March 6 to 8, 2017 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the University, with the theme ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Engines of Sustainability.’ To ensure its success, the proactive ‘Virtual Congress’ initiative will employ recent technological innovations to bridge the communication gap between international smart education experts and entrepreneurship, health, environment, and quality advocates. The move will help accelerate Dubai’s smart transformation under the directives of its wise leadership to make the emirate a smart, integrated and connected city by 2021.

Innovation Arabia 10 will feature a series of panel sessions under three concurrent conferences. The ‘Smart Learning Conference’ will host panel sessions on ‘Digital Transformation in Education,’ which is being sponsored by Microsoft; ‘Gifted Education Between Theory and Practice,’ which is sponsored by the Hamdan Bin Rashid Award; ‘The Use of New Technologies for Sustainable Development in Learning,’ which is sponsored by Ellucian, and ‘Making Change Happen: Innovation in Education,’ which is sponsored by Connec ME.

During the Health and Environment Conference, Procter & Gamble and Imdaad will host the first session entitled ‘Emerging Business Model - Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into Business.’ The other sessions will be on ‘The health care sector in the UAE and health information technology – the Evolution’ which is being held in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, JCI and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. Meanwhile, the session on ‘Adolescent Health in the 21st Century (UAE),’ sponsored by Al Jalila Children's Hospital and ‘Improving Lifestyle Quality Through Healthcare Innovation and Holistic Approach,’ will be led by MediClinic. 

The ‘Quality and Business Management Conference’ will host a series of panel discussions including the TECOM panel on ‘Fueling Innovation Through Entrepreneurial Enablement’ and the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) panel on ‘Collaborative Innovation: The Big Conversation’ and ‘Driving Digital Innovation Worldwide | TÜV SÜD - 150 Years of Trust,’ which is sponsored by TÜV SÜD Middle East. A number of regional and international experts will also attend the ADIB-led session titled ‘Bank of Tomorrow.’

The Entrepreneurship Fair will be one of Innovation Arabia 10’s highlights as it will seek to empower entrepreneurs by giving them access to best practices and the latest information. Participants will not only benefit from the successful experiences of small and medium businesses but will also have an opportunity to directly communicate with the Middle East’s key investors and businessmen.

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, said: “Under the patronage and support of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the University, Innovation Arabia continues to lay a strong foundation for knowledge-based economies in the Arab World. The conference encourages the public and private sectors, the business community, and research and academic institutions to adopt innovation and entrepreneurship as a tool, purpose and engine to transform the development path towards sustainability. The 10th edition reflects our objectives of fostering a culture of innovation and supporting entrepreneurship in the Arab World in line with the UAE’s commitment to the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, with particular emphasis on building sustainable cities and communities, providing quality education, and ensuring the good health and well-being for all.”

He added: “In keeping with the vision of our wise leadership, we have launched the ‘Virtual Congress’ to help turn the objectives of Dubai’s ‘Smart City’ initiative into a reality. Direct presentations, research workshops, panel discussions and interactive sessions will be part of the agenda and are available through the ‘Virtual Congress’ platform. We are confident that the new platform will be an important addition to our efforts to bridge the communication gap among decision makers, government officials, and members of the academic, research, and business communities to help unleash the potentials in the Arab world, especially in terms of innovation and entrepreneurship, and achieve a secure and sustainable future for all.”

The ‘Quality and Business Management Conference’ will feature sessions on ‘Unleashing Innovation, Empowering Entrepreneurship;’ ‘Smart Learning Conference,’ ‘Build Knowledge Based communities;’ and ‘Health and Environment Conference,’ ‘Changing Minds, Protecting the Environment.’ Among the event’s official sponsors are the Hamdan Bin Rashid Award for Distinguished Academic Performance as Strategic Sponsor; the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority as Keynote Speakers Sponsor; Emirates airline, the official carrier; and media partners Dubai Media Inc., Al Bayan newspaper, Al Roeya newspaper, Araanews, Edarabia, Business Islamica magazine, Trends magazine, Saneou Al Hadath magazine, Al Jawda magazine, Media Hub, Al Oula 107.4 radio and Abu Dhabi Environment Network and Wamda, Ecosystem Sponsor.