Students participate in an international conference

The Conference, organized by Women's Education Worldwide (WEW), hosted more than 70 undergraduate students from 17 countries and 32 women's colleges.

Afra Matar Khamis and Afra Naseib attended the four-day conference exploring and challenging their views of women as leaders and their potential contribution to a global society.

Among other engaging conference activities, DWC students listened to keynote presenter, Elizabeth Cole, Professor of Women's Studies and Psychology Department at the University of Michigan, who offered a multi-media presentation on global concepts of feminism and the role of women as leaders in societies around the globe.

The conference included four tracks of workshops including Women in Leadership, Leadership Skill Building, Institutional Exchange, and Fueling the Leader.

"I was overwhelmed with the loads of information I had to process during the conference. It was a fantastic opportunity as it really helped me see others' views and the great potential I have in making a much needed difference to my local society and to a global society,"

said Afra Naseib.

Both DWC students were sponsored by the Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai to participate in this unique opportunity.

"In all markets Standard Chartered operates in, our staff are predominantly local nationals. By offering international exposure we are committed to developing world class professionals in both domestic and international markets," noted Shayne Nelson, Regional CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Middle East and North Africa.

"The UAE is an important part of the Bank's network and we bring the same enthusiasm of support and commitment here. The success of our Emiratisation programs can be seen through the many awards we have won and for having consistently met our Emiratisation targets. Involvement with DWC is just one way for us to help foster the development of local talent," he added.

Standard Chartered's Emiratisation Manager, Bureir Amry, works closely with a number of other institutions including the Emirates Institute of Banking & Finance in Sharjah (EIBFS), Tanmia and the Higher Colleges of Technology to investigate other forms of sponsorships, internships and events the Bank can become more closely involved with.