The first class of the 2012 Management Development Programme (MDP) commenced yesterday at the Qatar Financial Centre in Doha.This annual programme, now in its second year, is taught by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Qatar as part of an ongoing strategy to address the needs of the Qatar and GCC business community within the oil and gas sector.The programme, comprised of five main modules, will be delivered to participants by senior management consultants and internationally-acclaimed academics in five non-consecutive one-week sessions over the course of 25 weeks.It also incorporates a visit to Ras Laffan.The course module will cover a wide variety of topics, including Oil and Gas Supply Chain Management and Logistics, Corporate Finance, Risk Management, Tax and Governance, Ethics, and Compliance.All modules are taught in English and sessions are reviewed by the companies’ sponsor.Christopher Box of PwC Qatar said: “The energy sector is ripe for the expansion of the next generation in financial management.“This unique programme, led by Professor Jan Willem Velthuijsen from PwC Netherlands, is the first step in delivering the learning associated with this advancement.“The MDP provides the energy industry with a specific programme that addresses and increases the skills of finance professionals.”Many high-profile companies are participating in this programme, including Qatar Petroleum, and Shell.