November 12, 2017, CUD: As part of CUD’s community engagement , we have teamed up with the LINK Organization. The LINK,’ is a non-profit UAE initiative providing an active community platform where women from different ages and backgrounds can find support to advance professionally and to share workplace challenges,
After hosting the Induction Session, CUD has started its sixth cohort of the Programme. Professors from the University including Ms. Orsi, Dr. Louise, Ms. Dima and Dr. Fran have offered their services as Mentors and are then matched up through the LINK organization who then allocates them to Mentees according to their needs.
The LINK aims to empower women through learning and developmental initiatives, nurturing female talent and strengthening their leadership capacity. Ultimately, the LINK’s vision is to encourage and support women in different stages of their lives and careers.
In the latest arrangement, Shirin Mehri has teamed up with Dr. Franziska Apprich who will act as her Business Mentor. Previous Mentees have included Florelle Cloarec with Ms. Orsi,
After successfully completing projects in educations in Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Tanzania and the United States, Shirin is looking to leave her mark in the Entrepreneurship Education Ecosystem in the UAE. Since completing her MSc in Management in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Babson College, she has immersed herself in the startup and entrepreneurial world of Dubai, working for some of the region’s fastest growing enterprises.
As Operations Manager at BizWorld UAE, she is responsible for overseeing and implementing workshops that aim to instill the entrepreneurial spirit in children in the UAE between the ages of 7 and 15 years.
Commenting on her involvement in the Mentorship programme Shirin stated that with the ever changing educational environment we are experiencing today, she aims to refine her project management skills and work closely with Dr. Fran on a project focusing on Educational Board Games that will engage female students in understanding entrepreneurship both in and out of the classroom.
Dr. Fran and Shirin will be working on an entrepreneurship board game called ‘The Entrepreneuse.’
The game will show the different steps in creating a new company from the licensing process through to becoming profitable (in an amusing way).The game will show how you need team spirit, empathy and kindness to succeed in business and building a successful team and company. Grades and degrees are only part of the game…and a bad grade can be compensated and balanced out with kindness points.
The initiative will be supported by the recently formed Business Incubator initiative in CUD, in cooperation with Ryerson University headed by Dr. Fran, Head of Learning Zones and Incubators
Dr. Fran stressed that supporting young women has always been close to her heart. She has published books on the subject and with the support of Communications students she has created the ‘she for she campaign.’
“I want to inspire Shirin and support her to reach her creative and entrepreneurial potential and become a strong and independent woman.”
Ms. Orsi Urban who brought the LINK Mentoring Initiative to the University said it was important that young women should have the opportunity to learn from female mentors in a structured, safe, encouraging and professional relationship.
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