DePaul University, in partnership with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), will hold its first commencement ceremony in the Middle East Jan. 28 when it awards diplomas to 24 students who have completed DePaul’s Master’s of Business Administration program in Bahrain. His Excellency Abdulla Hassan Saif, minister of Finance & National Economy of Bahrain, will deliver the commencement address.

The first graduating class is composed of participants from Bahrain’s government ministries and the Court of the Crown Prince, employees of the Bahrain Stock Exchange and numerous financial institutions, as well as business owners. “This is a historic occasion for the Kingdom of Bahrain, and we at the BIBF are proud and pleased to have had a role in delivering a top quality MBA program to Bahrain,” said P. James Abernathy, BIBF director. “These participants are the kingdom’s future business executives and government leaders, and the country, itself, will benefit from the knowledge, expertise and experience they’ve gained through the program. These individuals have demonstrated a clear ability to learn, compete and function at the global level, and this is a powerful addition to the capabilities and human potential of the Kingdom. We are extremely appreciative of the healthy strategic partnership that we share with DePaul, and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

The Rev. John P. Minogue, C.M., DePaul president, said, “DePaul is particularly blessed in the friendship we have developed with the people of Bahrain. The strong intellectual talent of the MBA students is a tribute to the vitality of Bahrain and its commitment to education. It has been a great pleasure for DePaul to play a small role in strengthening the intellectual capital of the country.

“I am particularly touched by the trust the royal family, the Minister of Finance and Governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency have placed in DePaul and its faculty to partner with them in preparing the men and women of Bahrain for future success,” Minogue said.

DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and the BIBF launched the 16-course Bahrain MBA program in September of 2001. A series of DePaul professors have traveled to the Middle East nation to teach each course. The curriculum focuses on marketing and management, combining core MBA classes with classes in e-business strategies, entrepreneurship, corporate finance and marketing research. Among the program’s current students is Fahad Al Khalifa, a member of the Bahrain prime minister’s court, who was recently appointed by the King of Bahrain to the country’s newly established parliament.

The graduation ceremony in Bahrain marks the second time Saif has been a DePaul commencement speaker. He delivered the keynote address and received an honorary degree from DePaul’s College of Commerce at the college’s commencement in Chicago in June of 2002.

“This educational partnership not only helps Bahrain expand its technological expertise and entrepreneurial mindset, but it also provides DePaul’s professors an opportunity learn more about Middle Eastern business practices — first-hand knowledge they can use in their international business courses in Chicago,” said Roger Baran, director of DePaul’s Asian and Middle East MBA programs.

Located in Chicago, DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business enrolls 2,498 students and is among the largest accredited business schools in the world. The school’s part-time MBA program is ranked fourth in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to Bahrain, DePaul has MBA programs in Hong Kong and the Czech Republic. The BIBF is a leader in continuing executive education in the Arabian Gulf. The institute offers a wide range of banking, finance, insurance, management, marketing and information technology courses to assist participants in their professional development. Course curriculum is designed to meet a broad spectrum of training needs, from entry level through intermediate and advanced professional levels for more experienced, senior managers.

Editor’s Note: Media Contacts at the BIBF are: Muneer Saeed, e-mail: muneer@bibf.com, phone: (973)824427, and Mohammed Al Khozai, e-mail: malkhozai@bibf.com, phone: (973) 824422.