ShareBy Ghadeer Ghloum
KUWAIT: Sponsored by Kuwait Times and Zain, the National Leadership Institution (NLI) organized a two-day conference titled “Breaking Barriers” at Grand Hyatt Hotel. The conference is held to inspire attendees to follow their potential and motivate them to reach their targets. A number of carefully selected speakers were invited to inspire the audience, alongside panel discussions and a great opportunity for interacting with spirited individuals.
Calum ChaceDay one discussed the topic of Digital Transformation and Emerging Technology, led by cofounder of the billion-dollar brand Quest Nutrition Tom Bilyeu, who gave an inspirational speech on creating an unstoppable mindset, bestselling writer on artificial intelligence Calum Chace, who spoke about surviving artificial intelligence, and Dr Daniel Hulme, a leading expert in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and the metaverse, who spoke about data science for decision making. This in addition to a panel discussion moderated by assistant professor in electronic engineering Dr Mohammad Qasem.
Tarek Al-AwnDuring the conference, Kuwait Times spoke to Tarek Al-Awn, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National International Education and Training Company (NEST), the parent company of the National Leadership Institute (NLI) that organized the conference. “This conference was held to look towards a future built on technology and artificial intelligence.
It includes developing the leadership capabilities of the participants and thinking about the future, not just the present. The speakers we have invited are among the best in the world in terms of their expertise and success, so we are trying to make this experience fruitful for future generations,” Awn said.
Business Development Manager at NEST Aseel Al-Ruwaished explained to Kuwait Times that NLI is one of NEST’s branches, adding NLI is assisting people in Kuwait to make the technologies that Kuwait is investing in. The company has a large budget allocated for investing in tech-related companies in Europe and the United States, but to be eligible, you need to have the necessary skills. NLI serves as the training arm that is helping educate individuals on how to effectively utilize and stay updated with the latest technology trends.
“The main goal is to attract the latest advancements in technology and localize them in Kuwait and the region. This institute has focused on topics related to executive education in collaboration with major international institutions and prestigious universities such as London Business School and Harvard University School of Management, as well as professors and other groups and companies like Google Cloud, with whom we collaborate,” Mohammed Al-Khalifi, General
Director of the National Leaders Institute, told Kuwait Times.
“Therefore, the focus of this institute is a gateway to attract elite experiences in areas related to artificial intelligence and its application in leadership, as well
as the latest technological developments and how to leverage them in decision-making and creating a suitable work environment. This conference that we are attending now is the culmination of the work dedicated throughout the previous year, based on the success during the COVID-19 crisis, where we conducted two online conferences through livestreaming.
Due to the achievements that resulted at that time, we decided to organize an in-person conference, which received great interaction from the entities that had previously engaged with us in past years, such as Zain, one of the platinum sponsors that had a significant presence,” Khalifi said.
“Also, the quality of the speakers enriched the selected topics, and we witnessed positive reactions from the attendees, appreciating the selection of these carefully
chosen speakers. Some expressed interest in participating in specialized training programs, and we have already started receiving inquiries for collaboration and benefiting from the existing expertise,” he said.
“Furthermore, the participants were chosen based on the current local market and the prevailing trends in Kuwait and the region, as these topics have started to occupy the minds of leaders and decision-makers. Based on that, we began searching for individuals who can effectively convey their messages while having a reputable name that attracts the targeted group and segment as soon as it is mentioned. Therefore, we made sure that these personalities have a good way of inspiring and motivating others, making them suitable choices to join us in this conference,” Khalifi added.
