President of the Strategic Holdings Group — a Dubai-based conglomeration of companies which includes, Strategic International, Strategic Infinity, Systematic & Strategic Higher Education, and AIM Global Foundation & Congress, in the United Arab Emirates, UAE — Dawood Al Shezawi has been named pro-chancellor and chief international ambassador of the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean Global Campus, otherwise called UCC Global.

Al Shezawi, a highly inspirational global figure, is also president of the Annual Investment Meeting, one of the world’s largest investment platforms; chairman of Alliance International Investment; chairman of Al Boom Gas; and chairman of EVEXA.

The AIM Global Foundation & Congress, in particular, is an independent international organisation fully committed to empower the world’s economy by boosting effective promotion strategies and facilitating opportunities for economic productivity and expansion. It seeks to ignite positive transformation by creating investment opportunities and developing economic relations among nations.

According to the UCC Global, it is anticipated that the pro-chancellor and chief international ambassador will lend the weight of his esteemed global office, professional experiences, networks and wisdom in assisting the further development of the UCC Global internationally, including in the UAE, Europe & Asia. The new pro-chancellor and chief international ambassador will also seek to leverage his contacts in facilitating greater access to a range of potential international partnership opportunities and will embody a positive role model to inspire both the global online and on-campus student populations widen the university community.

In connecting to the broader international communities, he will help in building brand awareness, and offer further advice on the overall global strategy and direction for the UCC Global itself in keeping with the vision of the founders and university board.

“I am undoubtedly honoured to be appointed to this important ceremonial post of pro-chancellor and chief international ambassador for the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean Global, and will also seek to demonstrate empathy with the university’s values, including, in particular, valuing people, equality, and global inclusion, widening global participation, and social mobility whilst adhering to the highest principles, standards and professional practice,” Al Shezawi stated. 

To date, the UCC/UCC Global has had two most eminent individuals who served as its chancellor/executive pro-chancellor. The first was Professor Sir Kenneth Hall, former governor general of Jamaica and principal of The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. He served two non-consecutive terms before his recent formal retirement. The second was Dr Herbert Thompson, former president of Northern Caribbean University, who previously had served as an executive pro-chancellor. 

The UCC also announced last year that Dr David Panton, a former Rhodes scholar, had been named the new board chair.

Al Shezawi will participate in presiding in the upcoming largest university’s commencement exercises to be held on Sunday, July 28, at the National Arena where, for the first time in its history, in excess of 1,000 graduands will be awarded with undergraduate and graduate degrees. In this regard, along with the university president, he will confer graduate degrees, and other academic awards, including three honorary doctorate degrees.