A two-day conference for RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) Alumni was held in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre in Dubai Healthcare City from 30 April to 1 May. The conference, entitled ‘Investing in Human Capital', aimed to build on the engagement with the community of the College's alumni who are connected to each other and contribute their time, expertise and support to the benefit of RCSI's students, its graduates and institution.

The conference was opened by Dr Mohammad Al Redha, Chairperson of RCSI UAE Alumni Chapter. The first talk, titled ‘Educating Healthcare Leaders to Make a Difference Worldwide’, was presented by Professor Ciaran O’Boyle, Director of the RCSI Institute of Leadership. Professor O’Boyle focused on issues such as the changing nature of healthcare, models of human nature and leadership and the emerging nature of thinking organisations. 

Professor David Whitford, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies & Research and Professor of Family & Community Medicine at RCSI Bahrain, followed with a presentation entitled ‘Research and Postgraduate Opportunities in Healthcare’.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free (DDF) gave an insightful talk on leadership in the context of the development of DDF. DDF opened for business 30 years ago with 100 staff and has grown to become one of the leading airport retailers in the world, with over 6,000 staff.

Dr Alice McGarvey, Vice Dean for Career Development in RCSI, then delivered a presentation on the rollout of the new mentor network for RCSI medical students. Dr Mary Collins, Senior Executive Development Specialist with RCSI Institute of Leadership got the questions flowing with her presentation on ‘Leading and Managing Generation Y’, a topic that seems to particularly exercise Generation X!

Leadership, in the context of setting up a kidney transplant program in Dubai Hospital, was the focus of Dr Farhad Kheradmand Aljanahi’s entertaining talk. Dr Farhad is Specialist Urologist and Transplant Surgeon at Dubai Hospital and is an RCSI alumnus.

Dr Amer Sharif, Managing Director of Education at Dubai Healthcare City is also an RCSI alumnus and he closed the first day’s proceedings with a thought-provoking keynote lecture on ‘Leadership for Career Development in Healthcare - the UAE perspective’.

Day two of this meeting began with a practical seminar on 'Leading Self and Others', presented by Dr Mary Collins and Dr Pauline Connolly. The latter is a new Senior Lecturer based at the RCSI Institute of Leadership in Dubai. The in-depth focus on MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) personality indicators and Belbin’s team roles gave delegates food for thought.

Prof. O’Boyle gave the final presentation of the conference on 'Values Based Leadership', a sobering and challenging, but ultimately uplifting call for leaders to enunciate their own values and those of their organisations and to use these as the anchors for their vision, mission and strategy.

Dr Al Redha closed the conference in his mellifluous style and Prof. O’Boyle expressed the College’s profound gratitude to Dr Al Redha and the other members of the Committee for an excellent conference.

RCSI works to foster lifelong, sustainable relationships between the College and its Alumni, developing intellectual and personal connections which reach and serve its Alumni and which provide RCSI with goodwill and support.