Nuqat's 'human capital' forum concludes

KUWAIT: A session is in progress at Nuqat’s ‘The Human Capital’ forum yesterday.

KUWAIT: Nuqat's 'The Human Capital' forum concluded yesterday at Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center, with talks of investing in creativity for a social impact. Businessman Mohammed Jaafar, CEO of Faith Capital, spoke about ethical business and how to maintain passion in the team and the family spirit by rewarding them with a percentage of the company's profits. "I call upon the owners of institutions to learn from successful global models in the field to maintain the spirit of teamwork. It is not wrong to copy the ways of others, and preserve the pride of Arab and Islamic identity," said Jaafar.

Designer Farah Al-Humaidhi said entrepreneurs should plan and work on diversifying sources of income from fields that fall under the umbrella of creativity, citing Martha Stewart and other local examples. The two lectures were followed by a panel discussion, conducted by EN-V, which tackled the appropriate conditions for civil organizations in the Arab world, which prepares them to research and engage in social work in order to influence decision-makers and bring about change.

This year's conference has focused on measuring the impact of innovation on society in Kuwait and neighboring regions to drive the economy, considering human development first after profit incentives. Entrepreneurs must bear in mind that material profit should not be the sole end.

On the cultural level, curator Munira Sayegh spoke about the emergence and development of the current cultural trend in the Gulf and the importance of critical thinking. She also presented a proposal on how to push the Arab world to build a structure that matches the identity of its societies to integrate with the world. This rapid development, on the other hand, leads to competition between institutions or cities to attract and retain talent, said Ahmed Taleb, regional partner of Interstate Craft Partners.

In a second panel discussion by HIKMA, participants stressed the importance of critical thinking for a sustainable future in the region. This was followed by a lecture in which Rana Al-Khalid, a co-founder and mentor of the Proteges, asked whether we should focus on a more developed sense of personality, and whether it is possible to integrate the desire for interdependence and independence. After that, three lectures were given by artist Manal Al-Dowayan, human development engineer Eman Rafay and assistant professor of music Dr Ghazi Al-Millifi.

By Athoob Al-Shuaibi