What started off as an invitation from the Kuwait government for a higher education conference turned into a much greater opportunity for Kogod’s Director of Admissions David Green and Executive in Residence Dr. Ghiyath Nakshbendi.

The pair’s goal was to open educational connections between the Middle East and Kogod.

“The Middle East region is under-represented in the student body at Kogod. Given the exposure the Middle East has had for many years, this trip will add to the cultural awareness of the West,” said Nakshbendi. “This trip provides opportunities on how culture and business go hand in hand for the greater good. What better vehicle than education to break away from stereotypes,” he said.

Green and Nakshbendi began their trip by meeting with Kuwait University and American University of Kuwait, and other educational, business and training organizations. Many of their appointments were with presidents, Provosts and deans of schools of business Department chairs. They also met with eight Kogod alumni living in the area in addition to Qatar University officials.

These appointments and meetings were made possible through Dr. Nakshbendi’s connections in the region. Nakshbendi lived in Kuwait for about 20 years and worked for the Kuwait Investment Authority, which is one of the oldest sovereign wealth funds in world.

“Being in the region representing Kogod helped our partners realize that we have accepted the challenge to further reach this region and are well-suited for the Middle East’s demand for global business education. .,” said Green. “In the meantime the benefit here is that we have proven output in terms of students who graduated from Kogod and are making their impact in important posts in Kuwait.”