Prime Highlights
- Northeastern graduate Vicent Armas completes the nine-month Dubai Business Associates program in the UAE.
- Program builds on Armas’ global academic path spanning Peru, Boston and Athens toward a career in international business.
Key Facts
- Dubai Business Associates accepts just 30 to 40 candidates yearly; roughly 6,600 people applied when Armas entered.
- Armas trained with PwC Academy Middle East and worked with the state-owned Emirates Group during the program.
Background
Northeastern University graduate Vicent Armas has completed the nine-month Dubai Business Associates program, adding the United Arab Emirates to a global academic journey that has already taken him through Peru, the United States and Greece.
Armas grew up in Lima, Peru, and earned his undergraduate degree in finance and accounting management on Northeastern’s Boston campus. He completed a co-op with Piraeus Bank in Greece, working in the chief investment office and investor relations, before graduating from Northeastern in 2025.
The Dubai Business Associates program, run under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, offers recent graduates worldwide a fully funded opportunity to study and work across Dubai Inc, a network of state-owned holding companies, investment funds and enterprises. The programme accepts just 30 to 40 candidates a year, and around 6,600 people had applied by the time Armas submitted his application.
During the programme, Armas trained with PwC Academy Middle East, the talent and skills development arm of PwC Middle East and a DBA partner, and worked with the Emirates Group, the state-owned aviation holding company.
Rami Tawfiq, director of the programme, praised Armas for his positive attitude, drive and commitment to professional growth, noting his strength in networking and building relationships.
Dick Lush, who taught his capstone business strategy course at Northeastern, said Armas stayed consistently engaged and showed strong critical thinking, calling him entrepreneurial.
In that course, Armas and his teammates ran a simulated camera and phone manufacturing company, finishing with the largest market share and revenue in the competition.
Armas said he was drawn to Dubai’s rapid growth and booming financial sector, and hopes to contribute to that momentum as his career progresses. He is now preparing for the first level of the chartered financial analyst certification and sees business school and an eventual C-suite role ahead, while planning to carry lessons from his global experiences into his next steps.
