The inaugural class of interns have graduated from Dubai Business Internships (DBI) a prestigious programme run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Facilitated by Falcon and Associates, the programme saw its first intake celebrate their achievement during a graduation ceremony held at the Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai on Wednesday June 10th, 2015.

All 17 interns were awarded on stage for finishing the intensive 10-month fully-funded course of academic training, cultural exposure and Dubai-based work placements. The full DBI programme team were in attendance at the ceremony as well as senior representatives from the DBI Placement Partners some of Dubais leading companies and government entities including: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), Dubai International Financial Centre Courts (DIFC Courts), DP World, Emirates Group, Emaar, Emirates NBD and Jumeirah Group.

At its heart, DBI serves as a bridge. A bridge between academic theory and practical experience, between two dissimilar cultures and most importantly, between the present and the future. Over the past ten months we have equipped this talented group with the necessary skills not only to enter todays incredibly competitive global workforce, but to excel in it and make a meaningful impact. Even at this stage, it is encouraging to see the interns adopting the role of cultural ambassadors for Dubai however ultimately, the success of DBI will be measured by what the future holds for its alumni and that looks very bright indeed, said James Maughan, Director of Dubai Business Internships at Falcon and Associates.

The level of interest were currently receiving in DBI, from interns and placement partners alike, is considerable. Going forward, we will certainly look to enlarge the scale of the programme to match the demand of all those involved.

DBI combines a 26-week work placement, with training modules delivered by world-class education specialists, the European School of Management and Technology, working in partnership with local providers Capadev and Bon Education. DBI also includes a comprehensive programme of cultural exchange activities.

Speaking as a DBI Placement Partner representative, Mark Beer OBE, Registrar of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts, said:

DIFC Courts is hugely supportive of this programme. Entities across Dubai are increasingly focused on strengthening ties with China and as such, programmes like DBI are immensely helpful. DBI is equally useful for the host companies involved as it is for the individuals that graduate from it and we look forward to welcoming more interns to DIFC Courts shortly after the programme restarts in August.

As part of the ceremony three individual awards were presented to interns singled out for particular praise as well as a group award to the team who produced the most inspiring end of year consultancy project. Having now graduated, some of the interns have secured roles within Dubai with others have chosen to continue studying in their respective universities around the world.