MADRID, 11th May, 2025 (WAM) -- The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by its Sharjah Training and Development Centre (STDC), successfully concluded its official visit to the Kingdom of Spain to strengthen academic and training partnerships and broaden avenues of cooperation in empowering national talent and enhancing leadership and management competencies.

The initiative also focused on promoting expertise and knowledge exchange with distinguished Spain-based academic and research institutions.The Chamber's delegation was led by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for the Support Services Sector at SCCI, and comprised Amal Abdullah Al Ali, Director of STDCl, as well as senior officials and representatives from both entities.

The visit culminated in the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with the University of Navarra, one of Europe's leading institutions in management, communication, and academic research.

The agreement aims to develop joint academic and training programs, facilitate expert and academic exchange visits, and support the international accreditation of STDCl's offerings, thereby elevating program quality and aligning with global trends in leadership development.
The partnership agreement was formally signed by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi and Jaime Garcia del Barrio, General Director of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at the University of Navarra, during an official signing ceremony held at the university's headquarters in Madrid.

The Sharjah Chamber delegation also signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Salamanca, one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious universities.
The partnership aims to enhance joint academic and training programs, facilitate the exchange of expertise and scholarly visits, and strengthen the international accreditation of STDCl's programs, in line with the Centre's vision to become a global hub for leadership development and institutional innovation.

In her remarks, Maryam Saif Al Shamsi said that the Sharjah Chamber's visit to Spain comes as part of its ongoing and dedicated efforts to enhance the global accreditation of the Sharjah Training and Development Centre and elevate the international quality benchmarks of its academic and training programs. She highlighted the cooperation agreement with the University of Navarra as a strategic milestone that supports STDCl's initiatives and reflects the Sharjah Chamber's strong commitment to empowering national talent with global competencies and world-class expertise to lead future development agendas.

As part of its visit program, the Sharjah Training and Development Centre organized a training workshop titled "Design Thinking", held within SCCI's Strategic Business Leadership program at the University of Granada. The workshop was part of a series of field training initiatives regularly implemented by the Centre to strengthen executive leadership and enhance institutional transformation capabilities through cutting-edge leadership methodologies.

The visit also included a high-level meeting with Ibrahim Ali Al Nuaimi, Head of Political Affairs, Media, and Public Diplomacy at the UAE Embassy in Spain. The meeting highlighted STDCl's strategic efforts to secure international accreditation for its training and academic programs, underscored by recently concluded agreements with four distinguished Spanish institutions.

These partnerships are designed to facilitate the exchange of expertise and support the delivery of internationally accredited programs, reinforcing the Centre's position as a key hub for leadership development, organizational innovation, and institutional excellence in the UAE.

Furthermore, the Sharjah Chamber delegation conducted a field visit to the main campus of the University of Granada, one of the oldest universities in Spain and Europe, with the aim of strengthening knowledge partnerships and fostering global leadership collaborations.

During the visit, the delegation met with several university officials with whom they explored advanced academic experiences and research practices in the fields of leadership and strategic management.

The Sharjah Chamber's tour concluded with a site visit to the University of Granada's Archaeological Restoration Center, in addition to the Alhambra Palace in Granada city, one of the world's most iconic historical landmarks.