Manchester Business School Middle East Centre (MBS) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) have signed a collaboration deal, the first of its kind in the region.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) confirms a commitment to collaborate through which members of both organizations in the region will enjoy exclusive benefits, reflecting the increasingly central role finance professionals are taking in business, said a statement.

MBS is one of the world’s top ranked business schools and supports more than 1,000 part time MBA students in the region; IMA is one of the world’s leading and largest associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession with a professional community of over 8,000 active members in the Middle East.

The MoU provides for mutual benefits including IMA members qualifying for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) hours when studying with MBS or attending MBS events and seminars; and preferential rates for IMA membership for MBS students, and discounts on MBS/IMA services and events in the region, said the statement.

IMA members will receive preferential rates on tuition fees for the MBS Global Part-time MBA programmes. CMA active members can apply to the MBS Global MBA – Finance Learning pathway with certain module exemptions for the accelerated route, upon successful acceptance from MBS admissions, it said.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at Dubai Knowledge Village, Randa Bessiso, director Middle East, Manchester Business School, said: “MBS Middle East is delighted to sign this MoU with IMA and to become the first business school to collaborate with the IMA in the Middle East in this manner– and the first MBS centre worldwide to create a partnership with IMA.

“IMA members and CMAs in particular are highly sought-after working professionals in the region and are excellent candidates for our part time Global MBA programmes. Management Accountants are increasingly influential in business as trusted business advisors in the development of business strategy, so there is a natural link between MBS and IMA. We find that many of our part time MBA students are already qualified and certified professionals – around 30 per cent of our students work at C-level - who are looking for a deeper understanding of business to complement their professional skills. It’s a natural alliance given the professional communities we represent in the region,” she said.

Jeffrey C Thomson, CMA, IMA president and CEO, who attended the Dubai event, added: “We are honoured to be partnering with the prestigious Manchester Business School. Together, we have the opportunity to enrich careers, organizations and economies in fulfilling our respective societal missions.” – TradeArabia News Service