Advancing Global Pathways in Omani Business Education

1. Internationalisation

Executive Summary

CEPS is the largest and the only state-established university business school in Oman. Since its inception in 1993, CEPS has shown extraordinary commitment as a Middle Eastern business school to educate Omani nationals and visiting students in curricula and degree programmes aligned with international business education standards. Originating and enduring hallmarks of CEPS’ internationalisation include:

All undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are benchmarked and continuously reviewed to adhere to curricular standards of eminent international business schools and accreditation bodies.

All undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are taught in English by a high level of international faculty (over 50 per cent of the CEPS faculty body).

All undergraduates are required to complete an internship with the opportunity to work abroad through corporate/CEPS/SQU sponsorships and through the EFMD Global Talent Network.

Working through CEPS’ internationalisation strategy to advance Global Pathways or “Al-Alamiyyah” (Arabic for Global), providing the CEPS’ student population, which is predominantly Omani, based on SQU’s national education mandate, the unequalled opportunity to learn about and engage with the wider world through coursework, internships, corporate connections and study abroad opportunities.

Since 2015, CEPS has significantly increased its portfolio of International Academic Partnerships for student/faculty exchanges and research collaboration, to include 17 schools predominantly in the United States, the European Union and Asia, along with the GCC region. These agreements are a central part of CEPS’ strong commitment to expand its global reach and engagement impact through the CEPS Al- Alamiyyah Global Pathways Actions.

While currently small in numbers, international students and faculty visiting CEPS to study or conduct research are fully integrated into the academic environment and life of the College. This, in turn, allows for impactful inter-cultural exchanges and experiences to flow back and forth to the great benefit of CEPS’ undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as international participants.

While a highly academically internationalised and culturally open learning environment, CEPS recognises the need to expand its efforts to raise the volume and rate of internationalisation activities engaged in by the College, its students and faculty. As a result, CEPS has taken deliberate, proactive steps to put in place a designated set of initiatives and administrative structures to elevate and institutionalise internationalisation at the centre of the College’s core functions as a key indicator of quality assurance and performance excellence. The following actions by the College are also positively impacting SQU’s institutional focus and commitments toward achieving greater internationalisation. The direct actions taken to go beyond these internationalisation constraints include:

Strategic-thinking workshops in 2015 to develop an active strategy and framework for implementing CEPS plan for ‘Internationalisation by Advancing Global (Al-Alamiyyah) Pathways’ which has been set as a major new action of the CEPS 2016 - 2020 Strategic Plan.

Consolidation and expansion of CEPS’ internationalisation planning and administration in the ADTCS Office to advance CEPS Al-Alamiyyah Global Pathways Actions.

Forging new global pathways for Omani students to study and work abroad, work with new academic agreements and top multinational companies in the region, along with implementing the College’s membership in the EFMD Global Talent Network.

Securing a set of dedicated, funded internships with international companies to enable high-performing CEPS students to engage in meaningful professional learning experiences outside of Oman.

Securing active commitments for dedicated student exchange funds and opportunities, as well as new pathways for international students to come to CEPS to study and experience life in Oman, through a stronger collaboration with the SQU ICO.

Addition of Advisory Board members that represent international firms and, also, the Dean of the Dubai Business School to increase international corporate and academic ties.

Broadening of the mission and charge of the External Relations Committee under the ADTCS to now serve as the External Relations and Internationalisation Committee to develop and carry out the CEPS’ Al- Alamiyyah Global Pathways Strategic Pillars.

Development of a plan for internationalisation.

1.1 CEPS Internationalisation Strategy and Framework

The general strategic and organisational framework for CEPS Internationalisation blends together goals and activities intended to elevate and expand the levels of student engagement, faculty performance and institutional visibility. This approach integrates organisational strategy, administration and stakeholders around the performance indicator of expanding the CEPS Al-Alamiyyah Global Pathways visibility and engagement. Figure

illustrates the concept of global pathways.

Figure 8.1. CEPS Global Pathways Actions

The framework illustrated in Figure 8.2 shows the active implementation of the ‘CEPS Internationalisation:Advancing Global (Al- Alamiyyah) Pathways’ action that has been set as a major action of the CEPS 2016 - 2020 Strategic Plan. This strategy flows from several ‘Strategic Thinking’ workshops held with CEPS faculty groups, the College Advisory Board and the CEPS Strategic Planning Committee in 2015- 2017. Broadly, CEPS Global Pathways as an initiative that aligns with SQU and EQUIS high standards benchmarks for increasing internationalisation in student learning and experiences, faculty research and professional/academic partnerships at home and abroad.

Figure 8.2. CEPS Global Pathways (Al- Alamiyyah) Operational Framework

An important action of the CEPS Global Pathways is to exponentially expand the various ways and opportunities for Omani and international students to directly meet, learn and share their rich cultures and traditions. In addition to promoting greater multicultural understanding and interaction between Arab and other world societies, the CEPS Global Pathways Action also reflects the College’s deep commitment to providing Omani students with an optimal business education – one rooted in internationalised human experiences and knowledge exchanges, along with top corporate management and professional practice. CEPS Global Pathways also strives to advance Oman’s long-standing, internationally recognised commitment to advance greater world economic development and global peace through forging conflict-free, constructive frameworks of multilateral government-business relations. In this way, CEPS intends to extend to all students inter-cultural Omani-international student learning exchanges, as part of Oman’s very special world view and traditions as a ‘Global Citizen’ nation.

Organisational Pathways, Programme and Academics

As shown in Figures 8.1 and 8.2, CEPS students (both undergraduates and postgraduates) experience internationalisation through four main organisational pathways: Academic Programmes, International Cooperation Events, International Student Exchanges and Internships, and International Partnership Agreements. As a highly internationalised body, CEPS faculty actively contribute and are integrated into all of the four pathways as teachers, student internship supervisors, student club advisors, and event organisers and contributors. Faculty also support internationalisation at CEPS through their research and exchanges with universities and companies globally.

Another outstanding feature of CEPS internationalisation organisational capacities – unlike most indigenous Arab universities – is that CEPS curricula and academic programmes were originally designed to be taught in English through the participation of a wide range of foreign faculty using international methods and practices in the various fields of business and management education. In addition, all CEPS academic programmes contain courses dedicated solely and/or in part to topics, case studies, industry practices and research methodologies benchmarked to international education standards, and global business and economic development (see Chapter 2 for CEPS’ full Programme Portfolio and Annex 8.1 for selected CEPS’ internationalisation courses).

For International Cooperation Events, International Student Exchange, and International Internships, the lead role is currently embedded in the ADTCS Office. In support of these initiatives, the ADTCS Office has been re-organised in significant ways to lead and enable the many bold changes incorporated in the CEPS Global Pathways Actions. These changes will be discussed throughout this section. In addition, internationalisation occurs directly in academic programmes as managed by the ADUS and the ADPSR. These two offices also provide support for the ADTCS’ activities in International Cooperation Events, International Student Exchange, and International Internships.

Currently, the ADTCS provides the primary interface between the SQU ICO in tandem with the Deanship for Admission & Registration, which oversees matters related to the facilitation of student study abroad and exchange applications, and international course transcription and curricular approvals. As this is an evolving system, the ADTCS has also been designated to develop and manage the CEPS study abroad programme along with its regular core CEPS areas that rest in the office of External Relations, Student Professional Development and Experiences (internships), Student Clubs, Corporate and Alumni Relations, including the College Advisory Board. As study abroad is largely pursued as an academic experience framed by student-faculty exchanges and courses articulation agreements with world partner schools, it is anticipated that this portion of CEPS Global Pathways will eventually evolve respective to student populations into the offices of the ADUS and the ADPSR.

In order to rapidly advance all of the CEPS-international student opportunities to benefit from the CEPS Global Pathways initiative, however, the ADTCS immediately took the lead in 2016, as the unit works directly with the SQU ICO on a day to day basis. Currently, the ADTCS team includes the Assistant Dean, a designated officer to support student study abroad, internships, and related corporate/external relations, and two full-time office support staff members. The SQU ICO, which supports the ADTCS team, is a highly-resourceful operation that facilitates all international exchanges and projects agreements, student study abroad, and SQU’s overall global exposure and interactions. The ADTCS team, in its close working relationship with the ICO, has resulted in several rapid, key academic and administrative advances in three of the College’s four core areas of internationalisation: International Cooperation, International Student Exchange and Internships, and International CEPS Academic Partnerships and Agreements.

In the core area of international cooperation, the ADTCS Office, supported by the SQU ICO, serves as the focal point for international engagements or international visits related to the CEPS Departments, faculty and students (see Annex 8.2 for 2017-2018 sample events table). The international cooperation matters managed by the ADTCS include:

International visits from universities/institutions/centres to the College for joint collaboration.

Joint events with the ICO (workshops, symposiums, discussions, etc.).

Facilitating joint agreements (MoU, Letters of Understanding) with international universities.

The ADTCS is also supported in the planning and execution of all CEPS Global Pathways events and services by the External Relations and Internationalisation Committe comprised of faculty from all undergraduate and postgraduate programme for an integrative, across-the-College strategic approach.

Since CEPS’ inception, internationalisation has also sat at the centre of its academic programmes development, student teaching, faculty representation and research efforts. The establishment and maintenance of academic alignment with global standards in business education along with the incorporation of the best applied management practices are overseen in CEPS by the Offices of the ADUS and ADPSR, and by the academic departments with respect to student degree designations and levels. Student participation in international academic conferences and competitions also marks the CEPS’ internationalisation profile. From 2013 - 2017, 83 students participated in international academic conferences, presenting papers and participating in various ways. In the same period, 24 additional students also participated in international competitions related to their coursework. Two CEPS students will attend the Chinese Middle East Youth Dialogue-Peking University in China during July 1 - 4, 2018 (see Annex 8.3) CEPS Students Global Engagement.

International students from Global Partners schools visiting and studying at CEPS also receive reciprocal housing and high quality support services, as extended by the ICO and the CEPS student support staff. Currently, international students from the University of Georgia in the United States and Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Germany study at CEPS. CEPS students study at Marmara University in Turkey. Overall, CEPS recognises that, like the rest of SQU, it has not emphasised study abroad as a student development activity to the students, nor to international institutions. However, internationalisation forms one of the key actions of SQU’s Strategic Plan 2016 - 2040, as well as the CEPS 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. As a result, the ADTCS is working in close coordination with the ICO to substantially open up and expand placement opportunities and outreach efforts, to elevate study abroad as a regular student academic and professional experience (see ADTCS webpage). Student interest and demand is regularly surveyed and promoted through frequent workshops and outreach sessions conducted by the ADTCS each academic semester (see Annex 8.4), CEPS Study Abroad Orientation Plan.

In the area of international internships, CEPS’ students, interest is growing noticeably, with the ADTCS responding through new action initiatives and plans. While all CEPS majors are required to complete an internship with a company or external organisation before graduation, the numbers of students who completed internships abroad during the past 5 years has been very low. Data shows that between 2013-2017, only 14 out of 350-400 students per year completed an internship abroad. Whereas 18 students will go abroad for intrenship in 2018. The greatest barrier for CEPS students to travel abroad for an internship was lack of personal funds. As Chapter 10 illustrates, CEPS students have many opportunities to intern in multinational companies operating in Oman. However, the College believes that the students need to experience, through global internships, the managerial operations, activities and culture of workplaces beyond Oman and the GCC region. Several new significant initiatives in accordance with the Global Pathways Action have been devised to guide the internationalisation

of the CEPS’ student internship programme. This year CEPS has been able to seek 18 internships abroad. It is worth mentioning that CEPS and the University of Utara Malaysia are currently working to initiate student and staff exchange, mainly through MBA student visit to respective institutions and countries for «international week» and work towards the development and delivery of corporate and executive education courses targeting primarily our national markets. In addition, CEPS and Muscat Securities Market, CMA and OAPFI have signed a cooperation agreement to provide on-job training opportunities for a number of university students in the areas of investment and research in order to deepen their knowledge about the financial markets and provides practical training opportunities in Muscat Securities Market and in other international well-established Securities Markets. This agreement is taking place to crown the strong relations established early on 2004 between Muscat Securities Market and CEPS. Table 8.1 shows summer internships, students’ visits, international student exchange and CEPS international agreements 2017-2018.

Table 8.1: CEPS Students Global Engagement 2018

Based on a strong commitment to achieving greater levels of internationalisation, the ADTCS Office along with the SQU administration, have committed to securing external funding for international internships. The commitment initially centres on securing a set of paid, competitive international internships for CEPS students to train in companies outside of Oman. In 2016, CEPS secured special funding from the Omani Authority for Partnership for Development for three international internships. Three Operations Management major students secured the internships, one of whom interned in Germany at Oxea Chemicals, Inc., with the other two interning in Turkey at FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. (FNSS), a joint venture company owned by Nurol Holding Inc., and BAE Systems Inc. Based on the success of the pilot, the target for the Summer 2018 round of CEPS internship placements, whether paid or unpaid, has now been set at 18, depending on funding. Two CEPS students will join (Summer 2018) the University of Houston Clare Lake cybersecurity camp in collaboration with NASA and USA security Organisations such as the FBI. Also, CEPS is seeking Summer Internship opportunities during 2018 in Egypt, Iran, Turkey, UAE, Germany, UK, Morocco and Kazakhstan.

This target number is tied to two new administrative and resources capacities initiatives taken on by the ADTCS since Summer 2016: 1) streamlining and regularising all procedures for CEPS international internship students with SQU administration, CEPS Training Committee, and the ICO; and 2) enrolling and implementing CEPS’ membership in the EFMD Global Talent Network to provide high quality placement opportunities aligned with the best international companies. The decision that the ADTCS Office is to participate as a member in the EMFD Global Talent Network, along with directly developing more global company internship placements, is considered by CEPS as pivotal, transformational developments that will rapidly expand students gaining work experience abroad . CEPS has secured ongoing Summer International Internship support, as of 2017- 2018, from:

This year CEPS has made significant progress in the placement of Internships abroad. As part of the ADTCS 2017-2020 plan, these targets will increase as important new steps that have been taken will allow for comparable rises in the ADTCS’ international student placement resources and management capacities. The ADTCS will also be assessing general placement patterns and levels of interest/performance among CEPS students through international company reports and surveys. These instruments will be used to benchmark and to determine student interest/participation thresholds, and additional resources/training needed for enhanced student international performance. In addition, the ADTCS has set targets to expand local internships with international companies operating in Oman and across the GCC; and CEPS undergraduate and postgraduate students are also engaged in multiple international academic competitions, trips, and events, as shown in following Table 8.2.

Network

In the core area of International Partners Agreements, the ADTCS has shaped efforts and plans, along with the Accreditation Committee and the academic departments, to actively pursue deeply focused global partnerships with targeted universities and business schools. Table 2.5 (Chapter 2) shows CEPS International Academic Partnership Agreements during 2015-2018.

While all 240 SQU ICO international partnerships can be utilised by CEPS, the College focuses on a select few. Following a ‘Strategic Thinking’ workshop in 2016, the individual departments at CEPS each selected 3-5 new partner institutions to maximise the advancement of the specific programme’s international positioning and recognition, student internationalisation, faculty exchanges, and joint class and research projects. The ADTCS advanced the list of selected institutions, and is currently working with the ICO to secure agreements with these institutions. The commencement of activities is planned at the earliest mutually convenient opportunity. Following the signing of an agreement, the document is deposited with the ICO and in the ADTCS Office. At this stage, the commencement of the partnerships rests with the CEPS departments that arrange for student exchanges with plans to broaden and deepen these relationships in support of joint faculty exchanges and collaborative projects. Once an agreement is in place, the departments have the autonomy and responsibility to maximise the levels of international collaboration and engagement with the designated partners.

At present, CEPS does not offer executive education programmes. However, new efforts for the Omani market are being actively pursued by the ADTCS Office, in collaboration with the SQU’s Centre of Community Service and Continuing Education (see Chapter 6).

International Dimensions of Research

As documented in Chapter 5, CEPS exhibits a high level of internationalisation due to the international faculty composition of around 50 per cent and that all of the Omani national faculty members have earned their terminal degrees from international universities. Many faculty members also maintain close collaboration with colleagues at other universities worldwide, which has led to recent partnership agreements with the Business School at the University of Plymouth in the UK and Dubai Business School in the United Arab Emirates. These collaborations are further supported by 28-day research leaves for faculty as well the sabbatical leaves for Omani faculty that generate CEPS faculty engagement with universities worldwide. In addition, 40 to 50 per cent of the College’s refereed journal publications have been co-authored by at least one individual from a foreign academic institution. The topics of research publications underline this international dimension. Examples of such international topics include foreign investment and real exchange rate volatility in emerging Asian countries, trade flows of pharmaceutical products and intellectual property rights protection, and human resource management implications for multinational corporations operating in the Arab Middle East. Recently CEPS hosted the 8th International Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance, and the PEARL business case competition award ceremony.

Internationalisation in research is also exhibited by the robust amount of participation of CEPS faculty and students in international conferences. In the five-year period 2013 to 2017, faculty members have participated with paper presentations in around 150 conferences globally. In addition to serving as regular reviewers for a large number of journals, a number of CEPS faculty also serve on journal editorial boards. As of November 2017, CEPS faculty are editors or associate editors of eight international publications, and they serve as editorial board members in about 50 local, regional and international journals. Finally, CEPS faculty regularly serve as consultants to companies and government agencies that engage in international activities and global performance arenas. For more details, see Chapters 4 and 5. Undergraduate and postgraduate participation in international conferences and competitions, leading to academic and professional awards, exceed over 100 students in over ten countries (see Chapters 2, 3 and 9).

Summary and Challenges

Since 2016, CEPS has significantly expanded its focus and activities in support of achieving greater internalisation of academic learning, corporate partnerships and partnership agreements. The areas that pose the strongest opportunities for expansion include:

Increasing Omani-international student exchange, and study abroad inflows and outflows due to SQU ICO

Increasing internal funding for CEPS student work and study abroad scholarships and subsidies.

Activating to a greater level existing CEPS academic exchange partnerships and increasing formal academic exchange and research partnership agreements through ADTCS and External Relations and Internationalisation Committee leveraging CEPS faculty/corporate connections and external contacts available through collaboration with the SQU ICO unit.

Significantly changing the CEPS Omani student culture to greater value and pursuit of international internships and study abroad as an essential aspect of their business education and professional development.

Taking advantage of SQU administration’s pledge to allow CEPS to exceed university limits and expand the number of international student enrolees in the College in line with our strategic planning targets.

In response to these challenges and more, CEPS conducted an internationalisation situation analysis (see Annex 8.5) that utilised benchmarks and performance ratings developed by the global education research group, QS Intelligence Unit, and a comparison, with an aspirant school – the University of Dubai. As a product of this analysis, CEPS has developed an Internationalisation Strategic Plan for 2017 - 2020 (see Annex 8.6) benchmarked to KPIs, targets and measures/outcomes as a way to further institutionalise and drive internationalisation as a core feature of the College’s academic teaching, learning, research and student professional development efforts.

Resources secured to achieve these targets in CEPS Strategic Plan include:

Take a deeper dive into Advancing CV Generation with our additional resources.

Commitment for eight annual Study Abroad Funded Outbound Student Placements from SQU.

Commitment for additional Inbound International Student Exchange case approvals in line with CEPS

Commitment for ten CEPS International Internships every year from Capital Market Authority.

Commitment of two to four CEPS International Internships every year from Muscat Securities Market.

Commitments from CEPS Advisory Board to assist in fundraising and generation of international

Activation of existing and new Academic Faculty-Student Exchange Agreements directly with Departments

Working with Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry to secure few seats for International Internships.