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Education Consortium, Kuwait City, Kuwait

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2012, Click to Enter The 2014 American Business Awards

Company: Education Consortium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Entry Submitted By: Awards Intelligence
Company Description: Dr Hanan Al-Mutawa is the Founder and Chair of the Education Consortium launched in January 2014. The consortium works with schools, institutes and universities in the public and private sector in Kuwait and the wider Gulf region. Dr Al-Mutawa launched the service after 22 years as Chief Executive of the privately-run Education Group British International with more than 3,000 students.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Europe, the Middle East & Africa

Nomination Title: Dr Hanan Al-Mutawa, Founder and Chair

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Dr Hanan Al-Mutawa has raised the bar on educational provision by delivering an outstanding learning experience to generations of children in Kuwait for 23 years.

After 22 years as the Chief Executive of privately-run British International (BI) which has six main educational divisions, Dr Al-Mutawa’s entrepreneurial fire has led her to establish the first education consultancy in Kuwait, the Education Consortium (EC).

Major projects she is spearheading are:

- Opening a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped special needs school in Kuwait.
- Establishing a new inclusive kindergarten in an area previously lacking in facilities for pre-school children.
- Providing support and advice to a joint venture running schools in London, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain with another planned in Malaysia.
- Preparing to build a new secondary school in Kuwait with further plans for the Emirate's first independent British university.

The rapid expansion of services follows the success of BI which has earned a reputation as Kuwait’s premier provider of academic, artistic, sporting and vocational training since its first service, the Sunshine Kindergarten, opened in 1978.

BI includes the:

• British School of Kuwait (BSK)
• Sunshine Kindergarten (TSK)
• British Institute of Vocational Training (BIVT)
• British Academy of International Arts (BAIA).
• British Academy of Sport (BAS)
• British International Media & Communication (BIMC)

Rebuilt following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990/91,BSK has experienced double-digit growth every year under the Dr Al-Mutawa's inspirational leadership.

What differentiates the BSK and EC from other education providers is their focus on British and world-class values and educational standards as they aim to offer a broad-based curriculum with internationally-recognised qualifications such as GCSE, A levels and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

Under Dr Al-Mutawa’s leadership, student numbers have risen 36% in the past 18 months to 3,000.

The school, which has students from a total of 77 nationalities, was rated “Outstanding” in its most recent official international assessment. In his report, the Ofsted inspector said: “BSK is well-led; leadership and management are excellent and strengths of the school.”

In GCSEs, the percentage of students achieving five A*-C grades has risen from 91% to 93%, while 47% of A level students attain A grade, up from 42% five years ago.

Always looking for her next challenge Dr Al-Mutawa co-founded the EC eight months ago with the aim of providing more and better services for a wider range of students in Kuwait and across the Gulf.

Concerned about the lack of provision for children with special needs, she has established Kuwait's first bespoke school for children and young people with disabilities and/or learning difficulties. Like the BSK, it offers many engaging extra-curricular activities including music and drama under the banner of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), plus design, sport and IT.

Plans are also well advanced for another kindergarten in an area of Kuwait City lacking in facilities and in addition Dr Al-Mutawa uses her position as the only individual from the private sector on Kuwait’s Supreme Council Education Council to try and improve educational outcomes across the whole country. In this role she is also leading the introduction of the outward bound Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme to schools and colleges.

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 125 words):

Dr Hanan Al-Mutawa is the Founder and Chair of the Education Consortium (EC), an organisation that works with schools, institutes and universities in the public and private sectors across Kuwait and the wider Gulf region.

Dr Al-Mutawa founded the EC after 22 years as CEO of the education group British International (BI) whose flagship organisation, the British School of Kuwait, has grown under her leadership from 300 to 3,000 students. A co-owner of BI, Dr Al-Mutawa remains on the board of the group.

A successful campaigner for women in parliament, Dr Al-Mutawa is also an Executive Board Member of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), the Kuwait Supreme Education Council (SEC by Amiri Decree) and the National Centre for Education Development (NCED, by Ministerial Decree).