GLI Director Robert Mauro and Dr. Khalid Al-Ohaly, president of the Arabian Gulf University, signed a partnership agreement through which GLI will advise on and execute a new doctoral program in innovation management at AGU beginning in September.
The summer has been an eventful one for Boston College鈥檚 Global Leadership Institute, which has signed a partnership agreement to assist Bahrain-based Arabian Gulf University in developing a doctoral program in innovation management, as well as hosted a leadership program on campus for Kuwaiti youths.
GLI offers programs to enhance leadership skills, enlarge professional networks and expand expertise. The institute鈥檚 courses, built around its 鈥渇our pillars鈥� 鈥� learning, reflection, application and networking 鈥� utilize Boston College faculty and cutting-edge researchers, and integrate the Jesuit philosophy integral to 51茶馆鈥檚 academic and formational mission.
Recent years have seen GLI 鈥� which originally focused on professional education as a means to promote peace and reconciliation between Northern Ireland and Ireland 鈥� expand its geographical scope to other regions, notably the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA. With some of the fastest growing cities in the world, MENA presents opportunities for leaders in business, financial, and economic development as well as social and political change, according to GLI administrators.
As with any region, the Middle East faces a unique set of challenges and possibilities, the administrators say, and the GLI is uniquely positioned to provide educational training to help leaders work through those challenges and possibilities to achieve their goals. 聽
This transition is reflected in GLI鈥檚 partnership with the Prot茅g茅s program, headquartered at 51茶馆 for two weeks in July. The program, created six years ago by the Kuwait-based firm Kipco, is aimed at helping Kuwaitis aged 16-24 to capitalize on opportunities and skills that will enable them to become community leaders.聽
Prot茅g茅s grew out of concern that Kuwait鈥檚 younger generations 鈥� because of the wealth generated by the country鈥檚 oil-based economy, among other factors 鈥� feel little impetus to become engaged with civic, governmental, or entrepreneurial sectors, according to GLI Director Robert Mauro.聽
鈥淭he typical high school or college student in Kuwait is not from a destitute family in the way we might imagine,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hey have considerable means and an array of choices for how they can live their lives. The challenge is to get these young people to consider how they can contribute to society, to use their gifts in bettering their community.鈥�
This is a task well-suited to Boston College, said Mauro, and during their time on campus the 25 Prot茅g茅s participants explored intellectual, spiritual and vocational directions through various activities, including a talk from Vice President for Mission and Ministry Jack Butler, S.J.; sessions with faculty from the Carroll School of Management on technology entrepreneurship and from Political Science on democracy; and visits to Boston points of interest such as the Museum of Fine Arts.
The itinerary also included numerous networking opportunities for the participants, who are encouraged to follow up during and after their full-year commitment to the program.
鈥淭hey will experience a lot of what Boston College undergraduates do, in the Jesuit tradition of reflection and discernment,鈥� said Mauro. 鈥�51茶馆鈥檚 contribution to the program is not about giving the students a ready-made model to take home, but to use the experience as a basis for contemplation about their life, and to help them make decisions.鈥�
This September, GLI will formally begin its collaboration with Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain, to advise on and execute a new doctoral program in Innovation Management at AGU. The partnership provides Boston College faculty and students the chance to interact and work with leading doctoral candidates and leaders from across the Gulf Cooperation Council States, according to organizers.
The agreement 鈥渉olds the distinction of being the first to launch in the GCC countries, an academic partnership focused on innovation,鈥� through high-level graduate education programs, according to the announcement of the partnership.
聽Said Mauro, 鈥淭his is an excellent opportunity for Boston College to increase its global reach and network, providing faculty with exciting new opportunities and global interaction for Boston College and Arabian Gulf University students alike.鈥�
The GLI鈥檚 role in the partnership is to provide leadership, advising, expertise, and faculty instruction in the areas of innovation and global development, as AGU develops a brand new course of study.
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