Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 89 | Page 27

TRENDING technology skills , but you lack in the management or financial side , the ability to obtain online certifications from the top institutions in financial analysis or strategy is an excellent way to complement your knowledge .
Look at where your strengths and opportunity areas are and consider the places you can grow and improve to maximise your investment . The options to achieve your learning goals are flexible and varied . We offer credentials , degrees , compressed credentials ( badging ), certificate programmes and microcredentials which can be completed in a few months .
Can you give us a bird ’ s eye view of what learner outcomes could be like during their three years of DBA ?
We have a three-year DBA ( Doctorate in Business Administration programme ) with Golden Gate University ( GGU ) that has been well received by students . We focus on quality and learner outcomes of the students . DBAs are focused on practical application of business concepts and it is a terminal degree , the highest degree you can get in management as opposed to the more common MBA . The only competing degree are PhDs which are more theoretical and research driven . DBAs also have research , but here you are tackling real-world business problems . coaches and a team that ’ s really at a learner ’ s disposal to help them get through a very challenging process . Our 360-degree support system allows students to manage complex home and work lives and still achieve meaningful outcomes .
About adding a Dr title to your name , how is a DBA different from a PhD and why would the DBA be a very valuable degree today ?
With PhDs and DBAs being terminal degrees , both are the highest degree one can attain . PhDs can take much longer and are more research driven , whereas a DBA focuses heavily on the practical application of business theories and practices . A DBA is really oriented to that individual who wants to excel in their field without requiring the in-depth research focus that a PhD entails .
AI is progressing and working from home is increasing . How do you see this affecting management and leadership roles in the future ?
It will have a huge impact and happen in phases . Within the last two decades , we have seen major strides with automation , predictive analytics and how we deal with repetitive processes .
Our programme with Golden Gate University ( GGU ) has a first-rate curriculum that addresses the challenges and opportunities senior business professionals are facing . This includes managing complex organisations , leading in times of great change and disruption and adapting to technological advancements like AI .
Due to the application of research elements the GGU programme classifies the DBAs as WASC accredited programmes . These programmes bring real-world value by providing opportunities for best practices which apply to their current or future roles . A big benefit is working with senior academic advisors at GGU – many of whom are professionals in the Bay Area .
With online education one-on-one interaction is often missing or lacks the depth which faculties provide . Our programme offers a mentorship component which allows for live sessions with the faculty every week . We also bring in networking opportunities on a global scale where you can meet other learners and other business professionals in their area and gain exposure to best practices .
upGrad is known for its learning support , either the LMS , the platform where we deliver the course , or through our services where we have academic success
Today , we can train these models on extremely large swathes of data so that they ’ re starting to do some critical thinking . We need to shift our mindset away from AI being a purely automation tool and unlock its power to generate real-world insights .
Managers must be ready to harness AI and have their team thinking at higher levels to ask better questions and improve efficiency . Hence the human and AI management complex that develops will mirror the revolution of the personal computer and it will be the next stage of growth .
For managers to leverage this they must make investment and ownership a priority . They must separate the skills that the AI tools will give them versus the contribution from team members .
For example , soft skills that give the ability to look at insights and make business decisions off the back of judgement calls will now rest with people , good team members and managers . Whereas the number of sprints and the robotic processes associated with AI will continue in the short term and medium term to be automated . In the future , we could see more input from AI making judgement calls but at this stage this capability is still premature . p
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