SCCI signs deals in Spain to boost academic, training programmes

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by its Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), successfully concluded its official visit to the Kingdom of Spain.

The tour aimed to strengthen academic and training partnerships and broaden avenues of cooperation in empowering national talent and enhancing leadership and management competencies. The initiative also focused on promoting expertise and knowledge exchange with distinguished Spain-based academic and research institutions.

The Chamber’s delegation was led by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for the Support Services Sector at SCCI, and comprised Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of STDCl, as well as senior officials and representatives from both entities.

The visit culminated in the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with the University of Navarra, one of Europe’s leading institutions in management, communication, and academic research.

The agreement aims to develop joint academic and training programs, facilitate expert and academic exchange visits, and support the international accreditation of STDCl’s offerings, thereby elevating program quality and aligning with global trends in leadership development.

The partnership agreement was formally signed by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi and Jaime García del Barrio, General Director of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at the University of Navarra, during an official signing ceremony held at the university’s headquarters in Madrid.

The signing was attended by Amal Abdullah Al Ali; Khaled Maqlad, President of Future Academy and STDCl’s Academic Advisor; and H.E Ibrahim Ali Al Nuaimi, Head of Political Affairs, Media, and Public Diplomacy at the UAE Embassy in Spain. Also present were Elena Belzunce, Director of Development at ICS; and Ramzi Jazmati, Director of Development for the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Navarra.

The Sharjah Chamber delegation also signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Salamanca, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious universities.

The partnership aims to enhance joint academic and training programs, facilitate the exchange of expertise and scholarly visits, and strengthen the international accreditation of STDCl’s programs, in line with the Centre’s vision to become a global hub for leadership development and institutional innovation.

In her remarks, Maryam Saif Al Shamsi said that the Sharjah Chamber’s visit to Spain comes as part of its ongoing and dedicated efforts to enhance the global accreditation of the Sharjah Training and Development Centre and elevate the international quality benchmarks of its academic and training programs.

She highlighted the cooperation agreement with the University of Navarra as a strategic milestone that supports STDCl’s initiatives and reflects the Sharjah Chamber’s strong commitment to empowering national talent with global competencies and world-class expertise to lead future development agendas.

For her part, Amal Abdullah Al Ali stated that the partnership agreement signed by Sharjah Training and Development Centre with the University of Navarra aligns with the Centre’s mission and ambitious vision to train and develop human capital across public and private sector institutions in the UAE.

She emphasized STDCl’s commitment to delivering world-class training programs and courses that cover the latest skills in advanced management, effective communication, and impactful leadership.

As part of its visit program, the Sharjah Training and Development Centre organized a training workshop titled “Design Thinking”, held within SCCI’s Strategic Business Leadership program at the University of Granada.

The workshop was part of a series of field training initiatives regularly implemented by the Centre to strengthen executive leadership and enhance institutional transformation capabilities through cutting-edge leadership methodologies.

The session explored design thinking principles and tools as a user-centered framework and effective methodology for addressing complex business challenges, fostering empathetic thinking, generating innovative ideas, and iterative problem-solving. It featured strong participation from senior executives, who demonstrated high engagement through applied exercises and hands-on activities that reflected real operational scenarios.

The visit also included a high-level meeting with H.E Ibrahim Ali Al Nuaimi, Head of Political Affairs, Media, and Public Diplomacy at the UAE Embassy in Spain. The meeting highlighted STDCl’s strategic efforts to secure international accreditation for its training and academic programs, underscored by recently concluded agreements with four distinguished Spanish institutions.