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UAE: These employees took break from successful careers to get prestigious MBA at Abu Dhabi university
This is the first time in the 125-year-old history of business school Stern that the course is being offered outside its campus in New York University
- PUBLISHED: Tue 11 Feb 2025, 8:50 AM
Emirati data product manager Hamdan Al Hosani has spent the last seven years carving out a niche for himself in the corporate world. Now, he has taken a break from work to be part of the first cohort of New York-based business school Stern’s prestigious Master in Business Administration (MBA) program that will be offered in Abu Dhabi.
“I have been always on the technical side of things,” he said. “I wanted to become a thought leader in my field by complementing my skills with the emotional quotient (EQ) of business acumen and leadership qualities. That is what prompted me to sign up for an MBA programme. My ultimate aim is that I want to be part of the UAE’s digital transformation and want to give back to my country.”
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Launched at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), the programme is a one-year long full time course that will see students in classes from 9am to 5pm, at least four times a week. This is the first time in the school’s 125-year-old history that it is offering its prestigious master’s programme outside its campus in New York University. Students of the course will study for 8.5 months in Abu Dhabi and the remaining time at the NYU campus.
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“We have 54 students from 24 nationalities in the first cohort,” said Robert Salomon, Dean of Stern School of Business at NYUAD. “We really have the best and brightest group of students from various fields including medicine and law. We have the same level of rigor as in our NYU campus as we do not compromise in our quality.”
On Monday, the Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi, a collaboration between the NYU Stern School of Business and NYUAD, announced its official inauguration, in the presence of several dignitaries including Minister of Community Empowerment Shamma bint Sohail Al Mazrui, Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, and Minister of State and UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba.
Move to Abu Dhabi
After completing a triple major in Economics, Psychology and History, Mike Ji was all set to enroll in the US army when a medical issue prevented him from realising his dream. He pivoted from there to pursue a law degree when he heard about the Stern programme in Abu Dhabi. His wish to study in the country was thwarted once before due to the pandemic but this time, he was determined and took a break from his degree.
“I practice mergers and acquisitions and I want to work in the UAE,” he said. “I wanted to understand Islamic financing and syndicate loans, interact with local institutions and gain on-the-ground experience, not just book knowledge. It is important for my future practice so that I can cater to my clients in the best possible way.”
For Devina Taimni, who did her undergraduate studies from California, the Stern MBA was the “perfect opportunity” to build on her vast experience in law and public affairs. She worked at India’s highest court on some of the country’s most important cases and was looking to switch her career from public law to financial services when she arrived in the UAE looking for better opportunities.
She said the one thing she was looking forward to in the entire programme was the Signature Internship Program. “It is a key feature of this programme and it is really exciting,” she said. “They partner four or five students with top companies in various parts of the country and we get to function as external consultants, helping them to solve some business challenge they are facing. This would give us practical knowledge, build my resume and expand my network.”
Retaining Talent
As per Rob, one of the key aims of this programme was to retain talent in the UAE. “While doing our research, we found that companies are looking for managerial talent,” he said. “So we are trying to add to the talent pool and encouraging people to make use of the opportunities offered by Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general. It helps the local economy by retaining talent.”
He added that when picking student, they looked at several factors. “We want people with high IQ, so people who are bright, talented and motivated,” he said. “Also, we are looking at people with high EQ - those who can communicate effectively and interact with others in a mature way.”
