Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI): Richness in Diversity
Hello Mr. Abdullahi Hassan Maalim and thank you for this interview. Start by telling us how it all started
An idea conceived a couple of years back came to fruition, triggering my maiden trip to the land of cultural and historical richness on the eve of December 2019 for a short Human Resource Course at Galilee International Management Institute; the admission to the institute and the six-and-half hours trip from the largest airport of Kenya’s Capital, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, along with my staff mate from the County Government of Wajir Mr. Adow Osman, was both full of enthusiasm and adventure.
A gentleman, speaking fluent English, received us together with a colleague from Guinea Bissau, and he heated the car after realising that we were shivering and guided us through the City of Tel Aviv to our two-week long destination in Nazareth, North of Israel. The first observation was the spine-chilling cold nights and short days of Nazareth, a complete opposite of the drier Northern part of Kenya that I come from and Mr. Boris, our welfare officer, waiting for our arrival despite the time being past midnight is a show of the servant leadership we are expected to embrace.
What was the thing that most impressed you when you arrived on the GIMI campus in Nazareth?
GIMI says it is a bridge for nations; during my inaugural breakfast at Golden Crown Hotel we were mesmerised by the rainbow of nations and cultures; the continents were well represented along with a splendid array of food and languages giving a complete fit of a global gathering. The composition of our lively HR class is enviable and any stranger will assume it as a session of the African Union as most parts of the continent is represented.
Can you tell us more about the academic content of the programme?
The choice of the content and lecturers for the HR course is very spectacular. The facilitators are real, competent and professional in handling their tasks. They used a variety of facilitation skills and particularly the plays and mind teasing games will linger in our minds for a longer period. The love for beautiful diagrams and video clips to augment the discussions has boosted our understanding. Their background reveals them as top-notch drawn from globally competent organisations such as Unilever and Intel just to mention a few.
Can you tell us more about your interactions with other participants of GIMI programmes?
On the outer look of the interactions during tours and international evening the “global students” were of near perfect professional blend as in the mix were Military Generals, Security Sleuths, Ambassadors, Managers, Doctors, Clergymen and many others contributing to sharing of experiences and uniqueness in their diverse countries. A classical case is the International Evening and also the awe-inspiring tours to various historical and religious sites. Cultural diversity was at play during the International Evening with “countries” displaying their artefacts, attires and songs. The globally endearing “Hakuna Matata lyrics” from my home country soloed by Mr. Samuel, the Jamaican Reggae and the Ethiopian age-old song attracted undivided attention and blended very well with all other countries songs in a globalised world.
What values did you particularly appreciate?
Religious democracy and tolerance is at its best in this institute and by extension country. I had the opportunity of performing dawn prayers at 5 am daily at a nearby mosque to the Hotel. Additionally, the Hebrew Sabbath that falls on Saturday and is meant to be a day of rest and worship for the Jews was used adaptively as a day for tour to historical and religious sites. Our two Saturdays at GIMI took us to the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Church of Annunciation and Masjid Al-Aqsa where each group, based on its religious beliefs, prayed and performed some rituals.
Can you tell us about the closing and graduation ceremony at the end of the programme?
The closing ceremony was a completely different function to what I was used to. In the first phase of the ceremony, the President of the Galilee International Management Institute Dr. Joseph Shevel, a well-travelled academician, gave the ultimate lecture on “Economic Development Based on the Israel Model” citing numerous collaborations and networks established across the globe. His presentation was full of empirical data and real-life experiences drawn from his visits and hinted at the possible collaborations the institute can establish with the visited counties/countries. The water management and increasing productivity of livestock are areas that inspired me for possible linkages. The presence of the members of the Diplomatic Corps and Senior Managers from GIMI during the climax of the event was the icing on the cake and we were proud Kenyans to be presented with certificates by our Ambassador in Israel, H.E. Samuel Ng’ang’a Thuita, as we joined the growing list of the Alumni of the iconic institute in its 28th International Programme having satisfied the management for the award of Diploma in Human Resources Management.
With what general impression do you return to your country?
I have a few things to pack along with my luggage and souvenirs from the land of the fastest technology and they are; the flawless organisation of the accommodation and generally the course, varied and effective methodologies of delivering contents, use of ordinary materials as learning aids and the desire to keep learning and doing research for continuous improvements. I look forward to applying the new concepts learnt and coming back again to GIMI more positive and equipped with cultural artefacts.
Shalom!
(Abdullahi Hassan Maalim, December 2019, HR Class)
