10 June 2008
CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), the only international accountancy body with a sole focus on business and the largest management accountancy body in the world, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CERT, Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training, the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. The MOU was signed by Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology and Vice Chairman of CERT and Charles Tilley, CIMA's CEO. The MOU enables CIMA to have a physical presence in the UAE and to collaborate with corporate and government sectors to enhance the acceptance and recognition of the CIMA qualification in the region. Training for the CIMA qualification will be through CERT.
CIMA has entered into the MOU with CERT as it wants to establish the UAE as a base for expansion into the Gulf region. As an internationally benchmarked qualification, CIMA can provide a quality guarantee for employers looking for highly qualified finance professionals. CIMA feels that as Dubai is a growing financial hub, increasingly on par with London and New York and serving the needs of sovereign wealth funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, its presence in the region is extremely important.
Charles Tilley also met with His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai, at which His Excellency congratulated CIMA and supported its initiative to set up offices in the UAE. His Excellency commented on the need for a professional management accounting body to serve the unprecedented growth and sophistication of businesses in the UAE and the Gulf in response to the number of multi-national organisations locating offices in the region and the need to meet their demands for highly skilled workers.
The partnership will also facilitate collaborative research to further the profession of management accountancy and the possible integration of CIMA courses into postgraduate programmes to be offered by the Higher Colleges of Technology.
Ends
For press enquiries only, please contact:
Annette Heninger
Press Officer, CIMA
+44 (0) 20 8849 2427
annette.heninger@cimaglobal.com
Notes to editors
1. CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is a world leading professional institute that offers an internationally recognised qualification in management accountancy, focusing on accounting in business in both the private and public sectors. It is the voice of 164,000 students and members in 161 countries, with over 700 students and members in the UAE region. CIMA is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards of members and students, and to maintaining public confidence in management accountancy. For more information about CIMA, please visit http://www.cimaglobal.com/.
CIMA is responsible for the education and training of management accountants who work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit and has more members in the public sector than any other UK based body. CIMA prides itself on the commercial relevance of its syllabus, which evolves continually to reflect the latest developments in global business. CIMA has been awarded superbrand status in the UK for a second year in a row this year and for the first time in Sri Lanka.
2. The CERT Group of companies began as the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates, and has grown to be the largest private education provider in the Middle East. CERT is also the largest MENA investor in the discovery and commercialisation of technology, investing US$35 million in 2006.
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