KFAS and the Middle East Initiative Celebrate 10 Years of Collaboration in Kuwait

Dec. 12th and 13th, 2010
Executive Education Program in Kuwait
Education Reform III: Strengthening School Leadership

Last week 70 Kuwaiti public school principals along with representatives from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education and Kuwait University faculty, convened in Kuwait City for an executive education program on strengthening school quality and performance. Sponsored by the Middle East Initiative and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), the program was taught by Tom Cassidy, former Director of the International Education Group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Nadya Higgins, Executive Director of Massachusetts Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA). This program is the fourth in a series on education reform in Kuwait that has been conducted through the Kuwait Program at Harvard, administered by the Middle East Initiative.

Dec. 13th, 2010
Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Middle East Initiative 10 Year Celebration

On December 13, 2010, a large reception was held at the Messilah Palace in Kuwait to honor the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative (MEI) and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). The event marked 10 years of the Kuwait Program at Harvard which has four components: executive programs, sponsored research, fellowships for executives and a visiting professorship at the Harvard Kennedy School focused on the Gulf. The celebration was attended by alumni of customized executive education programs and fellowships, and was hosted by His Highness Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister and a Harvard graduate. He gave a welcoming speech which preceded speeches by Dr. Ali Al-Shamlan, Director General of KFAS, and an alum of the program. Professor Meghan O’Sullivan spoke on behalf of Harvard, acknowledging the great collaborative work that has resulted from the partnership with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences.

December 13th and 14th, 2010
Kuwait Program Conference

The workshop and celebration were followed by a conference that highlighted the participation of faculty from Harvard in the Middle East Initiative’s programs and provided an opportunity for research funded through the Kuwait Program at Harvard to be presented in Kuwait. The conference also allowed Harvard faculty and affiliates to interact with Kuwaiti colleagues who participated in the conference as panelists, chairs and attendees. The conference included four panel discussions, two on the international political situation in the region and two more focused on economic, energy and human development issues. The two political panels included HKS faculty who have been involved in American decision-making on the region. The two panels on economic, energy and human development issues featured faculty who have conducted research on these topics, often with Harvard graduate students, with funding from the Middle East Initiative. Each panel was chaired by a Kuwaiti colleague who has a particular interest and involvement with the topic under discussion.

More photos and links to conference proceedings will be posted soon.