UCF, PMU, Federation of GCC Chambers to Sponsor Conference on Gulf Cooperation Council Region
The University of Central Florida’s Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), and the Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) Chambers of Commerce will host a conference, “GCC–USA Economic Forum: Reforms, Opportunities, and the GCC Youth,” Jan. 22-24, 2019, in Orlando. The conference’s opening gala and first sessions will be held at the Hyatt Regency- Orlando Airport. The closing session, which focuses primarily on youth in the GCC region, will be held at the UCF Student Union. The conference has recently been rescheduled from earlier in January.
UCF and PMU, which are handling the academic portions of the conference, are calling for papers from prospective participants on a range of topics, including:
- GCC economic diversification plans
- Resource management (water, agriculture and food, energy, environment)
- GCC education sector (education investments, growth of public and private educational institutions, producing a globally competitive workforce)
- Role of the GCC youth in economic development
- GCC youth and social change
- New economic sectors in the GCC (tourism, sports and entertainment sector)
- US-GCC educational cooperation (at student and institutional level, collaborative research, medical education)
- Models for sustainable GCC development (smart cities, urban landscape, infrastructure)
- Developing a space program
- Future of US-GCC relations
- Security cooperation in the GCC
Those who submit papers are welcome to participate as panelists at the conference. All accepted papers will be published in the online conference proceedings with a dedicated ISBN Number. We ask those interested to let conference organizers know in advance (see contact information below). Papers must be submitted by Monday, Dec. 17, 2018.
The conference will focus on reform plans being carried out in the six-nation GCC, which is comprised of Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; Kuwait; United Arab Emirates; Oman; and Qatar. For example, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 calls for decreasing dependence on oil, diversifying the economy, and increasing employment opportunities for citizens – particularly youth, which comprise a high percentage of the population. Similarly, other regional plans call for economic diversification, improving competitiveness, and creating new economic sectors.
The conference will feature GCC and American speakers, including UCF and PMU faculty, from a variety of academic and business fields. In a series of panels, coupled with special addresses, experts will highlight the design, implementation, and expected results of ongoing reforms, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and opportunities and challenges. The conference is designed to be interactive, and the audience will include students, faculty, and members of the business community.
For more information on submitting a paper, the conference, PMU, or the PMBF Program, please visit https://sciences.ucf.edu/pmbfprogram/ or contact Kinda Haddad at kinda.haddad@ucf.edu, or by calling 407-823-2510. A conference website is currently under construction.
Objective
It is hoped GCC reforms will further develop public service sectors such as health, education, recreation, tourism and infrastructure. Reforms are also creating new areas in which U.S. and GCC businesses, universities, institutions, and individuals can cooperate. The conference will permit educators, practitioners, students, and members of the business community to participate in an innovative and interdisciplinary discussion focusing on the impact of reforms, particularly on the sizable youth population.
About PMU
Established in 2006, PMU is a private, co-ed university in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. As a fast-growing, technology-driven institution of higher learning, PMU has adopted a highly innovative student-centered approach to education, which offers students a chance to develop skills they will need for tomorrow’s workforce. With state-of-the-art facilities, PMU has four colleges including Engineering, Information Technology, Business Administration, and Sciences & Human Studies. For more information, please go to https://www.pmu.edu.sa/.
About PMBF
UCF and PMU have a longstanding partnership, embodied by the PMBF Program. Established in 2012, the Program sponsors or co-sponsors public presentations by distinguished scholars and practitioners, student fellowships, and research activities. The Program is housed in the UCF College of Sciences. For more information, please go to https://sciences.ucf.edu/pmbfprogram/about/.
Credentials of Conference
- Conference Dates: Jan. 22-24, 2019
- Abstract/Full Paper Submission Deadline: Dec. 17, 2018
- Acceptance/Rejection Notification: Within seven days of receipt of manuscript
- Conference Venue: University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida U.S.
- Medium: English (Only)
- Email for Paper Submission and Queries: conf@pmu.edu.sa / kinda.haddad@ucf.edu
Program
To be announced later