The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council Thursday, 25 January 2007

Transcription

1 2nd Forum Event Executive MBA University of Zurich The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council Thursday, 25 January 2007 Zurich Development Center / University of Zurich Auditorium Main event partner Event partner Media partner

2 Forum Executive MBA University of Zurich The Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich organizes a forum on current economic topics once a year. Professors from universities at home and abroad and guest speakers from commerce and administration guarantee a bridge both between practice and science and between local companies and international groups, and give extensive insights into the topic concerned. The event is divided into a closed seminar and a public panel discussion in the Auditorium of the University of Zurich. The seminar is mainly addressed to board members, managing directors and CEOs, members of administrative and executive boards and persons responsible for lines and staff. Admission to the public panel discussion is free. 2nd Forum 2007: The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council The Middle East refers to a cultural area, which means there are no precisely defined borders. The most common and highly arbitrary definition includes the countries of Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The Middle East sees itself confronted at present with several problems which have to be solved urgently: the Palestine-Israeli conflict and the lasting unrest in Iraq are, alongside the poverty, the overpopulation, the shortage of water, and radical Islam, just some of the problems which need a solution. A possible approach towards the solution of this state of affairs could be closer cooperation between the countries. The Arab League, consisting of 22 national states, originally pursued this goal, however, the countries have only very seldom managed in the past years to agree on a common line. Considering the deeply split Arab region, it is all the more astonishing that economic and political cooperation through the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) has managed to provide sustained stability. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the main forces in this region. This is reflected in the seemingly unlimited economic growth of these countries and their political stability, which are decisive factors in attracting a substantial flow of investments from the Western world. It is no wonder, then, that crude oil now

3 accounts for only a minor part of the gross domestic product of these two countries. A large part of the added value arises today as a result of western investment, from the trade and services sectors and from traditional industry. The second forum of the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich is intended to give the participants an estimation of the present situation in the Middle East with focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council in an overall economic context and an understanding of the internal and external mechanisms which are at work there. The following learning targets are in the forefront: _ understanding the economic, legal, political, social and cultural framework conditions of the Gulf Cooperation Council in an entire context _ recognizing the success factors for activities in the Gulf Cooperation Council _ understanding the significance of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Swiss enterprises from the viewpoint of various sectors and vice versa _ an assessment of the chances and risks of investments in the Gulf Cooperation Council Within the framework of this forum on the topic The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council distinguished experts will draw attention to the opportunities and risks of operating in the Middle East and, especially, in the countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Concrete examples from the field will also be given and the experts will be available to take your questions.

4 Thursday, 25 January 2007 The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council Program Seminar Event, Zurich Development Center Arrival, forum documentation handed out Coffee, tea and rolls Prof. Andrea Schenker-Wicki Director, Executive MBA University of Zurich Welcoming remarks Dr. François Barras Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, former Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates History, culture, society and politics an introduction to the Middle East Christian Watts Executive Director, Osec Business Network Switzerland Gulf Cooperation Council an emerging economic hub Break Prof. Ulrich W. Suter Professor for Macromolecular Chemistry, ETH Zurich Knowledge transfer between Switzerland and Gulf Cooperation Council at the university level Discussion /questions Lunch Dr. Christoph Lindenmeyer Member of the Management Committee, President Eastern Europe/ Middle East / India /Africa, Schindler Group Case study Schindler Group How to establish a strong and sustainable position in the booming Middle East Floris Ansingh Former President Shell Companies in Saudi Arabia and Shell Country Chairman of Saudi Arabia until 2005 Case study Shell a globally active company with business operations in the Middle East

5 15.00 Break Michael Philipp CEO, Credit Suisse Europe, Middle East and Africa Case study Credit Suisse Middle East as a growth opportunity Discussion Transfer to Aula Podium Event, Aula University of Zurich (reserved seats for seminar participants) Doors open Prof. Andrea Schenker-Wicki Director, Executive MBA University of Zurich Welcoming remarks Exc. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, inquired Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE Introductory speech Erich Gysling Publicist, Swiss television journalist The Middle East region on the rise Podium discussion (Moderation: Erich Gysling) _ Exc. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, inquired Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE _ Dr. François Barras Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon _ Tobias Levey CEO and a Member of the Board of the Zurich Orient Foundation _ Michael Philipp CEO, Credit Suisse Europe, Middle East and Africa _ Prof. Reinhard Schulze Professor for Islamic Studies, University of Berne Finger food Foyer West, University of Zurich The program is subject to modification.

6 Guest Speakers Floris Ansingh was President of Shell Companies in Saudi Arabia and Shell Country Chairman of Saudi Arabia from 1995 to Floris Ansingh spent 34 years working for Shell in various positions and in different regions of the world. He worked in South America, Africa, the Middle East and at company headquarters in Holland before assuming the position of President of Shell Companies in Saudi Arabia. François Barras was appointed the Swiss Ambassador to the Republic of Lebanon in He served as the Swiss Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 1999 to From September 2003 until his appointment as the Ambassador to Lebanon he was the Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong and Macao. François Barras graduated from the University of Geneva with a degree in law and subsequently obtained a Ph. D. in legal anthropology from the University of London. Erich Gysling studied cultural history in Vienna. He spent 25 years working for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, where he held various positions, including editor-in-chief, commentator and director of the news programs Tagesschau and Rundschau. From 1972 to 1982 he was chief of the foreign editorial staff of the Weltwoche weekly. While pursuing his career in journalism Erich Gysling also completed an Arabic studies program and authored three books on the Arab world. Erich Gysling hosts the Swiss television program Standpunkte and is also an active publicist and moderator. Tobias Levey is the CEO and a Member of the Board of the Zurich Orient Foundation (ZOF), a partnership of the leading research and life-science based institutions of Zurich, including ETH Zurich, The University of Zurich, the Canton of Zurich, HBM Partners and the Global Medical Forum Foundation, for the promotion of their interests in the Middle East. In 2000, Mr Levey co-founded the Global Medical Forum Foundation. He is also a director of Sahari Infrastructure in Dubai and of Bio City Development Company, the developer of the largest life science cluster in China, Shanghai Bio City. He completed degrees at Duke University and at the Sorbonne in Comparative Languages was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Delhi, India. He worked previously at General Electric Medical Systems in Paris, France. Dr. Christoph Lindenmeyer became a member of the Management Committee of Schindler Group on March 1, 2003, with responsibility for the EMIA region (Eastern Europe / Middle East /India/Africa).

7 He joined the Schindler Group in 1983 as Deputy Head of Corporate Planning. Since then he has held various managerial functions within the Group including CEO North America, Head of Field Operations Germany, and CEO of Schindler Elevator Ltd. Switzerland. Christoph Lindenmeyer is a licensed attorney and holds a Doctor of Law degree from Berne University as well as an MBA from INSEAD. Michael Philipp is CEO of Credit Suisse Europe, Middle East & Africa, based in London. He is a member of the Executive Board of Credit Suisse. Mr Philipp was previously with Deutsche Bank from He was elected to the Board of Managing Directors at Deutsche Bank in 2000, and was also given responsibility for Deutsche s business in the Middle East and South Africa. Mr Philipp is also on the Advisory Board of the Dubai International Financial Center and a Board member of the Dubai International Financial Exchange. Prof. Reinhard Schulze has been Professor of Islamic Studies and Modern and Contemporary Oriental Philology at the University of Berne since He has also been the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Berne since His research activity centers on the social and cultural history of the contemporary and modern Islamic world as well as on contemporary Islamic political cultures. Prof. Ulrich W. Suter is a professor of macromolecular chemistry at the Institute of Polymers of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He was a member of the management board of ETH Zurich from 2001 to 2005, serving as Vice President of Research. Professor Ulrich W. Suter is a co-founder of the Zurich Orient Foundation (ZOF) and served as its president from 2003 to Professor Suter was awarded the ETH Silver Medal and is also the recipient of the 1974 Kern Award, the 2002 Paul J. Flory Education Award and the 2003 Standinger-Durrer Medal. Christian Watts is Executive Director of the division Network and Communications at Osec Business Network Switzerland. One of his priorities is to further develop strategic initiatives among the various stakeholders within the Business Network Switzerland with the goal of further integrating their activities such as trade promotion, investment promotion, marketing and business location promotion. Originally from Zurich, he has lived and studied in Cairo, New Delhi, Sydney, Berne and Geneva where he earned a Masters Degree in International Relations from the Graduate Institute for International Studies (IUHEI).

8 Registration You can register for the Forum The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council by completing the registration form below or online at / forum. The registration deadline is January 10, Only a limited number of persons may attend. Costs The attendance fee for the closed part of the forum, including all documentation, lunch and refreshments is CHF Persons registering before November 30, 2006 (date of postmark) can take advantage of the reduced early registration fee of CHF Alumni and current participants of the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich are offered a reduced fee of CHF 950. Location and dates Closed seminar Thursday, January 25, 2007, 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., Zurich Development Center, Keltenstrasse 48, 8044 Zurich, telephone +41 (0) , telefax +41 (0) Free parking spaces are available for attendees. Public podium discussion Thursday, January 25, 2007, 5.15 to 7.40 p.m., followed by refreshments, Aula University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich Eligibility requirements The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council Forum is directed at business leaders and CEOs, members of supervisory and executive boards, line managers and persons with responsibilities in the Middle East region. The attendance fee for the Forum event is due upon receipt of invoice. You will receive written confirmation of your registration after it has been processed. Any cancellations must be made in writing and no charge will be due up to 30 days before the event, after which half of the attendance fee will be due. The entire attendance fee is due in the event of non-attendance or cancellation on the day of the event. Contact If you have any questions concerning this Forum event, please contact Manuela Schürch, telephone +41 (0) or manuela.schuerch@emba.unizh.ch. The Forum program is subject to change without notice.

9 Yes, I want to attend the Forum Event on The Middle East and the booming Gulf Cooperation Council on January 25, 2007 at a cost of CHF Persons registering before November 30, 2006 (date of postmark) can take advantage of the early registration fee of CHF Alumni /current participants of the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich qualify for the reduced fee of CHF 950. I cannot attend this Forum but would like to receive information about the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich and other Forum events. Correspondence address: Home address Business address Billing address: Home address Business address How did you find out about the Forum event of the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich? Printed media Friends Internet Employer Other Please send me a complete set of documentation on the Executive MBA Program of the University of Zurich. Ms Mr Title Last name Company First name Position Address P.O. Box Post code City Country Telephone (home) Telephone (work) Mobile Date, Signature

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