July 30, 2012
KUNA - Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Kuwait Program at Harvard University, Dr. Mohammad AlSabah, emphasized the importance of the cooperation agreement signed between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Harvard University.
He stated that this agreement was recently renewed because "Harvard University has the greatest political influence on decision-making in the United States." It is not only Kuwait that funds research at Harvard but also funds training programs for Kuwaiti administrative personnel in both the government and private sectors.
Dr. Mohammad AlSabah told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday that the "historical relationship between Kuwait and Harvard University began in the mid-seventies when Kuwait endowed a chair to study the history of Islamic sciences at Harvard University."
He considered this relationship at that time to be "traditional because Kuwait was funding a research chair at this prestigious university."
He added, "However, at the beginning of the new millennium, in 2000, Kuwait decided that there should be a mutually beneficial relationship between it and one of the most important American universities globally, with the greatest political influence on decision-making in the United States. This relationship should be reciprocal, meaning that Kuwait not only funds research but also funds training programs for its administrative cadres in both the government and private sectors."
He pointed out that the agreement stipulated "the selection of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to develop training and research programs specializing in important topics for Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries."
He explained that these training programs relate to negotiation skills, conflict management, Gulf security, the Middle East region, economic development, and curriculum development.
He added, "Such diverse training programs are a significant and important opportunity, allowing Kuwaiti researchers and academics to directly interact with experts at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, who provide consultancy services to the US government. This is an important dimension because Kuwait now has a direct relationship with this type of American expertise."
He said, "For example, the economic development program at the Kennedy School has been significantly developed to enable Kuwaiti talents to implement Kuwait's development plan and translate it into tangible reality. This is the most important thing at this stage, which requires qualifying Kuwaiti cadres to carry out their responsibilities towards implementing the development plan."
This event was attended by Dr. Mohammad AlSabah, Kuwait's Ambassador to the United States Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber, the Director-General of the Foundation, Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin, Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, a member of the Kuwaiti-American Friendship Association, and Dr. Adel Al-Subaih, a member of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences from the Kuwaiti side, in addition to the President of Harvard University, Dr. Faust, the Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at the University, Dr. Lloyd, and Dr. Burns, the Director of the Kuwait Program at Harvard University.
Source: Al-Rai