Press Releases

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Al-Hashel, Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Banking Studies (IBS), announced that the IBS will work with Harvard Business School for the tenth year in a row to present an executive education program for banking and finance executives in the GCC region, during January 26 – 31, 2019.

The Governor pointed out that the program is one of the strategic developmental projects organized by the IBS. The program, said the Governor, aims to upgrade the skills of the Kuwait and GCC national workforce, of which executives comprise the key component. He mentioned that the program was conducted for the first time in 2010 as an exclusive event for the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti banks. After the tremendous success of that first program and with the Harvard Business School showing interest in taking the program to the GCC level, the program continued to be run on an annual basis since then, alternately in one of the GCC states. In 2018, the program was conducted in Dubai - UAE, whereas in 2019 it will be held in Kuwait.

The Governor pointed out that communication with Harvard Business School started in 2009 to organize the school's first custom program in the GCC region. The Governor affirmed that the Harvard Business School is very selective in conducting custom programs, especially those beyond its campus in Boston, USA. The School's desire to continue to work with IBS, Kuwait on these projects is an indication of the success of this collaboration.

The Governor explained that the title of the forthcoming 2019 program is “Leading Strategy Execution in Financial Services”, and it consists of two integrated themes: 'Strategic Management' and 'Leadership' and will be held during January 26 – 31, 2019 for six consecutive days. It is aimed at upper middle executives of levels such as department heads.

Dr. Al-Hashel affirmed that executive education programs held by Harvard Business School in the GCC region adhere to the School’s high standards thus ensuring that participants and their banks and organizations will be provided with the same quality of learning experience for which the school is so well known. At the end of the program, participants will receive a Harvard Business School certificate, verifying that they have completed the program.

The Governor elaborated that the world-famous Harvard Business School case studies will be the main learning tool in the program; these case studies are written by the school’s faculty and are used in numerous universities and executive development centers. Besides selecting banking and finance cases, the faculty has also chosen some that focus on other industries to diversify participants’ learning experience. In addition to that, participants carry out a number of interactive activities in groups throughout the duration of the program.

In conclusion, the Governor stressed that development of the talented and qualified nationals in the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti banks will remain a top strategic priority considering the role of executives in developing their organizations. He went on to explain that collaboration amongst the GCC countries in areas of common interest such as training and development has always been and will remain an item of top priority. He expressed his gratitude for members of the Kuwait and GCC Banking communities who have continued to support the Harvard Business School programs.