Ahmad Sharaf delivers commencement speech to 400 MBA graduates at Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Delivering the commencement speech to 400 graduating MBA students at Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, in Durham, USA, Mr. Sharaf urged the students to seek positive change by leveraging the endless possibilities available to them in an increasingly connected and interdependent world.

Emphasizing the sweeping impact of their actions, Mr. Sharaf encouraged the students to develop themselves and their communities in a way that speaks to their ideals, their ethics and ambitions. In his speech, Mr. Sharaf said: "Every single one of you has a contribution to make and the contributions you make can benefit the world. You have the power, right now and in the years to come, to make change happen for better or for worse. For you, it's about getting out there every morning and getting it right - before someone else gets it wrong."

Sharing his own experiences, Mr. Sharaf's message to the students was to learn from the challenges and changes in emerging markets. Mr. Sharaf reminded them that today, more so than ever before, the private sector needs to rediscover its set of social responsibilities, make social investments, and improve the lives of its stakeholders. Mr. Sharaf spoke about his experiences in Dubai where the state and the private sector are working closely together to achieve a strategic vision of economic and environmental sustainability, in line with models of excellence and best practice.

"Tatweer and Dubai Holding have reinforced my belief that it is possible to pursue profit hand in hand with social progress. What consumes us in Dubai is ensuring that what we do today serves the needs of our people for generations to come - in education, healthcare and creating sustainable employment opportunities that inspire and challenge,"

Mr. Sharaf explained.

Talking about projects that exemplified this approach, Mr. Sharaf said, "Dubai Healthcare City is a unique model of a private-public partnership, with an entrepreneurial government and private sector jointly taking the lead in jump-starting investments in health care. While the government is providing the seed money to build the infrastructure, a 400-bed teaching hospital, and an integrated wellness center, the private sector is investing over 60% of the estimated $10bn total investment into DHCC."

Earlier, Blair Sheppard, Dean of Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, introduced Mr. Sharaf as the commencement speaker to the students. He said: "Given the nature of our world, there is no better candidate to speak to our graduating class than Mr. Sharaf."

Michael Hemmerich, Associate Dean for the Duke MBA added, "Mr. Sharaf is an ideal example of how we at Fuqua strive to produce global leaders of consequence. Mr. Sharaf's many activities in shaping the dynamic future of Dubai and its role in the world brings to our graduating students a fascinating perspective on the increasing global nature of business and the role of the individual in leading change."

One of the top business schools in the US, the Fuqua School of Business offers several innovative programs to the student community, ranging from full time MBA programs to Cross Continent and Global Executive programs.