Itijah - for future leaders in Europe and the Arab world

What is Itijah?

Itijah, meaning "direction" in Arabic, is part of a series of Ventures run by Common Purpose that will expand, enrich and energise relations between European and Arab cities. It will bring together leaders from Europe and the Arab world to learn and work together in a fresh and exciting way, and as a result develop innovative approaches to new - and old - problems.

The inaugural Itijah Venture will take place in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, in April 2012 and draw together leaders from:

Abu Dhabi             Budapest             Istanbul
Alexandria             Benghazi             Manchester
Amman                 Dusseldorf

"There is tremendous untapped potential amongst the young population of the Arab world, and infinite opportunities to develop leaders who can lead collaboratively and internationally. Developing the skills of emerging leaders now will be one of the most effective ways of channeling their energy into building strong and supportive societies."

Sir Graham Boyce, Chairman, MEC International

How will it work?

The Itijah Advisory Group, consisting of experienced and successful leaders from the participating cities, will identify a compelling challenge that is common to both regions.

50 leaders (approximately six from each major city) will gather for four days to address this challenge. They will explore the context of the challenge in greater detail before working up ideas (whether big or small) to feed back to the Advisory group.

Following the four days, participants will continue to work up some of their ideas further to produce a report that can be presented to policy makers, journalists and academics.

Deadline for applications is 5 March 2012

For more information about Itijah and how you can get involved, contact us.

What is The Challenge?

On each Itijah Venture, participants are presented with a challenge to explore that is shared by all the cities involved. Each year a different challenge will be selected for that year's participants to investigate.

The challenge will be set by the Itijah Advisory Group in advance of the event and must be:

• A compelling issue for leaders that is common to both Europe and the Arab world.
• Significant and wide-reaching in its impact but contained in its focus to ensure the participant group can explore and present feasible and meaningful solutions.

During the four day event, participants will investigate the challenge locally, and work together to come up with ideas and recommendations.

Read the report from the very first Venture, Dishaa for leaders from the UK and India:

Find out what challenges previous Venture participants have tackled

What might I do through Itijah?

Meet, interview and debate with a range of leaders, all operating in very different contexts, to find out how they lead and what can be learnt from them. Develop your leadership skills and explore the context of the challenge and country relations in greater detail.

Read a blog from a recent Dishaa Venture participant on her experience in India.

What are the outcomes for participants?

Ventures help participants to:

• Grow as leaders by exposing them to people who lead differently
• Broaden and deepen their knowledge by showing them how another country and culture works
• Develop their cross cultural awareness by throwing them into a difficult task, with a very diverse group, under pressure
• Build new networks by giving them access to participants and contributors they might otherwise never meet
• Stretch their analytical and creative skills by exposing them to a new approach to innovation
• Develop their influencing skills by putting them in front of senior decision makers to present their findings.

When and how much?

The first Itijah Venture will take place in Abu Dhabi in from 23-26 April 2012. Fees are as follows:

• EUR 2,500 for participants from Europe
• GBP 2,150 for participants from Arab world
• GBP 2,150 plus VAT for participants from UK

The fee will include all accommodation, food, materials and transportation for the duration of the four days. Please note that flights are NOT included.

Scholarships

Applicants who cannot pay the full fee should not be deterred from applying.

There are a few part-scholarship places available for applicants who can demonstrate a clear need for financial assistance and who are unable to meet the full fee.

Requests for scholarships can be made via the application form but if you would like to discuss this further then please contact the Itijah team in confidence.

How do I apply for Itijah?

Complete an application form today!

Applications are invited from exceptional leaders in the mid stages of their careers. You will be a skilled practitioner in your field, and keen to develop as you move towards even more senior roles within your organisations or sectors.

The course will be administered and delivered in English so participants need to be able to converse comfortably in this language.

Applicants will need to demonstrate:

• An established record of leadership achievement and experience
• Ability to work with a multidisciplinary group to solve complex problems
• Commitment to engage with wider society/public life
• Interest in the European and Arab dimension of the network

Deadline for applications is 5 March 2012.

All applications will be sent to the Itijah Advisory Group, who will review the forms. Some applicants may be invited to interview.

About the participants

Participants will be skilled and respected practitioners in their fields, and looking to effect change both in their organisations and wider society.

They will be high achievers and recognised as those who will rapidly progress to even more senior roles, for example, an entrepreneur looking to expand their business internationally, the director of a medium or large team in a big multinational organisation, a fast-tracked government employee working across departments and looking to head up their first big team, a senior research fellow at a university, a consultant in a hospital, an acclaimed artist, or a high-flying journalist.

Find out what challenges previous Venture participants have tackled

Our staff

Itijah is run by Common Purpose, drawing on our experience of running local leadership courses in 12 countries around the world.

Adirupa Sengupta
Chief Executive, Common Purpose UK

Karen Mackley
Business Development Director

Yamama Al-Oraibi
MENA Region Director

Amy Ritman
Senior Course Director

Emma Tidmarsh
Course Coordinator

The Itijah Advisory Group

Itijah's leadership team will include an Advisory Group of senior level leaders with expertise in the public, government, private, cultural and not-for-profit sectors in Europe and the Arab world.

The responsibility of the Advisory Group is to provide strategic direction on the challenge for Itijah participants, oversee the governance and administration of the application process and determine the challenge set for participants in Itijah year-on-year.

Sir Graham Boyce
Chairman, MEC International

Samer Asfour
Director of Government Sector for Emerging Markets, and Director of Thought Leadership & Research, PwC

Attila Bodnar
Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Business-Development, Organica Water

Tony Bury
Founder and Trustee, Mowgli Foundation

William Freear, CEO, Pilgrims Group

Alfonso Di Ianni
Senior Vice President, European Enlargement and Commonwealth of Independent States Region, Oracle

Prof Dr Mahmud Erol Kilic
Professor, Marmara University

Simon MJ Leary
Partner Middle East Health Industries Leader, PwC

Amina M. B. Megheirbi
President of Board, Attawasul Association

Khuloud Al Nowais
Director of Projects, Emirates Foundation

Duncan Pickering
Abu Dhabi Office Managing Partner, DLA Piper

Professor Dame Nancy J Rothwell
President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester

Dr Armin Schmiedeberg
Partner, Bain & Company's

Murat Unal
Founder and Executive Board Member, Funds@Work

Paul Walton
Head of Executive Office, Anna Lindh Foundation

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