His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony of the Government Communication Experts diploma held recently. Organized by the UAE Government Communication Office in collaboration with the American University of Sharjah (AUS) Executive Education, the Government Communication Experts Diploma includes sessions on the latest approaches for government communication and aims to provide participants with direct interaction with local and global communications experts, including visiting international specialists from the University of Oxford, England.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed that the UAE government places citizens and society at the center of all programs and initiatives, and that communication is the link between the government and the community. "We want our government communication to be closer to society and to promote our core values through different platforms that meet people's needs. Communication is an effective component for the success of any institution. It is a tool that contributes to the progress of governments’ vision and ambition,” said His Highness.

The Government Communication Experts Diploma is the first of its kind in the UAE to build up capabilities in government communication combining the practical experience and the academic knowledge with the aim of developing skills and experience in accordance with best global practices. Through AUS Executive Education, participants of the program were provided with the knowledge, skills and self-assurance to foster new ways of thinking, better ways of disseminating information to the public through new channels such as social media, and strengthened strategic planning and crisis management skills. The program comprises a combination of interactive classroom sessions, an external company site visit, a seminar with a guest speaker and communications expert and an intensive lab workshop. The program culminates in an assessment of the students’ work at a final project exhibition.