In line with its mission to promote corporate social responsibility awareness in the UAE, the Dubai Ethics Resource Centre (DERC) at Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), is organizing from June 24 to July 19, 2007 a summer internship program for UAE university students.
The participating students are from Dubai Women's College, the American University of Sharjah, the University of Wollongong in Dubai, and the British University in Dubai. The Partnering companies include Emaar Properties, National Bank of Dubai, Jumeirah Hotel Chain, Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) and Sama Dubai.
During the internship program, which is being organized by DERC for the third consecutive year, 13 interns will develop a series of case studies documenting local practices in the area of corporate responsibility (CR), thus adding to the limited supply of research that can be tapped into by stakeholders interested in this field.
An award ceremony will be organized at the end of the program during which interns will give presentations about CR activities and practices in the companies they visited.
Dr. Belaid Rettab, Director of Dubai Ethics Resource Centre at Dubai Chamber of Commerce, said the internship program will provide UAE students with a solid knowledge of corporate responsibility practices, which would enable them to fulfill their potential as ethical employees, managers and leaders.
Dr. Rettab noted that the organization of this internship by Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry reflects the chamber's commitment to promote the sharing of CR best practices within various corporate sectors.
A research study on "Perceptions of UAE businesses on corporate governance, financial transparency, business ethics and social responsibility" conducted by DERC and the Data Management and Research Department at DCCI, and published in September 2006, showed that 86 per cent of the managers of participating companies agreed that ignoring CR will harm their companies' commercial and financial performance. However, only 17 per cent of the respondents said they consulted any form of international standards that provide best practices.
About DERC
The Dubai Ethics Resource Centre (DERC) was established by Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry in May of 2004 and was formally launched in October of the same year, with a view to assist Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry members and stakeholders in adopting standards that are consistent with international best practice.
DERC organizes "Executive Seminars on Corporate Responsibility" in English and in Arabic for the benefit of the senior management of UAE private and public sector companies. These seminars help business executives improve organizational performance and the management of non-financial risks. DERC also carries empirical research on corporate responsibility in the UAE.
