The Higher Education Review

In a digital era, where data and information have become so easily convenient, higher education degrees globally are gradually becoming redundant without any major takeaways in terms of real-world skillsets. Keeping the changing tides in mind, universities across the globe have slowly started adopting a more advanced pedagogy with a major focus on holistic skill sets, such as innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and so on.

An accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, Shaik Fazil Saleem started his entrepreneurial journey at 22 and worked for various organizations such as HSBC & Frankfinn Institute from the age of 18 onwards before starting his corporate training and management firm, Hali Management Consultancies, in 2012.

Over the years, the numerous training and workshop sessions gave him a fair understanding of the huge gap between academics and industry expectations in the higher education sector.

His early assessment of the scenario in the UK and UAE made him realize the need to bridge the gap through accredited qualification. Intending to provide high-quality accredited education to students, working professionals and entrepreneurs across the globe at affordable cost, he ventured into the UK while rebranding the educational domain of the firm as Maverick Business Academy London (MBA London).

A leading accredited Higher education provider recognized and awarded by many leading international education bodies and organizations, Maverick believes in transnational learning and has around 10 leading universities across the globe as part of its panel. The academy currently has around 12 staff in the UAE and the UK and Maverick Access Points are present in over 15 countries.

Courses Offered
Coming to the courses, Maverick is currently offering more than 25 courses, which include Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D., and DBA, as well as its flagship course, the Professional Doctorate, to people in 25 countries across the globe across in the fields of Business, Management, MIS, Psychology, Healthcare, Data Science & Education. The academy has closely worked with leading researchers and faculties from some of the leading universities, such as Dublin Business School, National University of Singapore, and so on, to develop its management courses that focus on the holistic development of a student.

After the students graduate through Maverick's programs, the academy puts them on a direct channel for interviews and internships with their esteemed Doctoral Alumnus over 180+ from 40+ countries across various diverse industries. The academy puts a lot of effort into the presentation skills of its students, focusing on emotional intelligence, their networking with entrepreneurial doctorate candidates, and giving them enough opportunities for internships and student exchange programs in UAE & abroad.

Focus on Providing Transnational Education
MAVERICK also has 16 core modules across different specializations in industry that are open to all of its students. Apart from that, they also conduct various masterclass sessions for its students throughout the year, where it invites CEOs, CFOs, and directors from Fortune 500 companies to give the students exposure on a one-on-one basis. “Maverick focuses on Experiential, Skill and knowledge-based learning.

Instead of curriculum-based learning, our focus has always been on providing immersive experience-based mentored learning to our students. We have a huge alumni strength, where we allow the students to interact with each other, derive the best from them, and apply in their day-to-day knowledge and learning as we believe Education must be borderless, diverse & inclusive”, adds Fazil who inculcates the spirt of humility, oneness and zest through his Servant Leadership practices.

When it comes to faculties, the academy focuses on industry-oriented traits. For its courses spanning more than 20 industries, MBA has hired some of the best industry-oriented trainers, who have a fair understanding of what works in the market and what does not, and have the curriculum developed by them.

“We believe that both learning and teaching are universal. Our selection process for the faculties includes allowing them to present a live case study to us and how they can add the concept of values, ethos, and relevant business management practices to the academy.

However, more than anything, through our platform, we believe in giving chance to young faculties and trainers to express themselves. We have a very open and inclusive policy for both our students and faculties", Explains Fazil.

"Instead of only deploying curriculum-based learning, Maverick has always been focused on providing immersive experience-based mentored learning to its students with comprehensive student support services"

Future Roadmap
Coming to the future roadmap, Maverick is working on starting its own university with their Swiss counterpart. The plan for the university has already been set in place in Poland EU, where the academy is applying for a full-fledged higher education institution to offer its own degree program.

“I truly believe that for a business venture to succeed, you need to have that emotional drive that inspires you to work for the upliftment of your family, community, and society.

While education across the globe is gradually getting commercialized, we as an educational institution want to be the industry leader providing transnational education by offering micro/nano credentials and bridging the academia and industry gap by creating equal opportunities for all and create a robust ecosystem of thinkers, doers and learners in our global Maverick community which will thrive on its own and leave a legacy”, Fazil signs off.