In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, the Public Sector Innovation Diploma programme is one of the UAE’s leading initiatives to foster innovation within the government sector.

Organised by MBRCGI in partnership with Cambridge University, the programme supports the development of Emirati innovators by sharing knowledge, skills and the expertise needed to improve the public sector and government work, while increase the government’s global competitiveness, agility and resilience.

The main objective of the diploma programme is to build the next generation of public sector innovation leaders. Launched in 2015, the diploma comprises an intensive program that includes training, workshops, and field visits to introduce government employees to the concepts that can enhance the culture of innovation in their entities.

Participants are also tasked to work in teams to design and develop a capstone project that can solve challenges in the government sector.

The programme includes five main pillars, namely define and explore, concept generation, agile innovation, pivot and transform, and execution. During the programme, participants are asked to find innovative solutions to a certain challenge that can be implemented within six months of completing the diploma.

Huda Al Hashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, reiterated the vision and goals of the UAE government, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which aims to enhance the capabilities of upcoming generations of innovators. She added: “These visionaries will contribute to empowering government entities and new effective services that will positively impact society.”

“The Public Sector Innovation Diploma embodies the idea that innovation is the key enabler for the UAE’s competitiveness and growth. The launch of the sixth cohort is in line with the government’s vision of embedding innovation in their entities’ daily operations. The UAE government empowers the community by providing them with the necessary tools to continuously build and evolve innovative government services,” she added.

Around 300 government employees have graduated from the Public Sector Innovation Diploma since it launched in 2015.