November 4, 2005

Middle East and North African Entrepreneurs to meet in Bahrain
and Celebrate Launch of G8 Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence
The Beyster Institute at the RadySchool, UC San Diego Manages the Program

By Emily Meyertholen

The Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in Bahrain will host a two-day conference in Manama November 16 and 17, 2005, featuring practical business training and discussion of economic reform for 120 entrepreneurs from 16 countries and territories in the Middle East and North Africa. The conference program will provide advanced business training and networking for owners and executives of growth companies in the region.

Entrepreneurs attending the conference are graduates of the Middle East Entrepreneur Training in the U.S. (MEET U.S.) program, which is sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative and managed by the Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management, University of California , San Diego .

The Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence in Bahrain, a joint initiative of the G8 and the Government of Bahrain under the Broader Middle East and North Africa partnership initiative, will also be officially launched during the conference. The Center will serve as a region-wide catalyst for entrepreneurial activity, job creation and economic development, and economic reform.

U.S. Ambassador William T. Monroe will offer the keynote address at the conference on the morning of November 16. Participants at the conference will also hear from international resource organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Financial Service Volunteer Corps. Participants will be able to share lessons learned from running their own companies, will receive cutting-edge training in negotiation, business communication and time management, and will participate in workshops on business regulation, innovation, and financing.

In addition to implementing the full MEET U.S. program, the Beyster Institute at the Rady School is the lead consultant for the Center. Each of these activities is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative, of which more information can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov.

The Beyster Institute at the Rady School focuses on training, education and consulting to advance entrepreneurship and employee ownership as tools for building strong, high-performing enterprises worldwide. The Institute is involved in promoting entrepreneurship, policy advocacy and regional economic development. It also actively assists individual companies in creating or enhancing employee ownership and participation programs. The Beyster Institute serves as the key center for entrepreneurial thought and activity at the Rady School and is the only such university-based center to integrate both employee ownership and entrepreneurship.