Driving a scientific renaissance in the MENA region Hult Blog

The Arab world is commonly accepted as having been the global leader of science during the Middle Ages. Islamic Science drove advances in medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry. It paved the way for Europe’s and the West’s scientific revolution. Nothing in Europe could hold a candle to what was going on in the Islamic world until about 1600, notes Dr. Jamil Ragep, professor of Science History at The University of Oklahoma in an interview with the New York Times. The Golden Age of Islam – explained in 10 minutes Physicist Jim al-Khalili traces the roots of our understanding of light and optics back to the Golden Age Why the Arab world turned away from Science is not a simple question to answer. But a 2015 UNESCO Science Report cites political turmoil as a leading reason why scientific research remains undervalued in the Middle East and North Africa. UNESCO report contributor Nazar Hassan notes that scientific success is needed in the region for economic prosperity as well as to attract native talent back to the region. Hult Executive MBA makes science his business Hult London Executive MBA alumnus and Egyptian National Omar Sakr is leading the charge to democratize scientific research across the MENA region. Omar, who holds a PhD. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Geneva, recognized the need to attract native scientific talent back to the region. â€Å"Egypt and the MEA region are known more for e-commerce and finance ventures, while science is not a major industry where I come from† he says. â€Å"Many of my fellow scientists wanted to return home to the region after their studies but were unable to due to the lack of cutting edge research facilities.† For years, Omar explains, research remained captive in poorly equipped labs and seldom outsourced to Europe, leading to low-quality results. So he decided it was time to step in. Democratizing scientific research across the MENA region Omar’s company, Nawah Scientific, makes innovation accessible to those in and around Egypt through its high quality online research laboratory service. Over the last four years they’ve analyzed more than 20,000 samples across nine countries, including for 32 universities. And now with 1M USD investment, Omar is focused on expanding his lab service and putting the MENA region on the map for biotech and life science innovation. Omar and the team at Nawah Scientific. Online lab services The process is incredibly simple. The test is set up via Nawah Scientific’s website. A courier collects the sample from the client. Nawah’s team carries out the analysis and then posts the results in the online portal. â€Å"It’s like a shopping experience. And it works like magic.† Alternatively, scientists can choose to rent the equipment and carry out the research themselves. A member of the Nawah Scientific team analyzes some lab results. Breaking out of academia Omar joined Hult in the fall of 2015 with a purely academic background. â€Å"I had zero business skills. Until then I had spent all my time in the lab. I had no finance or accounting or managerial experience. And now just a year after graduation we’re expanding rapidly, opening new hubs in the Gulf area and North Africa, tripling revenues year-on-year, and expecting to raise ~$5M by mid-2020.† Omar honed his soft skills through Hult’s leadership and management courses. He got up-to-speed on business management through electives in operations, team management, and psychology. â€Å"I learned some great ways to optimize efficiency. I remember my very first lecture at Hult: it was all about the perception of feedback. We didn’t understand it at first. But ultimately we learned that feedback is not something that should affect your ego. This was a great lesson in becoming coachable. And investors love that. I learned to listen more and argue less. Even recently I received some feedback that I’m very coachable and I can attest this quality directly to that first lesson I had at Hult. At the end of the day, feedback can be irrelevant or relevant. Keep your ears and your heart open and decide for yourself. Omar pitching his concept to investors The value of real-world practice Omar launched the company a few months before starting the part-time  Executive MBA. He made the most of Hult’s practical curriculum, focusing on his startup at every opportunity. â€Å"I leveraged class power and group power to help me from every angle. I approached every challenge with my work and my startup in mind. The collaboration at Hult is second to none. My fellow students were very high caliber CEOs, VPs, entrepreneurs from all different backgrounds and industries. And rotating to Hult’s other global campuses means you gain even more insight. I was constantly exposed to different mindsets.† Omars Executive MBA graduation day Achieving buy-in Omar had a job to do convincing investors that the Middle East was a viable market for such a business venture. â€Å"Our biggest challenge was that investors didn’t really believe that science could flourish in the Middle East. We were initially refused seed capital. I started crowdfunding through friends and family so that I could produce the numbers to prove that it was a viable business idea. Having an Executive MBA on my resume really helped.† Nawah Scientific now have VCs on board from both the U.S. and Egypt as well as angel investors. â€Å"We also won the biggest competition in the Middle East RiseUp 2017. 5,000 attendees from across the MENA region. 120 startups competed and we won the first prize of $50,000.† Omar and team collecting their $50,000 prize at RiseUp 2017. Reinvesting in the region Omar aims to build a chain of high tech centers of excellence in scientific research across the Middle East and Africa. â€Å"If the region has this then science will become transformed into products. This is currently lacking in the region. We will create transformative ecosystems and push them to the market through scientific research.† _____________________________________________________________ Ready for the next level but dont want to quit your job? Download a brochure and discover Hults uniquely flexible Executive MBA. Mel Cloney Mel is a staff blogger working in London, and is passionate about the Hult journey. Her writing focuses on faculty, academics, and student and alumni experiences. She’s a food, scuba, and running junkie with a penchant for all things French. Related posts Academics Beyond (narrow) business concepts: â€Å"Soft† skills turn out to be critical skills News Building success: Dual Degree students win at USASBE Community How going beyond business at Hult helped me launch my company Admissions Accepted Students Weekend: A weekend to remember Careers Career mapping: How to become an executive in the next 5 years 0 Thought leadership How to prepare for an uncertain future in a world of AI Instagram Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .