The Harvard Arab Alumni Association is organizing their 12th annual Harvard Arab World Conference (HAWC) 2017, which will be held at the Kempinski Dead Sea hotel in Jordan, on Saturday, March 11, 2017, and is open to both Harvard and non-Harvard affiliates.

The theme of this year’s HAWC will be “Building Tomorrow” and will explore initiatives across the region that are currently reshaping the face of the Arab world.

HAWC will feature several panels bringing together multi-disciplinary thought leaders to discuss the region’s future in terms of healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, policy making, and legislation.

The coference will address how citizens of the region can harness their collective power to drive positive change in society and how a rising generation of Arab youth can leverage current and emerging technologies to create  the change they want to see.

The event will also include a startup pitch competition to showcase and support regional startups, a free Harvard admission seminar for Jordanian high school students and graduate students, and a networking event for conference attendees.

The conference will also include a 'Civic Lab' which will showcase and discuss the most progressive digital engagement initiatives aiming to help citizens collaborate with governments for the betterment of their societies. Speakers at the Civic Lab include Hafez Ghanem, VP of the World Bank Group in MENA, Jennifer Colville, UNDP Head of Innovation Portfolio for the Arab States, and Jonathan Chang, Executive Director of Lien Centre for Social Innovation, among many others who will also be attending.

Find more information on the conference here. Purchase your tickets here.