Personal Data:

Dr. Mohammed Hamdan bin Garash

Marital Status: Married

Domicile: Sharjah

Academic Qualifications:

• PhD in Cultural Science
• Master of Business Administration in Human Resources (2009)

Expertise:

1. Etisalat Corporation (1999-2000)
2. Head of Licensing Department at Hamriyah Free Zone Authority – Sharjah (2000-2008)
3. Head of Human Resources and Administrative Affairs Department at Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (2008-2009)
4. General Director of Sharjah Theaters (2009-2012)
5. General Director of Sharjah University City (2012-2015)

Accomplishments & Awards:

1. Certificate of Appreciation from the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (2015).
2. Outstanding Employee Award in the Government of Sharjah (2003-2004).
3. Contributing to the planning of the ongoing theater rehabilitation program, which was launched by the Sharjah Theaters Group in cooperation with a number of Arab academic institutions for the rehabilitation of young cadres (2010).
4. Launching the Sharjah Festival of School Theater in its first session and documenting the events of the festival in a book (2011).
5. "Ambassador of Friends of Arthritis Patients" (2013).
6. Sharjah Award for Volunteerism in the Culture Category (2015)
7. Graduate of the first class of Tatweer Program for the Young Leaders Preparation in Sharjah (2006).

Social Participations:

1. Participation in the Sultanate of Oman Festival of the School Theater (2013).
2. Participation in the first international forum for arts and dialogue of cultures organized by the Mediterranean Morocco Association (2012).
3. Participation in the "Oman Read" initiative within the Bestowal Ambassadors Team (2017).

Voluntary Lectures, Workshops & Training Courses:

1. The inmates of the penal and corrective institution – Sharjah – within the program of recovery (2016-2017).
   
2. Students of the Ministry of Education
   
3. Cultural centers of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development
   
4. Family Development Centers, one of the institutions of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah
   
5. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment – Lecture entitled "Reading in happiness" (2016).
   
6. Umm Al-Mu'mineen Society in Ajman – Lecture entitled "Innovation in Volunteering for Emirati Women" (2016).
   
7. Umm Al Quwain Women's Society – a workshop within the Innovation Forum entitled "Heritage is an innovative source".
   

Memberships:

1. Member of the Board of Directors of Sharjah Development Forum and Head of Administrative Affairs (2009-2016).
2. Chairman of the editorial board of the Sharjah Theater Festival "Al Mashhad" (2010 to 2012).
3. Member of the Supreme Committee organizing the Club Race of Arts and Culture (2012 to date).
4. Member of the Board of Directors of Sharjah Sports Club and Chairman of the Cultural and Community Activity Committee (2013-2016).
5. Member of the Supreme Committee organizing the national program of youth leaders «Zokhr» in its fifth session and an Educational Adviser in the program (2015).
6. Member of the Federation of UAE Authors (2016 to date).
7. Member of the General Secretariat of the Emirates Forum for Innovation of the Gulf, organized by the Federation of UAE Authors (2016 to date).
8. Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of UAE Authors (2016 to date).
9. Vice Chairman of the Association for the Protection of the Arabic Language (2017 to date).

Publications:

1. Successful Management Guide (2004)
2. Windows (2014)
3. Cultural Views (2015)
4. Last Barrel of Oil (2017)
5. Animal Court (2017)

How Did You Use Your Interest in Training Field in Your Work Environments?

It is important that people take advantage of the private capacities and the skills they have acquired from their education or training so that they employ them in their work environment in order to develop them and share experiences with others. Life is a journey of bestowal and honest competition for the benefit of humankind, and without the diligence of our predecessors and their keen on learning and knowledge exchange and transfer through the books and others, we would not have developed. Therefore, I tried through the skills acquired to contribute to the development of any of my work environment, where I was keen on the development of human structures, training of young cadres, and awareness about the importance of planning the career path and the requirements for this. This contributed to the development of their knowledge in a proper and professional manner that contributed to reaching prestigious positions.

What Is The Most Important Challenge During Your Career?

In my opinion, the first challenge you face in your career will greatly determine the future of your professional career. For me, the most important challenge was to take on the responsibilities of human resources department in one of the entities with the necessary administrative knowledge while my major interest at that time was on training, self-development and skills. Therefore, thanks to God that I have succeeded in balancing between the administrative tasks and cultural and training concerns.

What Is Your Message To Young People To Be Interested In Developing Their Abilities?

The most important thing from my point of view is that any young person must have a plan and a strategy for his life. Without this plan, he will continue to flounder in his life without discovering himself or his potential until the age is lost in the experiment, where time is the most important thing. Life is too short and you must make an impact before death so that the human presence remains for a long time. Here I say to young people that you may work in and plan for your organization but forget to plan for yourself … He must know that the first organization he shall be keen on planning for is himself.

How To Transfer Planning To Reality?

The power source of man is not the muscles but the mind, so he has to pay attention to mental building. Here we are talking about the tripartite power; the power of mind, spirit and body, a mind that learns and forms convictions, a strong, capable and ambitious spirit and a body moves, activates and executes. When this connection is existed, the results are very positive and vice versa if they are separated from each other.

What Are The Expected Results In Case Of Separation?

A closed mind suffering from the pressures of life, unable to absorb developments or possess modern visions that enable it to keep pace with the rapid pace of life developments and thus falls victim to destructive ideas ... I recall here the words of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah "If the bellies are hungry, they will eat the carcass and if the minds are hungry, they will absorb bad ideas". Therefore, we are here talking about the loss of strategic planning for our lives.

As For The Willingness That Is Not Achieved Many Times, How To Achieve?

We make our own choice. If we have ambition, we will climb higher towards the peaks where the gravity of the summit is much stronger than the earth's gravity; however, we have to reach it first to know and live the sense. If we do not have ambition, we will remain on the ground with the non-ambitious persons, who are many. Thus, let us choose.

What Is Your Advice to Retirees?

I say that we taught at Zayed School how to be patriotic, faithful and devoted to service, and how it is not related to a certain age. Therefore, do not consider your retirement the end of your journey, but the journey ends so that another journey starts. You must keep in mind that life is worth more than that and we shall keep learning. As long as we learn, we have to convey what we have learned to our descenders, so that we are satisfied that we have left and have done everything to our homeland and ourselves.