Bahraini Youth

Dr. Keramat Poorsoltan (State Dept)

The Embassy, in cooperation with Tamkeen, hosted Fulbright Specialist Dr. Keramat Poorsoltan in Bahrain from May 15 to June 24.  During his visit, Dr. Poorsoltan conducted two, short-term classes for approximately 40 Bahraini youth focusing on entrepreneurship. 

For the first part of the class, students participated in a simulation in which they created virtual enterprises.  All students in the class were responsible for various aspects of the company, ranging from designing company logos, developing employee handbooks, establishing a board of directors, and creating a list of products and services.

During the second part of the class, students were asked to develop business plans for a new enterprise in Bahrain.  Tasks included conducting market surveys, interviewing professionals in the relevant sector, and developing a network of conducts.  Several of these small enterprises are now in various stages of development, and some have applied for start-up capital to implement their business plans.

The Fulbright Specialist Program promotes linkages between U.S. academics and professionals and their counterparts at universities and institutions abroad. The program is designed to award grants to qualified U.S. faculty and professionals to engage in short-term, collaborative projects for two to six weeks at institutions in over 100 countries worldwide.