Calvin News

Calvin College will host an honored guest on March 30 as part of a press conference and sneak preview of the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibition.

Karim Kawar is Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico.

He will speak at Calvin College both at the 9:30 a.m. press conference on March 30 and in a 3:30 p.m. talk that day in the Meeter Center Lecture Hall at Calvin that is free and open to all.

His afternoon talk will address Jordan's role in today's Middle East, its relations with the United States, its perspective on the developments unfolding, and Jordan's efforts in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the region today and in the future.

Kawar was appointed Ambassador in July 2002 and is one of the youngest of Jordan's Ambassadors. He has a well-established reputation as a prominent leader in developing Jordan's Information and Communications Technology sector, and is dedicated to advancing US-Jordanian relations through enhanced economic and cultural exchanges. Kawar also aims to promote Jordan as a high-tech center in the Middle East and an investment hub.

Kawar grew up in Amman, Jordan and graduated from Boston College in 1987 with a B.Sc. in management, finance and computer science. At the age of 20, Kawar established his first company and headed an umbrella group that encompassed 10 information systems and software companies.

In 1999 Kawar was appointed to the Economic Consultative Council by His Majesty King Abdullah II. The Economic Consultative Council was the first 21-member body that included public and private sector leaders established to advise the Monarch on economic issues.

He is a founding member of several business associations and NGOs among which are the Jordan American Business Association (JABA), the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA) and the Jordanian Intellectual Property Association (JIPA).

Kawar is married has one son and two daughters.