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Demonstrating The Experience of Administrative Development in UoB’s College of Engineering… Dr. Haifa Bint Ibrahim: Consultation And Effective Communication with Partners Contribute to Creating Research and Investment Opportunities
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Ali Al Sabbaq)
19 December 2022
The Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Bahrain (UoB), Dr. Shaikha Haifa bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, confirmed that the advisory role and effective communication with partners helps with the success of innovative practices, noting that this contributed to opening new horizons for partnership with the private sector, and creating investment and research opportunities for the College of Engineering.
This came during the participation of Dr. Haifa bint Ibrahim as a speaker at the Innovative Practices Forum, organized by the Bahrain Institute for Public Administration (BIPA), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Office, where she presented a scientific paper titled: “The Administrative Development Project for the College of Engineering at the University of Bahrain.”
The Dean of the College of Engineering explained that the concept of administrative development is based on finding and applying modern methods and approaches suitable for the nature of administrative work from the various behavioral sciences, and it is a collective job that requires a precise and long-term plan.
In addition, she reviewed the administrative and academic structure of the College of Engineering, and the challenges and difficulties it faces, including: the plan’s focus, compatibility with the labor market, utilizing all energies, connecting with the work environment, and strengthening financial resources and infrastructure.
Moreover, Dr. Haifa bint Ibrahim pointed to taking advantage of agile leadership methodologies and solutions, which increase performance levels and accelerate achievement through: operational efficiency, administrative flexibility, smart human investment, employing technology, and creating a flexible corporate culture.
“For development purposes, we have formed a committee to develop the College of Engineering, relying on several foundations, the most important of which are: giving members the freedom to communicate, think and coordinate inside and outside the University within the framework of regulations, encouraging members to think of solutions outside the scope of previously proposed solutions, and formulating a clear plan with a specific priorities and time frames, in addition to following up on implementation through periodic meetings and direct communication to avoid obstacles.”, Dr. Haifa stated.
She continued, “Many factors contributed to the success of the innovative practice, the most important of which are: selecting highly qualified and experienced members from various departments, using various management methodologies to find solutions, distributing solutions according to preference and ability, and communicating with partners.”
She also explained that the results of the development process were quick and encouraging, as morale was boosted in the College with the start of resolving some files, and the College was able to create fruitful partnerships with the private sector, facilitate the work of the academic staff, encourage students to participate in more regional and international competitions, and organize large events, in addition to the inauguration of several student branches of professional societies.
Dr. Haifa bint Ibrahim stated that one of the most important lessons learned for continuous improvement is: the importance of moving away from centralization in administrative decisions, activating the work of committees, through a plan presented by each committee coupled with the methodology used for implementation, immediate action to correct administrative errors, and avoiding delays and procrastination, stressing the importance of training the team on agile leadership and work automation.
