HBMSU Becomes First Educational Institution In MENA To Migrate Its Full Systems And Applications To AWS Cloud

DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 01st Jul, 2020) Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, HBMSU, today announced the successful completion of the migration of its systems and applications from its on-premises data centres to the Amazon Web Services, AWS, Cloud. The project is in line with HBMSU’s pioneering efforts to establish a new educational culture by moving away from the on-premises, traditional model of education. The initiative supports HBMSU’s broader objective of raising highly qualified and globally competitive future generations.

The advanced digital transformation initiative has made HBMSU the first university in the middle East and North Africa, MENA, region to shift its on-premises legacy systems to a full cloud computing model on AWS. The achievement highlights the success of the University's efforts to develop its technological resources and smart infrastructure, which was lauded by the global technology cloud service provider AWS as a leading model for the region in the sector.

The strategic collaboration with AWS reflects HBMSU’s commitment to transform the education system to provide the best education for innovators and creators of the future, in accordance with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU. The announcement was made during a virtual media event attended by high-profile dignitaries including Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai and Chairman of HBMSU's board of Governors; Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU; Paul Grist, Head of Education, International, AWS; and Zubin Chagpar, Head of Middle East and Africa, AWS.

The migration to the AWS Cloud reinforces HBMSU’s position as a role model in using advanced technologies such as cloud computing to reshape the future of education. The University seeks to establish a culture of smart learning as part of building a new generation of entrepreneurs, innovators, knowledge ambassadors and future leaders. The announcement follows close coordination and joint efforts extending across several months to ensure a full migration to the AWS Cloud. The achievement also highlights the efficiency and flexibility of the advanced educational technology infrastructure adopted by HBMSU, which positions it as a technology pioneer in the global education landscape. HBMSU’s efforts to be 10 years ahead of other global universities are backed by advanced educational methods and innovative academic tools.

Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim expressed his pride in HBMSU’s regional and global leadership in smart learning, adding that the successful migration to the AWS Cloud is a significant milestone for the University and the first achievement of its kind by an educational institution in the MENA region. He offered his congratulations and sincere gratitude to the leadership, stating that the latest achievement further consolidates the UAE's competitiveness in the international education scene. He further said that the initiative is of great importance as it supports national efforts to promote the continuous development of the education sector, in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

"HBMSU’s achievement reinforces its pivotal role in supporting the UAE’s vision to develop an integrated educational system that is among the best in the world and create a new generation that is highly qualified and equipped to lead the country’s progress in the future," he added.

Mansoor Al Awar said: "We are proud of this achievement that marks the latest milestone in our continuing journey to redefine learning and education, led by a unique vision to be ahead of other global universities by 10 years and pioneer change and development in the field of higher education. Our efforts are aligned with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU, to raise the competitiveness of our universities in order to establish a knowledge-based society and invest in fostering creative minds and developing talented individuals into future leaders."

"Our constructive partnership with AWS represents a great step forward in strengthening our preparations for the future and enhancing our readiness for the next 50 years, in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai," Al Awar added.

"Deploying cloud computing, which is today at the forefront of advanced technologies, is part of the high priority we place on shifting higher education locally, regionally and globally away from the traditional, on-premises approach. AWS’s leading cloud computing technology and features open up opportunities for us to expand our footprint as a unique model for smart learning based on innovation and quality, enriching the stock of knowledge, scientific research, and entrepreneurship, to produce generations that are able to make a better and more sustainable future."

Zubin Chagpar, Head of Middle East and Africa, AWS, said "Cloud computing today is transforming the education sector and enabling educational institutions to build secure environments for mission-critical applications, freeing them to focus on student success. We are excited to see how quickly HBMSU has been able to realise their vision using the AWS cloud, as they become the university of the future with a focus on bringing new and exciting learning experiences. It is great to see the efforts that the university has put into skilling its own teams in order to ensure that they are able to realise the full potential of the AWS cloud. We look forward to continuing to work with HBMSU as it further innovates on the cloud with new teaching and learning solutions."

For 14 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering more than 175 fully featured services from datacenters across the globe. The migration of HBMSU’s entire services and applications to AWS Cloud will have a positive impact on the performance of the University’s students and the academic community by enabling access to its services anywhere, anytime. Furthermore, this milestone will enhance HBMSU’s responsiveness, speed, and flexibility, in addition to supporting its computing infrastructure, and expanding its ability to rapidly connect with new locations around the world without any additional costs.

The digital transformation initiative provides many competitive advantages to HBMSU, including reduced costs by applying a utility model. The achievement also opens new horizons for innovation, research and exploration, and enables the University to enhance its global footprint easily without restrictions, placing its leading capabilities and expertise within the reach of learners, anywhere and anytime at the click of a button.

This achievement will also enable HBMSU to obtain the highest international accreditations from the most prestigious educational bodies, capitalising on the global network of AWS. In addition, collaboration between HBMSU and AWS enables the University to create multiple cloud-based virtual data centres using Amazon’s virtual private clouds, VPC, while maintaining the highest levels of security and reliability, together with seamless control of data flow.

Furthermore, the new collaboration gives HBMSU access to premium features that can enhance controls of cloud resources and deployment methodologies, as well as multi-level security systems that offer protection against diverse types of malicious attacks. Among numerous other features, AWS offers an integrated package of full-fledged services designed to meet the requirements of students and employees, such as improving productivity, providing real-time communication anywhere, anytime and enabling remote desktop access.