Address by Tánaiste at the official opening of the Royal College of Surgeon’s new office in Dubai Healthcare City, during the Enterprise Ireland trade mission to UAE

Thursday 27 November 2008

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has built strong and successful relationships with the United Arab Emirates and I am very pleased to be associated with this further milestone, the official opening today of RCSI’s new office in Dubai Healthcare City.This is a most impressive campus.The UAE spends $2 billion, on overseas healthcare services. The vision for Dubai Healthcare City is ambitious - to provide health services for people in the UAE, and to become a hub for medical/healthcare tourism in the region and indeed globally.

RCSI-Dubai offers postgraduate education and training through the RCSI Institute of Leadership and Healthcare Management (ILHM), whose mission is to improve human health by optimising patient-centred care through the development of excellent leaders and managers and to maximise efficiency, effectiveness and patient safety.   The Institute provides internationally recognised masters programmes in Dubai and also provides continuing professional development and bespoke training programmes aimed at facilitating the development of effective healthcare organisations. 

In June this year, RCSI achieved recognition from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research as a licensed educational institution in the United Arab Emirates.  Two masters programmes, one in healthcare management and one in quality and safety in healthcare management, have also been accredited.

This achievement underpins the RCSI’s commitment to providing quality education in the UAE through the Dubai HealthcareCity campus in RCSI Dubai and complements the College’s major developments in education and healthcare provision in the region. Currently RCSI-Dubai has 130 students enrolled on its two masters programmes, as well as shorter accredited training programmes for healthcare professionals. Since 2005, eighty-six students have graduated from the two masters programmes.

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is a not-for-profit global organisation dedicated to improving human health through education, research and service.  Founded in 1784, originally to train surgeons, today it provides extensive education and training in the healthcare professions at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

RCSI has been involved in running Fellowship courses and examinations in Surgery since the 1970’s in countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Jordan.  In addition, it has established medical schools in Penang, Malaysia and the Kingdom of Bahrain following invitations from their respective Governments to do so.  RCSI’s collective international experience over the past number of years has been influential in putting Ireland on the map as a global leader in healthcare systems.

Ireland has a reputation as a world education centre and has developed an international standing as a centre of quality education and training. In addition to medicine, the international activities of Irish institutions and organisations cover a wide range of areas such as accountancy, engineering, management and professional, business studies and language. Ireland’s long tradition as a provider of quality education is backed by the high standards of its education services, internationally recognised qualifications and the worldwide reputation of its training.

This week’s Irish trade mission to the United Arab Emirates has a strong focus on knowledge and innovation services. We see ourselves as global exporters of Irish knowledge and expertise; this is by far the single biggest element of our overseas trade. Irelands total investment in knowledge (including investment in public and private spending on higher education) increased by an average annual rate of over 10% over the past decade compared with averages of around 3% by the EU and the OECD. We have made a career out of cultivating the knowledge economy, in providing a sound business friendly environment for the global multinational community and offering our services to markets throughout the world, in association with local partners.

Ireland’s strengths and capabilities in healthcare education provide an excellent match with the requirements of Dubai’s dynamic economic and social development. I believe that there is very substantial potential for a strong upward expansion of our partnership in the coming years and I am confident that this trade mission, and today’s event, will result in further close cooperation with Irish institutions.  I thank you for taking the time to be with us today.