In a decisive move to bridge the gap between education and employability, the Thumbay College of Management and AI in Healthcare (TMAIH), under Gulf Medical University, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Thumbay Healthcare Division, creating a direct academic-to-industry pathway that guarantees structured internships, workplace exposure, and employment opportunities for graduates.
The partnership formalizes an academic–industry ecosystem where students will gain real hospital and healthcare business experience while studying, followed by guaranteed internship placements and a commitment from Thumbay Healthcare to employ at least 20% of eligible graduates from the program. This collaboration is designed to develop industry-ready healthcare leaders and AI-enabled management professionals, equipped not just with theory, but with hands-on operational exposure across Thumbay Healthcare’s network of accredited hospitals and medical centers in the UAE.
Under the MoU, both institutions will jointly implement:
- Guaranteed internships, short placements, and on-the-job training for students.
- Direct employment pathways for eligible graduates.
- Joint training programs, certificate courses, and professional development initiatives.
- Faculty exchange, collaborative research, and co-branded CME programs, workshops, and conferences.
- Active involvement of industry partners in curriculum enrichment and workplace immersion.
Students will not graduate into uncertainty. They will graduate into real systems, real hospitals, real projects, and real careers.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Chancellor, Gulf Medical University, said: “This partnership reflects Gulf Medical University’s core philosophy: education must lead to impact. By integrating Thumbay Healthcare directly into the learning journey, we are ensuring that our students don’t just earn degrees, they build careers. This MoU transforms education into employability, and classrooms into gateways to the healthcare industry of the future.” Prof. Amir Zeid, Dean of Thumbay College of Management and AI in Healthcare, added: “This collaboration will pave the way to synchronize academic excellence with real-world clinical expertise, creating a dynamic laboratory for healthcare innovation. We are moving beyond traditional instruction to ensure our students graduate as AI-fluent leaders ready to solve the immediate challenges of the modern healthcare industry.”
Mr. Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President – Healthcare, Thumbay Group, added: “Healthcare today demands leaders who understand both care delivery and intelligent systems. Through this MoU, Thumbay Healthcare is opening its ecosystem to students, offering them guaranteed exposure, mentorship, and employment opportunities. We are not only hiring graduates. We are shaping them from the start, inside real healthcare environments.”
The MoU also establishes a joint coordination committee to continuously evaluate outcomes, expand industry partnerships, and align training with emerging healthcare and AI workforce needs. This collaboration reinforces Thumbay Group’s long-standing commitment to integrating education, healthcare, and research into one connected ecosystem, ensuring that future healthcare managers and AI specialists are trained where healthcare actually happens.
Admissions are open now. Prospective students can visit the official website: https://gmu.ac.ae/ to apply and learn about eligibility, scholarships, and deadlines. Courses offered include BSc. in Healthcare Management and Economics, BSc. in Applied AI in Healthcare, Master of Healthcare, Management, Master of AI and Health Informatics.
