On March 6th, the Pearl Initiative organised a lecture for 45 students in Kuwait, as part of our series of student presentations around the Gulf Region addressing the topics of ethics in business and anti-corruption. The lecture was held at Box Hill College, which was established in 2004, and is the only private institute catering exclusively to women’s higher education in Kuwait.

This lecture aimed to unite business leaders and students in a mutually beneficial exchange of information on how regional businesses operate using best practices in corporate governance. This lecture, as with previous lectures held by the Pearl Initiative, are a crucial component of our Anti-Corruption Best Practices programme, in which we aim to create dialogue and foster education to promote integrity in business activities across the Gulf Region.

The lecture was presented by Eman Al Awadi, Group Communications Officer at Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), which is Kuwait’s largest holdings company, and was established in 1975. Ms. Al Awadi spoke about ethics and integrity, and why both principles are integral to the smooth operation of a business. She briefed students on general anti-corruption measures in businesses, and detailed KIPCO’s specific anti-corruption and ethics practices. These include the establishment of a Transparency Forum, regular internal audits, the formation of a whistle-blower policy, and miscellaneous corporate governance reporting measures. Students were welcome to ask questions and discuss the contents of Ms. Al Awadi’s lecture as a means of critically engaging with the topics of ethics and integrity.

We would like to extend our gratitude to KIPCO for their commitment to business ethics, and for collaborating with us for the student lecture. We would also like to thank the staff, faculty, and students of Box Hill College for their time and engagement with our programme.