Showcasing its leading experiences as the ‘house of quality and excellence’ in spreading new knowledge and developing future models of excellence and quality

Mansoor Al Awar: We continue to establish a culture of quality in education, health, environment and institutions as essential part of progress and development process

11 November 2020-  Considering quality as one of the most essential aspects of shaping the future, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has prepared an array of leading initiatives to celebrate the ‘World Quality Day 2020’ with the theme, ‘Creating Customer Value’ this year. The university will host several virtual plenary sessions in Arabic and English on November 12 with the participation of high-profile academics, senior government officials, decision-makers, and executives from the private sector from various key industries. The sessions are part of HBMSU’s constant efforts to integrate quality as part of the learning culture in the UAE, in line with the wise leadership’s directives to achieve the highest levels of quality of life as the top priority and main goal.

As part of the celebration of the ‘World Quality Day 2020’, H.E. Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, will be speaking in a virtual symposium which is being organized by the Education & Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) in Saudi Arabia. Dr. Al Awar will showcase HBMSU’s pioneering achievements in establishing a culture of quality in the Arab world and internationally. He will further cite the university’s accumulated experiences and leading expertise in the field of total quality management (TQM) and institutional excellence, which have defined HBMSU as the ‘house of quality’ and a leader in creating and disseminating new knowledge and in developing future models of excellence and quality measurements.

Dr. Al Awar will also discuss the efforts of the university to tap artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies to improve quality, productivity, and organizational efficiency within an integrated work environment to keep pace with future requirements.

HE Al Awar said: “We at HBMSU are committed to sharing our pioneering experience as a university that has been considered as a ‘house of quality and excellence’ since 2002. This is in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and HBMSU President, to bring about transformative and real change in higher education and move away from traditional systems. This can be done by focusing on total quality, which has become a competitive advantage for our university to provide smart learning based on innovation, creativity, and excellence. This is inspired by the vision of our wise leadership which has placed quality and excellence on top of its ambitions to achieve growth and development, making it an essential part of the UAE’s efforts to maintain its position at the regional and global level.

Further, Dr. Mansoor Al-Awar explained that quality is the foundation of a competitive knowledge economy and a developed and prosperous society. He noted that the university is committed to promote a culture of quality as well as scientific research in the smart education system to prepare a generation open to adopt science, knowledge, and experience and lead the progress in various areas, including business and quality management, education, healthcare, and environment.

Dr. Al Awar emphasized that HBSMU has paid great attention to the process of laying the foundation for quality at the local, regional and international levels. Its efforts were honored after it received a Pearson recognition in education for its ‘Smart Training Model.’ HBMSU was also the first university in the region to be recognized for complying with ISO 22301 standards.

H.E. said: “Our university has launched many awards as well to sustain and advance excellence and total quality, including the ‘Feigenbaum Leadership Excellence Award’ in honor of Dr. Armand Val Feigenbaum, the father of quality, as well as the ‘Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University Awards’ in quality, which were endorsed by global quality gurus.”

Dr. Al Awar added: “We look forward to hosting and organizing seminars and engage in an in-depth discussion with leading local and international personalities to enrich and expand knowledge in the field of enhancing quality applications in various fields, including developing quality measures on customer value. We believe in the importance of uniting efforts to promote and sustain the culture of quality and excellence as the key to empowering academic, research, social and business sectors which all face challenges, especially with the spread of COVID 19. We focus on taking these challenges as opportunities to bring about real and positive change in health, the environment, society and business, as well as promote education in line with the latest technological developments and rapid global changes. These will ensure the creation of a safer and more prosperous tomorrow for current and future generations.”

“On ‘World Quality Day’, we are renewing our commitment to the continuous integration of technology, innovation and quality in smart learning and scientific research methods. We will focus on stimulating creativity, entrepreneurship and passion for results to produce graduates who will be our future entrepreneurs, knowledgeable ambassadors and influencers instead of job seekers,” he further stated.

The first plenary session will be held in Arabic titled ‘Creating Customer Value in Government Services.’ The speakers will include Dr. Ayed Al-Omari, Chairman of the Saudi Council for Quality; H.E. Mohammed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs; H.E. Major General Dr. Abdul Quddus Abdul Razzaq Al Obaidly, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Excellence and Pioneering, Dubai Police; and Dr. Hazza Al Nuaimi, Coordinator General of the Dubai Government Excellence Program. Dr. Fahad Al Saadi, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at HBMSU, will moderate the discussions.

The second session which will be conducted in English will present the topic ‘Creating Customer Value by Improving Healthcare Quality’, which will be attended by top level officials and executives including Dr. Ramadan AlBlooshi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory (DHCR); Kathryn K. Leonhardt, Principal Consultant, International Quality & Patient, Joint Commission International (JCI); Dr. Zakaria Al-Attal, Director of Quality and Performance Management, Dubai Health Authority; senior consultants for Organizational Development & International Accreditation, UAE Ministry of Health; Director of Quality and Performance Management, Dubai Health Authority; and Dr. Ahmed Aladawy, Strategy and Corporate Performance Management Advisor, Dubai Health Authority. The session will be welcomed by Professor Moustafa Hassan, HBMSU’s Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation, , and the panel discussion will be moderated by Alanoud Salman Al Naqbi, Director of the Quality Development Office at Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, and a PhD learner at HBMSU.

HBMSU has a proven track record in promoting total quality management, supported by its first-of-its-kind academic programs in corporate excellence, business management and quality. The university has implemented many initiatives in the area of quality, including the establishment of the ‘Middle East Quality Association,’ and the launch of the UAE’s first accredited PhD programs in TQM, e-Education and Healthcare. It has also unveiled the ‘Benchmarking Framework for Online, Open, Smart Higher Education,’ used to classify and evaluate smart education institutions in the region. The benchmarking framework is reviewed by international experts consisting of 12 members to develop quality standards in smart education.

Furthermore, the university has built strong strategic partnerships with the most prominent international bodies, including the US-based JCI to help improve the quality and safety of healthcare in the UAE; and the University of Alexandria to develop a first-of-its-kind joint academic program, Master in Innovation and Change Management. The university was the first institution in the UAE to provide full-fledged online degrees using smart media starting 2020.