Dubai: The Dubai Press Club (DPC) will hold the Media Leadership Programme in cooperation with National Defence College (NDC) in Abu Dhabi, to help media officials in the UAE enhance their skills to tackle issues related to national security and its strategic dimensions.
The programme, backed by the National Media Council (NMC), also aims to assist them in evaluating present and future challenges, as well as in dealing with various regional and global developments effectively and professionally.
Mona Ganem Al Merri, Chairperson of Dubai Press Club, said this joint effort is in line with the UAE’s aim to prepare national leaders in various sectors, and to develop their strategic thinking to enable them to positively participate in the future development of the country.
She added that as a member of the National Media Council, which strives to build national cadres, this programme aims to assist local media leaders to execute their duties in the highest professional way through sharpening their research, analytical, critical thinking, dialogue and evaluation skills, to help them contribute to drafting policies and strategic decisions pertaining to national issues.
“We are happy to collaborate with NDC which we believe will help achieve the programme’s objective,” Al Merri said.
Dr John Ballard, Dean of NDC, praised the idea of the programme and its strategic objectives to further cement the capabilities of the UAE’s national media in providing high-quality performance based on strategic awareness of major ongoing developments and related challenges.
“As a part of its mission to help prepare future leaders, the National Defence College is pleased to partner with other national entities, including the National Media Council and the Dubai Press Club, to conduct this foundational programme on strategic security issues and the media. We expect that this programme will both inform and empower media officials from across the UAE to help them better analyse the risks and opportunities of the global landscape and provide enhanced journalism products for the residents of the UAE,” he said.
The three-month programme will start in September, when NDC’s professors will cover topics such as national identity and sovereignty, the elements that affect their security, the importance of political stability in building people’s abilities, strategic thinking and how to define objectives and means of achieving national interests, information as a key element of national sovereignty, and developing strategic thinking skills for the construction of media messages, among many other topics.
