Goldman Sachs Celebrates the Next Generation of World-Class Leaders

New York (USA) 21 July (PROTEXT/Businesswire) -

Best-selling author Cokie Roberts on the change in women's leadershiproles, U.S State Department's Director of Policy Planning

Dr. David Gordon, and Arab-Israeli community activist Amal Elsana

Alh'jooj address award-winning scholars from 22 countries at annualweek-long event

The Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Institute for International Educationgathered 75 outstanding college students selected from five continents fora remarkable week of high-level lectures, networking and leadershipworkshops.

Since its inception in 2000, the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program wasdesigned to identify and cultivate the next generation of world leadersthrough its annual Global Leadership Institute (GLI).

The program provides life and leadership lessons from leading political,philanthropic and business figures to the outstanding sophomore studentsthat the program gathers from across the globe. The theme of this year'sevent was globalization.

Stephanie Bell-Rose, Managing Director and President of the Goldman SachsFoundation said,"The Global Leaders Program is a vital one, we are proud tosupport initiatives like this and are hopeful the overall result will benothing short of a more peaceful and prosperous world."

Dina Powell, Managing Director and Global Head of the Office of CorporateEngagement at Goldman Sachs, and Dr. Allan Goodman, President of theInstitute of International Education, opened the Institute on Monday, July14, welcoming the 2008 global leaders who hail from 22 countries.

"It is our responsibility as a global community to foster these youngminds," said Dina Powell. "By investing in the leadership potential ofexceptional young people around the world, Goldman Sachs also hopes toinvest in the well-being of many people whose lives will be touched bytheir vision, skills and compassion."

Dr. Allan Goodman spoke of the remarkable journeys ahead of these studentsand reminded them that, as global citizens, they can learn a great dealfrom the global community and from the wide network of Goldman Sachs GlobalLeaders alumni worldwide.

The Ecuadorian Ambassador to the U.S., Luis Gallegos, was the openingspeaker of this year's event. A passionate advocate for Human Rights, theAmbassador was instrumental in the formation of the UN Convention on theRights of Persons with Disabilities. Ambassador Gallegos shared with theInstitute how he has, over the course of his diplomatic career, evolvedfrom being an idealist into a realist. The week progressed with remarks byjournalist and author Cokie Roberts, who shared insights about her careerand the challenges women still face in the workplace, and Jean-MarcCoicaud, Head of the United Nations University, who spoke about educationand leadership at the United Nations.

Goldman Sachs arranged an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the UnitedNations during which the GLI honorees lunched alongside UN Ambassadors andwere addressed by Ann Veneman, Director of UNICEF, who spoke on a range oftopics including how the world must first acknowledge its problems, likethe AIDS crisis, in order to fully address them. This was followed by atimely discussion on the state of 'New China' by the renowned author andWashington Post contributing editor John Pomfret, who spoke about China'slikely impact on the future of every country represented by the GlobalLeaders.

Several alumni of the program attended this year's event and shared theirpersonal stories of success. Their panel provoked dynamic discussions aboutthe program's long-running Social Entrepreneurship Fund which givesparticipants the opportunity to collaborate and apply for further fundingfrom the Goldman Sachs Foundation. American Andrew Cunningham (class of2006), Delhi-born Anurag Gupta (2004) and South African Kopano Matlwa(2005) all have established remarkable projects which leveraged the GoldmanSachs investments to produce broad social benefits for orphans of AIDsvictims in Thailand, literacy programs in Burma, and community medicalclinics in South Africa. The session proved to be an inspirationalopportunity highlighting how social entrepreneurship can use modestinvestments of capital to produce global and local change, if administeredwith imagination and perseverance.

The director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department, Dr. DavidGordon discussed effects of a rapidly globalizing world and reminded thestudents that "individuals have the power to shape solutions to some of theworld's most daunting challenges."

This year's GLI was hailed as "a celebration of talent, a celebration ofhard work, and a celebration of what it means to lead" by StephanieBell-Rose, who introduced the week's keynote, Amal Elsana Alh'jooj.

Ms. Elsana Alh'jooj is herself a remarkable example of the leadershipideals that form the founding principles of the Goldman Sachs GlobalLeaders Institute. She is one of the key shapers of public opinion in theArab community in Israel. She began her career as a community organizer atage 14, and at the age of 17 established the first Arab Bedouin woman'sorganization. She used the leadership template that forms the framework ofthis initiative to speak on the issues faced by minorities in Israel sayingthat in order to succeed we need not to be the victims of circumstance andthat the key to moving forward was building the self-esteem of thecommunity-at-large.

Speaking to the 22 nations represented at this year's Global LeadersInstitute, the Arab-Israeli encouraged those present to "believe inthemselves, be part of the solution, work hard to promote change and alwaysask questions."

About the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program

Nine hundred students from around the world have been named as GoldmanSachs Global Leaders since the program began in 2000. The Global Leadershave built an extensive alumni network and, with modest seed funding fromthe program's Social Entrepreneurship Fund, have joined forces to launchinnovative social ventures. Funded projects to date have assisted with thecreation of a community school in India, stopping the spread of malaria inAfrica, and providing scholarships for children orphaned by AIDS inThailand.

About The Goldman Sachs Foundation

The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization thatwas funded in 1999 with a $200 million donation from The Goldman SachsGroup, Inc. The Foundation's mission is to promote excellence andinnovation in education worldwide. The Foundation is an important extensionof the tradition of philanthropy and public leadership at Goldman Sachs.Grants have been awarded in excess of $114 million since its inception,providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries. TheFoundation awarded a $5 million grant to the Institute of InternationalEducation in 2007 to continue to build the program. Visit the Foundation'swebsite at http://www.gs.com/foundation.

About the Institute of International Education

The Institute of International Education administers the Goldman SachsGlobal Leaders Program in partnership with The Goldman Sachs Foundation.IIE is a leading nonprofit organization specializing in the internationalexchange of people and ideas. Its expertise enables institutions andindividuals to build capacity in their home countries and regions. IIEdesigns and implements over 200 programs of study and training forstudents, educators, young professionals, and trainees from all sectorswith funding from government and private sources.

These programs include the Fulbright Student and Scholar programs and theHumphrey Fellowships, administered on behalf of the U.S.

Department of State, as well as corporate- and foundation-fundedscholarships and training programs. IIE also conducts policy research andprovides advice and counseling on international educational opportunities.The Institute of International Education has a network of 20 officesworldwide, over 900 college and university members, and more than 5,000volunteers. http://www.iie.org

CONTACT:

Press:

Brown Lloyd James

Andrew Kirk

Tel.: +1 212-486-7070 / 646-250-1114

E-mail: AndrewK@brownlloydjames.com

or

Goldman Sachs

Gia Moron

Tel.: +1 212-902-4307

E-mail: gia.moron@gs.com

or

IIE

Mary McBride

Tel.: +1 718-813-1373

Tel.: +1 212-984-5462

E-mail: MMcBride@iie.org

SOURCE: Goldman, Sachs & Co.

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