Finance and Budgeting

Asian universities are beginning to do what has long been practiced in the West: offer short courses specifically for women who are leaders in business and politics. While the business schools at Harvard, Oxford, Stanford and others have established courses for female executives, such offerings are just starting to make their mark in Asia. Last month, the University of Hong Kong held the first part of a course meant to prepare Asian women for the boardroom: The Women’s Directorship Program.

On May 7, 2013, USAID/Armenia, Yerevan State University (YSU) and Arizona State University (ASU) marked the official opening of the new Center for Gender and Leadership Studies at YSU.

Wafa Bani Mustafa had already won a seat in Jordan’s parliament. But as she prepared to run for reelection, she wanted to learn more about fundraising techniques, which are not widely used in the region. So last December, ahead of her campaign, she participated in an NDI training program on advanced campaign skills for experienced politicians from 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).