Executive Education: University of Arizona partners with Omani government on Leadership Development Programme
BUSINESS REPORTER -
MUSCAT, MARCH 7
A recent partnership agreement signed by the Omani government with the University of Arizona will help establish the Sultanate and its prestigious Institute of Public Administration as a regional hub for leadership programming, thought leadership and research.
The Eller College of Management’s Executive Education programme at the University of Arizona has been awarded a contract through the Omani Ministry of Finance’s Tawazun Programme to provide the government of Oman with leadership development services.
The initial phase of the project will focus on the development of leadership and management capabilities for mid-level public sector employees across the Omani government.
“Oman is a booming, growing country with a large population under the age of 25, and the Institute of Public Administration plays an important role in advancing the competitiveness of its economy,” said Joe Carella, assistant dean for Eller Executive Education.
“This programme will ensure public sector employees have the right capabilities to develop the infrastructure of the country moving forward.”
The partnership between Eller Executive Education and the Institute of Public Administration is expected to last five years and involve three key components: a Leadership Preparation Programme, a Train-the-Trainer Programme and a Leadership Development Centre.
The ultimate goal is to establish a long-term partnership, designed to create a space where government employees can learn from one another and test new ideas.
Oman selected the Eller College of Management from 25 academic institutions that had proposed taking part in the partnership.
The opportunity was jointly pursued by Eller Executive Education and UArizona’s Research, Innovation and Impact’s Defence Offset Programmes team. The new agreement expands the university’s current relationship with governments in the Middle East.
In 2018, UArizona was awarded a $3.9 million contract to support Oman’s One Million Date Palm Trees Project, which aims to increase sustainable date production in the country.
“Countries such as Oman that have offset programmes create an opportunity for University of Arizona faculty to implement knowledge or technology transfer projects with international partners such as the Institute of Public Administration, thereby creating new capabilities in the partner country and extending the University of Arizona’s relationships in a meaningful sponsored structure,” said Todd Shallcross, director of RII Defence Offset Programmes.
“We are grateful to have this opportunity to participate in Oman’s Partnership for Development Programme,” Carella said.
“We are confident we have designed the right balance of academic and practical methodological approaches delivered by experts and experienced professionals that will deliver an impactful learning journey that Oman’s middle managers can apply immediately upon returning to their jobs.”
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