Executives Complete Business Economics Courses at Georgetown

Professionals from a range of industries were able to refine their skills with recent executive education courses at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q). The two certificate courses on public-private partnerships and on understanding global markets provided executives with the knowledge and skills needed to excel.

The two-day intensive courses were taught by expert faculty from GU-Q and Georgetown’s main campus in Washington, D.C. The Certificate in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) focused on the process of developing and monitoring the performance of public-private partnerships, and explored the political, managerial, legal, financial, and ethical implications of these partnerships. Meanwhile, the Certificate in Understanding Global Markets enabled participants to anticipate, understand, and respond to movements in global markets through an in-depth analysis of the components that comprise the global financial system and a careful study of the forces that shift them.

“We are excited to have been able to bring the quality of our programs and expertise to the business community in Doha through these two courses,” said GU-Q Director of International Economics and Associate Professor Alexis Antoniades. “We hope the participants will use the knowledge and skills they gained to become leaders within their organizations as they tackle the challenges of today’s global economic environment.”

Alumnus Sheikh Suhaim Al-Thani (SFS’14), who participated in the global markets course taught by Antoniades, appreciated the focus on practical, actionable knowledge and relevant real world examples.

“It’s easy to read a book or something, but how do you apply this in real time or in real life situations? What are the tools or mechanisms we can use to negate or react to any situation?” said Al-Thani. “Professor Antoniades does a very good job in making things simple. He always brings knowledge and theory into real life case studies, which are excellent. You can understand something by theory, but you have to put it into a real situation.”

Mohammed Al-Khori, economic expert at the Ministry of Finance, appreciated how the course gave him insight into how changes abroad could play out domestically. “This course offered us a chance to understand how the interconnectedness of the global economy affects the Qatar economy, and the economic forecast for the country moving forward,” he said. “We learnt how to apply the economic logic, how to follow events around the world, and how it can affect us.”

For course participant Dr. Abdulla Mohamed R. Al-Ajmi, the Certificate in Public-Private Partnerships provided him with an opportunity to learn more about the practical frameworks and best practices he can harness for future ventures.

“PPP is one of the approaches that the government is taking now for some projects,” said Al-Ajmi, who is manager of the building designs department at public works authority Ashghal. “It’s a new concept in Qatar and we need to have more knowledge about how we can implement this within our organization.”

The certificates in public private partnerships and understanding global markets are the latest in a variety of short courses and custom training sessions offered by GU-Q’s executive and professional education program. More information can be found on the website: https://cee.georgetown.edu/