Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Chancellor of GMU Awarded Honorary Fellow of AMEE (FAMEE)
Prof. Hossam Hamdy, the Chancellor of Gulf Medical University and an internationally known medical educator and active Pediatric Surgeon has been awarded the Honorary Fellow of AMEE (FAMEE)- An International Association for Medical Education in Europe, Which is the biggest association having more than 3000 educators in various health professions.
A scholar, professional and leader in higher education in the Middle East, renowned internationally, Prof. Hossam Hamdy, is a Professor of Surgery and Medical Education.
This award is prestigious and bestowed upon him to honour his outstanding contribution in field of Medical Education.
“This award was given to him for his outstanding academic contributions, have had significant impact upon medical and health professions education, his leadership and societal impact, have provided great support for medical and health professions education, or have created opportunities and fostered innovation in the Institution, region or country for the advancement of medical and health professions education” a press release from the Gulf Medical University stated.
This is not only a proud moment for Gulf Medical University but also United Arab Emirates and a reflection of the work and excellence done in UAE and a great visibility globally. Gulf Medical University has been a hallmark of innovation in Health professions education. Prof. Hossam Hamdy Said “We are preparing the health professionals of the future who are going to serve UAE, region and all over the World, He was Personally very happy being recognized as he has devoted his life for the development for Medical Education, which will also inspire other colleagues to do more in the field of medical education.”
He advised to the young Aspiring in the field to be proud of training Health professionals as, if you train one person able to do 10,000 operations and if you are able to train 10 such professionals you are going to play an exponential role, Lifelong learning and self-development is most important for any individual to succeed, We have to keep in pace of ways of teaching and contributing in development of the future workforce in the Health Sector.
The future of Health professions is very bright, the systems of healthcare are changing rapidly, the technology is changing rapidly, the health professionals should be trained to work in the new world of healthcare practice which will be highly enabled by Technology, Preparing the future graduates in using technology is becoming an important component of Health professions education. Dealing with human beings need a professional to be empathetic and needs to understand the fear of the patient and his family, they need to have good communication skills and to understand the needs of the patient. Hoping to see a more Health and Safe world in the future.
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Aditya Birla Group-led consortium acquires RCB for USD 1.78 billion
Bengaluru (PTI): A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) on Tuesday acquired 100 percent equity stake in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping USD 1.78 billion (approximately Rs 16,706 crore) from its current owner the United Spirits Limited.
Other parties involved in the group are -- Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE, a firm of which Viral Patel is the CEO, Bolt Ventures, owned by American investor David Blitzer, and media conglomerate Times of India.
“United Spirits Limited, pursuant to the meeting of its Board of Directors, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of the 100 percent equity stake held in its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a consortium,” the USL said in a statement.
“The consortium comprises Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) for a total consideration of INR 166.6 bn in an all cash transaction,” the statement added.
The transaction includes RCB's men’s and women’s (WPL) teams.
“RCSPL owns and operates Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises that participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL).
“Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium will, through its ownership of RCSPL, acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL franchise,” said the USL.
The announcement also concluded the strategic review of RCSPL that was initiated by USL on November 5, 2025.
The United Spirits Limited is a subsidiary of UK-Diageo, and they were keen to move away from RCB as the team was not central to their business plans.
Commenting on the transaction, Praveen Someshwar, MD & CEO, USL, said: “This transaction marks an important milestone for USL as we sharpen focus on our core beverage alcohol business to unlock its true potential. RCB has grown into the most prominent and commercially successful franchise in the IPL and WPL.
“We are excited for the future of RCB under the stewardship of the new owner. As Sports enters a new phase of growth in India & globally, we believe this is in the best interest of the franchise and our stakeholders.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket creating enormous value for India.
“RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport.”
As per the sale agreement, Aryaman Vikram Birla, ABG’s director, will be the chairman of RCB while Satyan Gajwani of Times of India will be his deputy.
Aryaman Birla, said: “It is a privilege to come together in this partnership to shape the next phase of growth for RCB. This partnership brings together a deep understanding of sports, media and consumer businesses.
“Together, we will continue to Play Bold -- on the pitch, in the community, and for the fans who make RCB what it is.”
Gajwani, Chairman, Times Internet Limited, said: “RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. We will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase.”
Blitzer hoped to build on RCB’s recent success.
“RCB has a world-class fanbase, and the IPL is one of the great growth stories in global sport. Having invested in clubs and leagues around the world, I believe the opportunity at RCB stands out.
We look forward to working alongside our partners and the BCCI to build on the franchise’s championship success,” he said.
Patel praised the RCB as one of the strongest sporting brands in the world.
“We are excited to invest in RCB, building on Blackstone’s long-standing commitment to India. RCB stands out as one of the most popular sports franchises in the world with a powerful brand, a loyal fan base, and multiple avenues for growth,” he added.
However, formalities such as ratification from the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, its WPL counterpart and the Competition Commission of India are still pending.
Earlier, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals was acquired by US-based Kal Somani-led consortium for USD 1.63 billion (approx Rs 15,290 crore),
The Somani-led consortium includes Rob Walton from the Walmart family and Hamp family (Ford motor company).
Somani is an Arizona-based tech entrepreneur who has founded IntraEdge (technology services and solutions), Truyo.Ai (data privacy rights and AI governance) and Academian (edtech services).
The other contenders to buy the team, which won the inaugural trophy in 2008, were the Times Internet-led consortium, the Aditya Birla Group and the Mittal family led by ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal.
