Mena Business Schools Alliance for Sustainability seeks to bring about change in region

The Mena Business Schools Alliance for Sustainability (MEBAS), an alliance of 14 colleges in the Mena region, has stressed that the alliance will be a starting point for bringing about change in the region.
The College of Business and Economics at Qatar University (QU), which established the alliance and launched it last month, has been working on creating strategic plans to address difficulties in areas related to climate, environment, and sustainability practices in the business community.
Professor Rana Sobh, dean of QU’s College of Business and Economics, said in a statement: “Our region has unique challenges, including our unique sustainability challenges and other challenges related to the way we operate, such as the gap between academia, industry, and policymakers.
“Fortunately, we also have great talent, including students and faculty working at our universities across the region. Therefore, we need to come together, work through the complexities of our region, and make a real impact. We can't compete anymore. We must complement each other, leverage each other’s strengths, and support each other.”
Sobh also discussed the development of a digital platform for the alliance, pointing out that its website will provide a comprehensive platform of resources for teaching, research, and researchers. It also acts as a one-stop shop and will benefit a wide range of users, including faculty, decision-makers, and students.
Professor Adel al-Wugayan, acting dean, College of Business Administration, Kuwait University, said: “We aspire to have learning outcomes through KPIs for each of the strategic objectives of this alliance. This alliance has won the confidence of the 14 business schools of this alliance and participants from abroad, and this trust is based on joint collective work that will work to achieve many results.
“The focus of this alliance will be on students in the classroom, the government and private sectors, and decision-makers. In addition, some institutions are concerned with climate change. It is very important to understand that these students will now be the leaders of the future. They will join the workforce when they graduate, and they will be equipped with the idea that sustainability is part of the decision-making process.”
Dr Faisal Alfehaid, dean, College of Business and Economics, Qassim University, said: “This vision started as a dream and is now a reality by uniting efforts on sustainability and taking leadership for all business schools in the Mena region.”
He noted that the initiative has three strategic objectives: academic content and exchange of experiences; research in the field of sustainability and climate change; and building partnerships.
Ihsan Zakri, regional head, Middle East and Africa at AACSB International, said: “We had an opportunity to discuss the MEBAS alliance, spearheaded by Qatar University. In projects like these, it is not easy to get the best business schools in the region to come together and bring this initiative to reality.”
Professor Sofronis Clerides, dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Cyprus, said: “Cyprus has a very long history of engagement with the region, and we are looking forward to collaborating with other universities from the Mena area on an issue that affects us all.”
Professor Akinola Fadahunsi, dean, College of Business Administration, Ajman University, said: “All of us, as institutions and as representatives of countries across the region, share similar concerns, and in our own ways, we all have been working on advancing these goals.”
Yusuf Sidani, dean of the Suliman S Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, said: “This alliance represents a key milestone and a partnership among leading business schools in the region, working together to develop future business leaders who can effectively navigate the intricacies of sustainability and the evolving role of responsible business in this part of the world.”
Professor Assaad Farah, dean of the College of Business and Economics, American University in Kuwait, said: “Collaborative alliances such as MEBAS play a pivotal role in fostering the development of pragmatic strategies to address the pressing challenges of our time.
Dr Yaprak Anadol, UN PRME Chapter Middle East chair and representative of Dubai Business School, University of Dubai, stated: “It is very important to bring like-minded decision-makers to collaborate on this mission.”