Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s Edinburgh Business School has partnered with The Marketing Society, a global community of leading marketers, to address some of the gaps in technical and tangible skills witnessed in the sector. The collaboration is targeted specifically at students of Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s postgraduate International Marketing and Digital Marketing Masters program through initiatives that aim to assist and support their journey into the workforce.

Commenting on the partnership, Professor Paul Hopkinson, Associate Head of Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and Academic Lead for Heriot-Watt Online, said in a statement, “Our partnership with The Marketing Society represents the University’s commitment to enhancing the students’ educational experience and foray into the workforce. We believe that as the workplace of the future demands new skills that students are not traditionally trained in, education providers and marketing membership organizations need to come together to address the changes and support the workforce of tomorrow. Representing senior leaders in marketing from across global brands, The Marketing Society, brings decades of core marketing knowledge, industry know-how, and best practices that our students can learn from. Through this partnership, we hope to nurture the next generation of talent and prepare them to build a positive outlook towards the industry and its future.”

Adding to this, Mohammed Ismaeel, Chair of The Marketing Society Dubai and Partner at ToughLove Advisors, said, “At the Marketing Society we are committed to helping the marketing leaders of today make the greatest impact and difference that is demanded of their roles. If we expect marketers to continue to drive value, we must ensure that we are helping to ‘future proof’ the next generation of leaders with the skills and tools needed to succeed. I am therefore thrilled that we are partnering with HWU in the support of this important initiative.”

The collaboration between Edinburgh Business School and The Marketing Society aims to equip and provide students with the necessary skills and specialist training to succeed in the industry, over academic knowledge alone. Benefits will include a one-on-one mentorship program that will pair them with marketing leaders, discussion groups targeted at helping students identify challenges they could potentially face and solutions to the same, guest lectures delivered by members of The Marketing Society on current hot topics to support disadvantaged communities and build a green economy through the use of marketing.

The partnership will offer real-world skills and an insight into real-life experiences to empower students and build confidence as they prepare to enter the workforce and society at large. A key aspect of the collaboration is to build a forward-thinking and thriving workforce that is ready to take on and combat global challenges.