Cambridge university hosts a Middle East retreat
The Judge Institute of Management, the University of Cambridge’s business school is to host The Middle East Executive Retreat 19 - 22 June 2001, a select and in-depth Cambridge-based business program geared towards high-ranking Middle East business and government policy-makers. The Retreat is the brainchild of Abdulla Baabood, Nick Hodge and Dave Pender, Cambridge University alumni and Directors of Intevents, an Oman and UK-based events company.
The 2001 program will tackle entrepreneurship, globalization, business innovation and e-commerce and their impact and relevance to the Middle East. Indeed, a number of prominent British Middle East business experts have joined Sir Paul in publicly endorsing the Retreat. Lord Prior, Chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce, who along with Sir Paul will be attending the Retreat said "the idea of the Cambridge Middle East Executive Retreat - where strategic issues can be examined in depth, and in complete privacy, away from the day-to-day pressures on Ministers and senior business people, is an excellent one. It is a model that is tried and tested in Western nations, and I am absolutely sure it will serve Arab interests with the same level of success." Jim Sillars, former Member of Parliament for 13 years as MP for South Ayrshire and then Glasgow Govan and Arab-British Chamber of Commerce colleague of Lord Prior's commented on the Cambridge Retreat by saying "meeting the challenges of the global economy and the internalization of technology, information, and trade pacts places a premium on strategic thinking. The Arab world, governments and business, face formidable challenges in the new economy and a changing world society. The calibre of people involved and the areas covered by the Cambridge Middle East Executive Retreat, is without doubt an excellent forum for Arab policy-makers to put on their thinking caps along with high quality international business experts and academics." Sir Roger Tomkys, Master of Pembroke College, former British Ambassador in Bahrain and Syria and contributor to the Retreat commented "that the Cambridge Retreat offers Middle East private and public sector representatives an opportunity to gather and discuss in an informal environment issues that are driving today's world."