Wednesday 23rd September 2020 - as part of our Welcome 2020 activities, our Student Leaders along with our Student Wellbeing Officer, Richard, take questions from new students on clubs, events, bimodal studying and student wellbeing provision.  

Professor Ian Jefferson, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Interim  Deputy Head of College, Engineering and Physical Sciences, at the  university’s School of Engineering and Ian Maund from Quantum Global  Solutions, who is also the Chairman of the Chartered Institute of  Building, MENA region and the Dubai hub discuss the current impact of  COVID-19 and the challenges faced in the construction industry with  insights into the longer term impact of COVID-19.

Featuring Professor Chris Rogers, Geotechnical Engineering, from the University of Birmingham and Dr Sabih Getea Khisaf, Head of Engineering Middle East and North Africa at Hyperlook Transportation Technologies Inc

Peter Braithwaite, Director of Engineering Sustainability at the University of Birmingham and Karl W Feilder, CEO, Founder & Chairman of Neutral Fuels discuss sustainability during COVID-19

Stuart Walker, partner at Afridi & Angell Dubai and David Holloway,  Barrister and Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Birmingham,  discuss the impact on the legal sector during, and post COVID-19.

Professor Colin Diamond CBE, Director of the Education Leadership  Academy, University of Birmingham and Ambika Gulati, Principal at The  Millennium School Dubai, discuss how schools can prepare for the new  academic year with the current challenges facing schools, teachers and  parents.

Professor John Bryson from the University of Birmingham Dubai and Sarah Bartlett, Director at KEKST CNC Dubai discuss the effectiveness of existing business models during the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes that businesses may need to consider during the post COVID-19 recovery period.

The Dubai Disabilities Strategy articulates a clear and unequivocal commitment to creating a fully cohesive and inclusive strategy and places inclusive education at the heart of an effective education system.

Agency theory emphasizes the importance of an independent board chair in balancing CEO power and controlling management’s self‐interest (Krause, Semadeni and Cannella, 2014; Krause, Semadeni and Withers, 2016; Withers and Fitza, 2017). Such has been known to be the key reason for separating the roles of the CEO and the board chair (Finkelstein and D’Aveni, 1994; Lorsch and MacIver, 1989). The working relationship between the CEO and the board chair is, therefore, important and could determine the success or failure of the firm.

Lord Bilimoria’s lecture will examine the role of universities, their ability to impact on the world around us, to be a driving force for collaboration, influencing policy and contribute to tackling global issues.