Page 25 - TIME Newsletter 2018 in Review

The long journey proved fantastic! It was an opportunity to meet
accomplished project managers from around the world.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is transitioning itself from an oil-based
economy to putting tourism at the forefront. It boasts some of the globe’s
most iconic projects. Burj Al Arab is the world’s only seven-star hotel and is
instantly recognized for its unique architectural style.

Similarly, Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building, and the Dubai Mall is the
world’s largest. Many more impressive infrastructure projects exist, and
new ones are unfurling under the judicious planning and execution of the
Dubai government.

It was four days into the Forum before the prize winners were announced.
Each of the eight awards had three contenders. HH Sheik Hamdan bin
Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum entered the cavernous auditorium, the
national anthem played, and we held our breath. The scene mimicked the
Oscar’s. TV cameras sent close-ups of the anxiously poised candidates to a
huge screen before the gathered audience of 1,500.

For Academic Innovative Process the finalists vying with IT were a training
firm in Bahrain and Columbia University. The former had its project
management students form teams and build bicycles from scratch. The Ivy
League school created a new Master’s Degree Program notable for sending
its graduates back to their companies ready to deliver rapid rewards. After a
suspenseful pause, Columbia was announced the winner.

The quest ended without the hoped-for prize. But the School District of Palm
Beach County was elevated to international attention, and its IT Division can
legitimately lay claim to the designation “World Class!”