Gulf Executive Master of Public Administration (GEMPA)

The Gulf Executive Master of Public Administration (GEMPA) program is unique to AUS and has been designed especially for experienced public officials interested in expanding their current knowledge base.

Recognizing the rapid growth of Gulf countries, AUS created this special program to help build the capacity of governments in the Gulf region by stimulating the ability of key executives to learn from theories, policies, and practices proven successful in enhancing service quality, improving public participation and strengthening the business investment environment in other rapidly developing economies.

Our program emphasizes learning from cultures, societies, technologies and the social sciences to identify new ideas that can stimulate creative problem solving and promote effective cooperation between government leaders and the public. The emphasis is on applying new ideas to creative problem solving and the promotion of effective cooperation between government leaders and the public. A key objective of the program is to stimulate dialogue among participants and foster a network of innovative thinkers who create solutions that serve governments throughout the Gulf region.

The GEMPA program utilizes some of the latest teaching techniques in the educational field. Courses and seminars stimulate dialogue among participants and foster a network of innovative thinkers who can create solutions that serve governments throughout the Gulf region. In order to develop core competencies for effective management, individual sessions are conducted with focus on key skills as they apply to the use of human, financial and data resources. Other seminars consider policy development and evaluation, effective communications and executive problem solving. Participants learn to motivate others and to drive organization change.

Our program makes extensive use of action learning, one of the most effective methods available for executive education. This approach involves small groups working together under the direction of a manager who asks questions, coaches and helps other participants "learn how to learn." Discussions probe the values, beliefs, assumptions and biases that underlie decisions, opening both individual motivations and organizational culture to review and reconsideration. As a problem-solving tool, action learning helps leaders effect fundamental change in organization performance by helping individuals redefine the mental models on which their decisions and actions are based.

Instruction is provided by faculty who have lived in the Middle East and adjunct faculty from top universities in the US and Europe. Recognized experts are drawn from top US and European universities, such as American University (Washington, DC, USA), George Washington University (Washington, DC, USA), and the University of Bern (Switzerland).

Our degree requires completion of 40 credits, normally over a 22-month period.

We make sure that our program:

• broadens participants' perspectives by engaging the working knowledge and diverse viewpoints of motivated public executives through cooperative interaction with instructors and peers
• develops an integrative approach to organization learning, bringing together liberal thought, practical policy choices, and analogies drawing on the experience of others
• promotes an ethic of public service and stewardship, respect for rule-of-law and concern for effective communication with stakeholders in society
• applies executive management skills and competencies to new challenges across the full spectrum of public resource and leadership issues