Aramco partnership offers top-level MBA opportunity

A new hosted degree program that will allow Aramco employees to obtain master’s of business administration degrees from Imperial College London (ICL) recently launched with a virtual induction ceremony.

The long-awaited program kicked off with the ceremony on Oct. 10 featuring remarks from Training and Development (T&D) general manager Sami T. Murshed, as well as representatives from ICL. Professor Francisco Veloso, dean of the Imperial College Business School, talked about the importance of this partnership with Aramco and implored the students to make the most out of their time in the program, however challenging it may be. Keynote lecturer professor George Yip discussed the challenges of strategic transformation.

The induction, as well as initial classes in the program, were originally planned to take place in London, but were shifted online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live classroom sessions are scheduled to resume in February.

Aramco established its Hosted University Program (HUP) to provide high quality master’s degrees from prestigious global universities to Aramco employees here in Saudi Arabia. It enables employees to develop their skills while remaining embedded in the workforce, which in turn allows them to make immediate connections between what they are learning and the challenges they face in the workplace. 

“In delivering these business-driven academic programs to its employees, Aramco makes it a priority to partner with top-ranked global institutions,” Murshed said. “To date, we have completed 23 successful programs, with a total of 514 graduates.” 

Ranked ninth globally by QS Rankings, ICL is an elite university, and its MBA program is renowned for both its rigor and relevance. 

T&D has advanced their efforts to partner with reputable institutes, such as Imperial College, recognizing the need for such programs in a publicly listed company. I feel privileged to take part of this program.
— Hussain Alamri, maintenance engineer and former YLAB member 

Khalid Bukhari, a business systems analyst from HR said, “This hosted program is a perfect opportunity for me where I can learn new skills from a top school. I can prepare for my next career move while still being able to give back to my community and company through my current role.”