SLP students take part in Global Village for Future Leaders

American University of Sharjah (AUS) students Omar Al Bastaki and Athbeh Al Shehhi attended the Global Village for Future Leaders of Business and Industry at Iacocca Institute in Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, during Summer 2014.

The five-week program provides students the opportunity to gain knowledge about leadership and entrepreneurship and introduces them to a powerful global network through courses, panel discussions, consulting projects and networking sessions. Experts within industry shared their success stories and offered guidance, and the students visited places such as the New York Stock Exchange, United Nations, the World Bank and The Pentagon. The program aims to increase knowledge of business and industry and teaches participants to enhance and apply leadership skills, develop entrepreneurial thought and action, build and nurture powerful global networks, develop and focus career path objectives and explore and leverage diverse environments.

Athbeh AlShehhi, an electrical engineering senior, said, "I learned and lived among a culturally diverse group of more than 100 people from more than 40 different countries. I learned how those diverse cultures could come together, both on a business and on a personal level. It was an enriching experience that helped me develop a perceptive view of our world today, its people, cultures and religions. I went into the program on my own, but I left knowing I have a home everywhere I go in the world."

Omar Al Bastaki, a business administration junior, said, "I went to the Global Village with certain goals but I came out fulfilling goals I didn't even know I had. The program helped me become a better-rounded person both professionally and personally."

Both students are active members of the Student Leadership Program (SLP) at AUS.

"We are confident that the Global Village is truly an excellent leadership development experience that focuses on motivating students and allows them to network with a diverse group of people. Students can testify that after completing the program they improved their business knowledge and cultural understanding. We encourage more students to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that the Student Leadership Program is offering," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Students Affairs.