Twelve Kuwaiti Fellows who are participating in one-year professional internships with U.S. companies have just completed a two-day intensive training course as part of a joint program developed by the National U.S. - Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Washington, Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education, and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).
The Fellows, young leaders in the Professional Development Initiative (PDI), flew to Washington DC from all over the United States to participate in a course that was designed especially for them. Training was conducted by: Brad Barton, Founder of Brad Barton Speaks, past president of the National Speakers Association, and author of Beyond Illusions; and Dr. Ruediger Fox, Founder of the Gross Corporate Happiness Institute and a partner at Second Muse.
The intensive training was kicked off by H.E. Nawaf Al-Enezi, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Kuwait; Dr. Aseel Alawadhi, Director of the Kuwait Cultural Office; Dr. Mohammad Al Jeragh, Cultural Counselor at the Embassy of Kuwait; and Mr. David Hamod, President & CEO of NUSACC.
"We want Kuwait to remain very competitive in the region, with one of the best workforces in the entire Middle East," said Mr. Al-Enezi. "The PDI program enables these Fellows to gain valuable employment experience and knowledge here in the United States, and then to bring that expertise back home to Kuwait."
Dr. Alawadhi suggested that by positioning themselves for private sector careers, PDI Fellows are "swimming against the current" in Kuwait, where the vast majority of graduates opt for government jobs. "With the opportunity that you are getting through the PDI," she noted, "we are confident that you will make a difference and help to drive change in Kuwait. This experience should help you to become future leaders of our country."