05/12/2009
ASHRM Emerges as Leading Regional
Society
By Shamsul Huda
The Arabian Society for Human Resource Management (ASHRM) is emerging as the recognized leading professional society in the Gulf Region through its strategies planned for the next three years to promote the human resource profession and advance the human capital capabilities of organizations throughout the region.
In an exclusive interview in his office last month with the Saudi Commerce & Economic Review, Mr. Fouzi A. Bubshait, President of ASHRM, commented that ASHRM aimed to become the Regional Voice of HR. He said that ASHRM has significantly expanded its scope since its inception in 1991 as a chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM, USA) operating only within Saudi Arabia, and is now becoming truly representative of the region.
For example, Mr. Bubshait highlighted: “ASHRM is now a Member of the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) through the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM) and now participates in regular APFHRM meetings. Recent APFHRM meetings were held in Jakarta, Indonesia and Hong Kong, where the ASHRM representatives exchanged best practices in HR and shared HR concerns and challenges impacting their countries.
ASHRM is affiliated with several other professional societies including the Bahrain Society for Training and Development (BSTD), with whom ASHRM has co-sponsored several events of mutual benefits. It also has long standing close working relationships with the U.S.-based Society for Human Resource Management, the Institute for International Human Resources, the American Society for Training and Development and the Australian HR Institution. "ASHRM has become truly an international organization with its close cooperation with a number of the world's renowned organizations," said Mr. Bubshait.
New Goals
Mr. Bubshait is now almost one year into his Presidency of ASHRM and has put fresh vigor into his Society by setting out new goals, plans and programs designed to
meet market demand for efficient human resource professionals. "Our future activities have been drawn up after a comprehensive survey conducted among our 1,400 members and other HR experts seeking their opinions and suggestions in order to prepare a realistic work plan," said Mr. Bubshait.
ASHRM's main strategic objectives are to: regionalize ASHRM; take a leading role indeveloping HR professionals in the Arab world; assist organizations with developingtheir human capital; set up a regional body of HR knowledge; and, gain internationalrecognition.
To achieve these objectives, ASHRM has unveiled a number of new strategies including conducting high quality monthly dinner meetings; organizing international conferences; consolidating existing regional HR meetings; establishing regional chapters in Qatar, U.A.E., Kuwait and Oman; sustaining HR certificate and Masters programs with Texas A&M University (TAMU); offering youth events; enhancing international affiliations; attaining Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit
points for ASHRM events and programs; expanding regional research; revamping the ASHRM Web site and other publications; expanding membership; and, introducing regional certification APHR with accreditation by the HR Certification Institute.
International Conferences
ASHRM has so far organized nine international conferences. Its 10thinternational conference will take place in Bahrain on March 29-31 next year. A number of top executives from the world's giant companies will discuss their HR challenges and issues. Over 72 speakers will make presentations aimed at finding solutions to these challenges.
“HR is Business"is the theme of next year's conference in Bahrain, disclosed Mr. Bubshait. He said that the event will provide a meeting place for businessmen, company executives, managers, supervisors and HR practitioners to share their knowledge and experience. The three-day conference will also feature a social program intended to allow delegates, sponsors and exhibitors the opportunity to mix
in both a professional and informal environment. In conjunction to the conference, there will be an exhibition, in which renowned regional and international HR companies will exhibit their products and services. Each day of the conference will be concluded with a panel discussion that will be moderated by Tim Sebastian of the
BBC Doha Debates fame. These panels will provide an opportunity for a lively discussion on the topics by experts and will include answering questions from the audience.
The conference will have four sub-themes that are linked to the notion of HR demonstrating how it will assist organizations to: a) drive operational efficiency and effectiveness, b) strengthen leadership capabilities, c) create an adaptable work force, and d) invest in critical talent.
Mr. Bubshait urged top executives, managers and human resource professionals totake advantage of the conference in order to up-skill their knowledge and understanding of current HR challenges and practices and to network with colleagues from throughout the region, and to exchange their views and expertise
with internationally recognized experts.
Major Activities
Mr. Bubshait gave an outline of ASHRM's major programs including its monthly dinner meetings and the ASHRM HR education programs. ASHRM organizes a full slate of monthly dinner meetings, which have been increasingly attracting people to the point where all meetings are now “sold out.” The meetings are open to both members and nonmembers like human resource professionals, executive educators, management consultants, noted authors and business leaders from within the Kingdom and around the globe. They share their thoughts and ideas at these events. Lively question-and-answer sessions provide audience members with an opportunity to probe the minds of top professionals in the fields of human resource management
and training.
Education Programs
ASHRM is now offering a number of HR education programs through TAMU with theobjective of providing its members and participants with learning experiences, concepts, skills, and practices that will help them in developing and leveraging expertise for improving human performance in the workplace.
ASHRM first collaborated with the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis-St. Paul in1999 to introduce a Professional Certificate in HRD, and subsequently a Master of Education in HRD. Through this partnership, which ended in early 2007, four Certificate cohorts and one Master’s cohort completed the HRD programs successfully.
In March 2007, ASHRM started collaboration with TAMU to continue introducing quality academic programs to its members and the wider community in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Since then, ASHRM and TAMU have established two cohorts of the Professional Certificate in HRD, one cohort of Master of Science in HRD, and one cohort of Professional Certificate in HRM. These programs are offered through TAMU’s College of Education and Human Development for the HRD programs as well as the Mays Business School for the HRM program. A fourth program, the Master’s of Science in Management, is currently being planned by the Mays Business School and is expected to be introduced in Dhahran in the first quarter of 2011. Student recruitment is currently going on for both the HRD and HRM programs. Over 50 students have already completed their graduation degree underthe ASHRM education program, said Mr. Bubshait.
ASHRM, a nonprofit organization, was established in 1991. It is a society dedicated to the management and development of human resources and the exchange of information and expertise in this area. Since its inception, it has served the needs of the human resource management professionals in the Arab World by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available. ASHRM is committed to advancing the human resource profession and the capabilities of all human resource professionals to ensure that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy.
Membership in ASHRM is open to all business and personnel management professionals, students pursuing a degree related to human resource management and individuals whose interests conform to the objectives of the organization.
