University of Maryland Dean Visits
Tunisia to Promote Business Education
Excellence and Deliver Keynote at
Mediterranean School of Business
Commencement
Tunis, Tunisia January 10, 2006
Dr. Howard Frank, dean of the
University of Marylands Robert H. Smith
School of Business in the United States,
spent a week in Tunisia to promote the
development of educational and business
opportunities in the region, as well as
to deliver the keynote speech at the
Mediterranean School of Business (MSB)
commencement ceremony on January 4, at
the Technology Park of Al Ghazala in
Tunis. During his speech, Dr. Frank
reminded students of the challenges
facing them as future business leaders
and offered insight into staying
competitive in a fast-changing global,
technology-driven economy.
Dr. Franks visit follows the
announcement of a strategic
collaboration and launch of a Masters of
Science Degree in the Management of
Information Systems and Technology
(MIST) with MSB in April 2006. The
Smith/MSB MIST program is the first U.S.
university degree of its kind to be
offered in Tunisia.
Whether youre the CEO of a major
firm, the head of a government agency,
or an emerging entrepreneur, you must
understand the new rules of economic
engagement that have resulted from the
extraordinary technological developments
in recent years, said Dr. Frank during
his keynote address. You must
constantly adapt and be receptive to
change to be successful.
In our era of rapid technological
changes and global competition, it is
more imperative than ever that business
executives invest in updating their
skills and knowledge if they want to
ensure the steady growth of their
companies and careers, said Dr. Mahmoud
Triki, dean of the Mediterranean School
of Business.
While in Tunisia, Dr. Frank also met
with the Tunisian Minister of Higher
Education, the U.S. Ambassador to Tunis,
the President of the Tunisian American
Chamber of Commerce and a number of CEOs
of major Tunisian companies. Discussions
dealt with the opportunity to develop in
Tunis a regional hub of educational
excellence serving the Mediterranean,
Middle East and Africa an endeavor in
which the Smith School is an active and
supportive partner. Dr. Frank also
shared knowledge and insight gained from
his tenure as dean at one of the worlds
leading business schools.
The Smith School is ranked among the
worlds best for its information systems
programs. U.S. News & World Reports
Americas Best Graduate Schools 2006
Edition ranks the Smith School as No. 5
for information systems among its U.S.
individual specialty rankings. The
2005 Wall Street Journal/Harris
Interactive Guide to Business Schools
named the Smith School as the No. 5 pick
of corporate recruiters in the
technology, telecommunications and
Internet industry. Corporate recruiters
from all industries rated Smith as No. 7
in the world in information technology.
The Smith/MSB MIST program, which is
expected to begin in early April 2006,
will be a one-year program, targeting
professionals in the technology or
management arenas across all industry
sectors. Participants will benefit from
education focused on the convergence of
technology, globalism, entrepreneurship
and business via bi-monthly, two-week
modules held at MSBs centrally-located
Tunis, Tunisia campus. The final module
will be held at the Smith Schools
College Park, Md. campus. The program
has been developed jointly by the Smith
School and MSB faculty. After completing
all of the requirements of each
institution, graduates will receive a
diploma from the University of Maryland.
About the Mediterranean School of
Business
South Mediterranean University (SMU) is
a regional Anglophone institution
recently established (December 2002) in
Tunis, Tunisia. It is conceived and
managed along the lines of top U.S.
universities. The Mediterranean School
of Business (MSB) is the first
specialized school of SMU. In 2004, MSB
successfully launched an executive MBA
of an international level. Presently, 80
students originating from six different
countries are enrolled in this program.
In addition to its management
development programs, MSB is developing
an ambitious exchange program with
prominent universities around the world.
SMUs ultimate objective is to offer its
students and students from other
universities a truly global education.
Additional information about MSB can be
found at
www.msb-online.org.
About the University of Maryland's
Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business
is an internationally recognized leader
in management education and research for
the digital economy. One of 13 colleges
and schools at the University of
Maryland, College Park, the Smith School
offers undergraduate, full-time and
part-time MBA, Executive MBA, PhD, and
executive education programs, as well as
outreach services to the corporate
community. The school offers its degree,
custom and certification programs in
learning locations in three continents
including North America, Europe, and
Asia. More information about the Robert
H. Smith School of Business can be found
at
www.rhsmith.umd.edu.
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For more information:
Angela Toda
Robert H. Smith School of
Business
University of Maryland
(
301.405.8062
atoda@rhsmith.umd.edu
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