DUBAI - IFZA Dubai, the UAE’s most dynamic and truly international Free Zone, announced its partnership with the Heilbronn University Graduate School (HUGS), a higher business education institution in Germany. As part of IFZA Academy for Training (IFZA Academy), the partnership will provide IFZA Licensees and Professional Partners with internationally recognised business courses to enhance their skills and develop their knowledge.

Registered with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the IFZA Academy is the first and only training institute of its kind within and beyond the Free Zone industry. Together with HUGS, IFZA Academy will offer a wide range of sessions and workshops presenting the most vital knowledge and skills required to empower IFZA Partners to confidently make crucial business decisions. The initial offering is an in-depth training course on financial management taught by Prof. Dr. Bettina Merlin, Master Entrepreneurship Program Director of HUGS and Prof. Ralf Dillerup, Head of HUGS. The collaboration will also be a critical support to the soon-to-be launched IFZA Mentorship program for local and international entrepreneurs.

Commenting on the partnership, Holger Schlechter, IFZA Chief Financial Officer, said: "We are delighted to have partnered with HUGS, a leading business school in Europe, to provide the IFZA Community with curated tools to enhance their capabilities and inspire innovation. IFZA is committed to developing the workforce in the UAE and providing the space for entrepreneurs to thrive."

Prof. Dr. Bettina Merlin added: "We are excited to work with IFZA Dubai to introduce a new set of courses to upskill the Free Zone community. We look forward to curating bespoke sessions centred on current areas of interest in line with market trends to ensure human capital development and career optimisation."

To consistently cultivate talent and nurture a sustainable and future-ready workforce, IFZA Academy has proudly delivered more than 7,000 sessions to Professional Partners, totalling 15,000 hours of training for thousands of participants over the first 8 months of 2022. IFZA Dubai continues to enhance its value-added benefits as part of its business ecosystem to support and further attract investors and entrepreneurs to the region