Earlier this year I had the privilege of being invited to present a lecture at the Kuwaiti Institute for Scientific Research KISR (counterpart to our CSIRO).
Unfortunately, due to illness, I could not prepare and reluctantly declined but still intended to travel and observe. Ultimately, I was given the OK to travel by my doctor and excitedly jumped on a plane bound for the gulf.
Whilst in Kuwait my colleagues from the Australian Computer Society, Dr Vivienne Conway, David Cook and I, lead a panel discussion at the Kuwaiti Information Technology Society (KITS) discussing ICT and the importance of professional organisations. We had many great conversations with passionate IT professionals and compared stories of how we apply ICT in Australia.
On another occasion, I was invited to present at the Public Authority for Advanced Education and Training on the topic of “preparing students for the jobs of the future”. During my time in the country, I met with the Australian Ambassador Jonathan Gilbert and Trade Commissioner Jack Hijjar, who invited us to watch the Socceroos play against Kuwait from the VIP area. Both the Ambassador and Trade Commissioner were impressed with the work we had done that they invited Vivienne, David and I to return to the gulf in 2019 for an Australian business road trip.
The trip will consist of a series of presentations in four countries, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Overall, my trip was enriching in so many ways. I made new friends, shared new experiences and explored the beautiful country of Kuwait.
– Eric Torres (Director of ITdynamics)
