ADGM Academy receives accolade from Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2021

It took home the Digital - Education award for excelling in its online initiatives.

This year, the Middle East Technology Excellence Awards named Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy (ADGMA) winner for its flagship digital approach in financial technology education. Being part of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) conglomerate, the academy spearheaded a digital operating model to bridge students and their future workplaces through Augmented Reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) immersion.

The Middle Eastern Technology Excellence award-giving body recognises information technology visionaries pioneering in ground-breaking innovations in the region in which ADGMA excelled with its programs by providing this generation with timely knowledge in finance backed with a strong digital foundation.

Last September, the official Twitter account of ADGM posted inspiring words from the academy's COO and Managing Director Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei during the academy's Youth Preparedness Summit. He said, "Young people are the key to building a successful nation and each of us has a responsibility to our youth." His words translate into the work of the institution. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the school shifted to a more digital relationship with its students, which accelerated the pivot to a digital operating model. Keeping intact its vision to foster talented technocrats, ADGMA maintained its growing institution online. 

ADGMA's leading innovation is “My Digital,” which is a digital library learning platform. Students had access to around 33,000 online courses which had direct access to digital learning techniques from the American open online course provider, Coursera, the world's first FinTech online learning platform, CFTE, and the London Institute of Banking & Finance.

“My Library” is also available to students 24/7, allowing them to access more information at their convenience and learn at their own pace conveniently. The main goal of the courses is to equip students for virtual and sustainable jobs. Partnerships with international academic institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, and Abu Dhabi University are underway. 

ADGMA's digital collaborative tools include a state-of-the-art AR and VR infrastructure, which placed students right in the middle of company operations. Students were able to first-hand experience how things work to assist them in creating budget sheets, forecasting sales and inventory, and drafting realistic pricing schemes. 

ADGMA spearheaded the National Development Program (NDP), wherein its first three batches of graduates garnered 100% employment. The graduates are from courses majoring in Banking and Finance and Audit and Accountancy.

In addition, other incredible programmes under Digital and FinTech, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, and Professional Development further strengthened the institute's vision in creating a generation of financial technocrats in the Emirates. Creating financially well-versed graduates is heavily in line with the country's goal to become a global financial knowledge hub through leading innovation and development in FinTech. 

Because of ADGMA's success, the government of Abu Dhabi, through the Abu Dhabi Digital Program (ADDP), led by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority and Abu Dhabi School of Government, partnered with the FinTech school to upskill 400 of its employees with digital knowledge and expertise. According to sources, the ADDP included 15,000 more government employees in taking the courses.