tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186734792024-02-19T18:35:57.235+02:00Z i a d ' sMy days at StanfordZiad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-7982313943286194212008-03-18T19:28:00.010+02:002008-03-18T21:36:30.743+02:00Two Cities In the Making<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >What should we build for the future. Two cities are currently in the making that will last for the coming 15 years or so. Two multi-billion dollar investments to build cities the size of new york.<br /><br />The first is said to be built to international standards. It has a Villas district with beautiful big houses with private pools and close to large golf courses. It will have a fancy financial district with neighbouring parks and recreational centers. The city center will have pretty office buildings and big brand shops. Restaurants look like you are in metropolis Paris. And it will ofcourse have schools and branches of big universities.<br /><br />The second is said to be a new hub of education, technology, business, and culture. It will have an airport district, an IT district, a University district, and a Bio Tech district. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >It will be a green city that will use renewable sources of energy, wind, solar, and geothermal. It will also be a green city in the sense that it wil</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >l be also a city of parks and open green spaces.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >One of these cities will be in Egypt and the other will be in India.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Take a <span style="font-weight: bold;">few minutes</span> to look at these two short clips to see <span style="font-weight: bold;">how each country is shaping its future</span>. </span><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8a4iHE-Jy5Q&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8a4iHE-Jy5Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENXn9DDGxCk&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ENXn9DDGxCk&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-59873477846764590012008-03-18T09:29:00.004+02:002008-12-11T22:21:30.636+02:00The Band's Visit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwUosIYHbd6x3WAjiy5Q6Y4hModF8F6-10NjjRXZG85IlFzBEtzDkVDgh5YCrwIVFORf3gKMEPG7REl3s3ceyJvqUjNGZUQSFSqL8SywuAnXJCn5CCWn2a9k4G62fJccfidlq/s1600-h/postervisit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwUosIYHbd6x3WAjiy5Q6Y4hModF8F6-10NjjRXZG85IlFzBEtzDkVDgh5YCrwIVFORf3gKMEPG7REl3s3ceyJvqUjNGZUQSFSqL8SywuAnXJCn5CCWn2a9k4G62fJccfidlq/s320/postervisit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178982202036828786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">In low-tech theater in down town Palo Alto, i spent little less than a couple of hours with a couple of friends and a couple of their friends, watching an Israeli movie about an Egyptian Police music band lost in a remote town in Israel.<br /><br />Egyptian roles where played by Palestinian actors, who despite having trouble with the accent, looked very Egyptian (ta7ya el we7da el 3arabia).<br /><br />The movie was not heavy on politics, if saying that Israelis would very smoothly welcome Egyptians to their homes is not a political statement. </span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-80398730790786843222008-03-18T06:37:00.005+02:002008-03-18T06:56:51.707+02:00For a Better understanding of the state of the world<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is like discovering a treasure - that's what you get when you watch TEDTalks :). </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />Watch this jaw-dropping presentation by the brilliant <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hans Rosling</span> at TED and then enjoy a better understanding of how the world has been developing at </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.gapminder.com">www.gapminder.org</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.<br /><br />Make sure to check out the <a href="http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/presentations/human-development-trends-2005.html">Human Development Trends 2005</a> interactive presentation, and explore the world through their amazing <a href="http://tools.google.com/gapminder">trendalizer</a></span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>.<br /><br /><!--cut and paste--><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="VE_Player" align="middle" height="285" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/HANSROSLING-2007_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="wmode" value="window"><embed src="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf" flashvars="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/HANSROSLING-2007_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" scale="noscale" wmode="window" name="VE_Player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="285" width="432"></embed></object>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-75813816873035219862008-03-16T04:43:00.010+02:002008-03-16T09:15:56.344+02:00TEDTalks ... "More" choice is not necessarily better than "Some"<!--cut and paste--><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="320" height="285" id="VE_Player" align="middle"><param name="movie" value="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf"><PARAM NAME="FlashVars" VALUE="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/BARRYSCHWARTZ_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="scale" value="noscale"><param name="wmode" value="window"><embed src="http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/loader.swf" FlashVars="bgColor=FFFFFF&file=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/movies/BARRYSCHWARTZ_high.flv&autoPlay=false&fullscreenURL=http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html&forcePlay=false&logo=&allowFullscreen=true" quality="high" allowScriptAccess="always" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" scale="noscale" wmode="window" width="320" height="285" name="VE_Player" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-56505972719319328342008-03-08T18:00:00.004+02:002008-12-11T22:21:30.851+02:00Israel and the Electric Car<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJacp45LVqIj5vylDycri1uLw6-fUEorwDctDQOrunJVIvxlfy6ZAwGx1Amdc-Sx6AmM7Wn93HPoUOS36dHhOs7uwlebguTSD3J7S00DFyIfUqN9WprAAI3O6WE4vWiNJ_PM-r/s1600-h/shai.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJacp45LVqIj5vylDycri1uLw6-fUEorwDctDQOrunJVIvxlfy6ZAwGx1Amdc-Sx6AmM7Wn93HPoUOS36dHhOs7uwlebguTSD3J7S00DFyIfUqN9WprAAI3O6WE4vWiNJ_PM-r/s200/shai.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175406160726571570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">While everyone in the Middle East world is still fixed on oil, and maybe natural gas, as the sources of energy, everyone in the US is talking about alternative sources for energy and clean technology. The exception of course is Israel. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">In an economist article about how tech entrepreneurs are switching to green entrepreneurs, they highlighted Shai Agassi, 39, who was set to be SAP's next CEO but choose to start his own venture BetterPlace that focuses on Electric Cars.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The interesting thing, is that Shai has joined a partnership with Renault and his Israeli Government to bring electric cars to Israel aiming at a 100% gasoline free Israel. Shai has managed to secure $100 million of funding from Israel Corp. and the first car is expected to hit the streets by 2009 aiming at mass production by 2010. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It's interesting how both the Arabs and Israeli choose to react differently. The Arabs, finally knowing that oil will not be there for every for them to bank on it, started thinking of creating other industries like tourism, finance, and freight. Israel on the other decided to go after technological lead of the emerging forms of energy whether electric, wind, or solar. </span><br /><br /><br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-9750023459772455732008-03-08T17:23:00.008+02:002008-12-11T22:21:31.359+02:00Media Fuels Hartred "Both Ways"<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">When i met my American friend i told him i am angry at Egypt, Israel, and the US. He told me what has happened for that, and i told him that is exactly the problem. He doesn't know what has happened. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgLce8tvWKuhnCr1Qs6KG-S_i88ItBmEK6UdUwhsQ40u2Kv_FJIKIE1GmVk21fMMIJ2GMfcnwtfNEjoe4Rl3rRwKJDyIomw6pUpWA8kX5dBMHh8YhCZWQJBXtVn_1WlTUgu42/s1600-h/cnn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgLce8tvWKuhnCr1Qs6KG-S_i88ItBmEK6UdUwhsQ40u2Kv_FJIKIE1GmVk21fMMIJ2GMfcnwtfNEjoe4Rl3rRwKJDyIomw6pUpWA8kX5dBMHh8YhCZWQJBXtVn_1WlTUgu42/s320/cnn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175397338863745538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">While the Arab world is at </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">rage in response to the late Israeli attacks on Gaza and the killing of over 120 palestinians including children, women, and elderly. It was barely covered in the US media. I switched between Fox and CNN hoping I will see any coverage but there was none. On the other side, scores of famous singers were teaming up to, rightfully, express the grief and sense of humilation that arabs and muslims are feeling.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA7wZ2EedbeaE8zC5CFQ-nZjry5jfvLCXRCVxBaEvPMdZnZDrqPZNXY1JMSMwRLfXkGZRtOwqPxv8KJnMZXCaxL63dnmvZ4gvdK-mJMQzRnvEJbzg6pKXksBGUgyUg_CSyp2w/s1600-h/masry.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRA7wZ2EedbeaE8zC5CFQ-nZjry5jfvLCXRCVxBaEvPMdZnZDrqPZNXY1JMSMwRLfXkGZRtOwqPxv8KJnMZXCaxL63dnmvZ4gvdK-mJMQzRnvEJbzg6pKXksBGUgyUg_CSyp2w/s200/masry.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175397815605115426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">But on Thursday, as i was passing by upper arbuckle, our small launge at the GSB, i noticed some people standing next to the big LCD screens watching CNN's breaking news about the Jerusalem attacks on 8 Israeli students. This wasn't a one shot coverage, the CNN would switch to the breaking news quite frequently that day. I wasn't surprised when I overheard some of my classmates discussing the event. I turned to what i assume is a moderate newspaper to see what they are covering and shockingly i couldn't find any coverage on their main page.<br /><br />What a disconnect?! How can this do anything but ignite each side's hostile feelings and call for blind fury. Unless both sides can see the suffering of the other, there are almost no chances that this will come to an end.<br /><br /></span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-19065236575699994452008-03-01T20:26:00.002+02:002008-03-01T20:29:19.075+02:00Hahaha ... Crazy Soccer !!!!<object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n3eEpqLi-DU"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n3eEpqLi-DU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-91274807050383606382008-03-01T18:50:00.009+02:002008-12-11T22:21:31.622+02:00Why does each eye see the world differently?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-pkGCSKmEFUXlHjIH6ZDb6Y2tuBmVHvARKdvFMKuKkKH7WJehBKZ5A0pqoIUkQaccb7d1anu6v9VM5Kp35lxvYbmSSxEVn3lwoOyn9-D1P7Xsq5rIr8MxtoNaQlopc6lTg07/s1600-h/double.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-pkGCSKmEFUXlHjIH6ZDb6Y2tuBmVHvARKdvFMKuKkKH7WJehBKZ5A0pqoIUkQaccb7d1anu6v9VM5Kp35lxvYbmSSxEVn3lwoOyn9-D1P7Xsq5rIr8MxtoNaQlopc6lTg07/s400/double.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172827898509414034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you pick Abdullah from a coffee shop in Cairo or Akbar from a busy street in Kabul, and ask them how they feel about the Serbs vigerous opposition to Kosovo's independance, what will they say? Probably not very different than what they would have said a few years earlier about Russia's veroucious resistance to Chechnia's independance. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Now take that same Abduallah or that devot Akbar and ask them about how they feel about the American's advocation for Kurds independence in northern Iraq or the autonomy granted to Southern Sudan that could lead to independences. You won't be surprised to hear reference to conspiracy theories and western plans for a new middle east.<br /><br />But it is not just Adbuallah and Akbar that seem to have double standards depending on which side they are ...<br /><br />A couple of days ago I was listening to a podcast from BBC world's news. It was covering Turkey's invasion of northern Iraq in chase of Kurds. They were interviewing some foreign affairs person who in his comments said something along the lines of "Turkey has to realize that it many conflicts are better solved by diplomacy rather than military enforcement". This is someone talking about solving problems with "Iraq" through "Diplomacy" not "War". Now the question is which country do you think this person represents?<br /><br /></span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-13994582095764902022008-02-28T05:02:00.008+02:002008-12-11T22:21:31.879+02:00Cometitive Instinct + Smartness + Stamina<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZxLdrehNqpsbyBkIwKyePpSdbLJ1ZaRT2yhelx3n26eZS9FkVeVdmjGDMiylMrdah2vQ3Z1dunI5MpdXRWT3Dd2xTGjy1EKSQgRec0Hc4RoT7tX74vfV1M1QcJmAw3uKFcGH/s1600-h/bruce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZxLdrehNqpsbyBkIwKyePpSdbLJ1ZaRT2yhelx3n26eZS9FkVeVdmjGDMiylMrdah2vQ3Z1dunI5MpdXRWT3Dd2xTGjy1EKSQgRec0Hc4RoT7tX74vfV1M1QcJmAw3uKFcGH/s320/bruce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171863147700282706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yesterday we had <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bruce Dulnevie</span> in our Entrepreneurship & VC class. Bruce is one of the founding partners of Benchmark Capital, the VC firm behind companies like eBya, Palm, and AOL.<br /><br />When asked about what pattern he has seen in successful return his reply was: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Competitive instinct</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. Smartness - they give u the answer to ur question right away</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />3. Stamina - this is no easy trip</span> </span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-9831977283921184752008-02-27T09:30:00.004+02:002008-02-27T10:01:20.132+02:00Why not Start Over?<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >I am feeling there are certain things I would have enjoyed doing while I was here for the past 18 months, but for some reason or another I didn't end up doing them. Things like discussing whether Hijab's importance with that EE student from Iran, organizing that tennis over music day, bumping into this CS student with a pony tail that is a little short on social skills but VC's are giving $5 million, asking my intercontinental friends to come and get squeezed in my little living room to watch a French movie, or simply going up to the city more often and enjoying its more lively spirit.<br /><br />I have four months to go. They wouldn't seem little time. I could have just came for four months and would be pumped up to do the above and more. However, the fact that I've been here 18 months places some considerable inertia.<br /><br />So the challenge is to try to forget all about these 4 months and imagine I just set foot at the GSB. </span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-24791250596046017942008-01-20T19:59:00.001+02:002008-01-20T20:16:29.646+02:00Can Egypt Attract Health Tourism?<span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >It's a growing industry </span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >that in 2000 was estimated at more than $40 billion and was growing at 20%. It is</span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" > by countries like India, Thailand, South Africa, and Jordan. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Jordan attracted 126,000 patients generating more than $600,000. I am continuously impressed by what Jordanians are doing. <br /><br />Travelers come from different places for different reasons; from developed country like the US and the UK because of the high cost of health care or the long waiting lists; from underdeveloped countries seeking health services at their more developed neighbours; and from rich oil countries seeking best in class health treatment.<br /><br />My guess is that Egypt have some potential in this domain. I bet we have highly qualified doctors. We have lots of destinations in Egypt that can provide a haven for recovery. We do have the money to make the investments. What do we lack?<br /><br />I always hear how bad Egypt is in Nursing. I think if we can solve this problem we stand a good chance of creating a new considerable source of national income.<br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-70242319868134235692007-12-09T00:48:00.000+02:002007-12-09T00:53:22.909+02:005 Chances A Day<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">5 calls every day. Although now i can only hear them when i am at home with my laptop on, i still occasionally hear it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">5 chances a day to renew your faith. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">5 gifts a day to put your mistakes and sins behind and have a fresh start. </span><br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-81288456528215184442007-11-08T10:40:00.001+02:002008-12-11T22:21:32.009+02:00More on Google's Innovation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFozfDlD0K5RF_f2bDganzcAFZWLqk3ZFiOdd13lmS7RqaKf_YqeQ_qSj6w0hETIqDgPu5GzSzeAEuWbIGCo36n-J0HVL__-RQW5Z3YXLM9vK3v0dgZ7cjmjEd7JPhZqaSSVC/s1600-h/merrill.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFozfDlD0K5RF_f2bDganzcAFZWLqk3ZFiOdd13lmS7RqaKf_YqeQ_qSj6w0hETIqDgPu5GzSzeAEuWbIGCo36n-J0HVL__-RQW5Z3YXLM9vK3v0dgZ7cjmjEd7JPhZqaSSVC/s320/merrill.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130388239531681490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Continuing with the look at Google's innovation drivers, I've watched a video of Douglas Merrill, Google's CIO, speaking about Google's Innovation Plans.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">Here are some of the points i noted:</span> </span><ul style="font-family: verdana;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Start with the User</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Listen to Problems, not Solutions</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Pay Attention to Data</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Live Out Loud</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Foster Diversity</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Experiment Often, Fail Fast</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Let Engineers Find their Passion</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Chaos Breeds Creativity</span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">You can watch the video </span><a style="font-family: verdana;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GtgSkmDnbQ">here</a><span style="font-family:verdana;">.</span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-2209358662667738602007-11-07T09:52:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:32.311+02:009 Notions of Innovation @ Google<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKB54wKXfzNdeR6Q8H6D-GBjieXoYbIDyWk9ogsTnIw7dADhrzgFOowgdJ7KjJe46TWfIXzeQ9QA7Kiq3idDHY5RteSlBz5174FpRr-MGA2HtA1OmVfSln9KrGyQXhGVAm4ME/s1600-h/marissa_mayer-playerimage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKB54wKXfzNdeR6Q8H6D-GBjieXoYbIDyWk9ogsTnIw7dADhrzgFOowgdJ7KjJe46TWfIXzeQ9QA7Kiq3idDHY5RteSlBz5174FpRr-MGA2HtA1OmVfSln9KrGyQXhGVAm4ME/s200/marissa_mayer-playerimage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130006139565293586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just listened to Marissa Mayer's - Google's VP for Search Products and Users Experience- speech about what keeps Google innovative. They are:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Ideas come from everywhere</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. Share whatever you can</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3. You're brilliant, we're hiring</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">4. A license to pursue dreams</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">5. Innovation, not instant perfection</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />6. Don't politic, use Data</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">7. Creativity loves constraint</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />8. Users not Money</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">9. Don't kill projects morph them<br /><br />If you have time you can go and watch it <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5582763600980388040&q=marissa+mayer&total=67&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0">here</a></span>. It's worth the time<br /><br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-33230240097701392562007-10-10T14:42:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:32.516+02:00Waiting to Call-in a Radio Show!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUTUp_mX1JBFIIhaIzWCIz27cWisNgJp-0lQZMUE1fO7gyCziF5RSIssteZvNwZxx9LagS5LjMcVyppr4-EZlOYlQBBLpp9AznPHy-YUlQyLxiJU_6TbPpG7msklf_645WbtQ/s1600-h/me377_banner_540.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUTUp_mX1JBFIIhaIzWCIz27cWisNgJp-0lQZMUE1fO7gyCziF5RSIssteZvNwZxx9LagS5LjMcVyppr4-EZlOYlQBBLpp9AznPHy-YUlQyLxiJU_6TbPpG7msklf_645WbtQ/s400/me377_banner_540.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119692810451953042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yes, I have to call-in a live radio show before i go to class today and if i get in there is extra bonus. The problem is I don't listen to the radio here, and I don't even have a radio. So i went and borrowed one yesterday, and today I'll surf the different stations looking for a call-in show.<br /><br />This is part of my d.school - Design School - class. Its a boot camp - whatever that means - titled "Experiences in Innovation and Design Thinking". Although this class pushes me a lot of times outside my comfort zone, so far the least that can be said is that it is inspirational. It has the most creative teaching team I've ever seen, and the most non-traditional working environment. Each time i go to our class I am excited to see how they will run the class.<br /><br />I probably won't end up doing design at this level of detail when I graduate. However, I think I'll understand more how to build an organization that is geared towards innovation. </span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-53948471983261030282007-10-08T09:25:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:32.775+02:00Biggest Egyptian Gathering in Stanford's History<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_JOji5fsjTApUM7f3eqtAq8P617Chmol0ShpR_EpFiuao8d9VG7zgKpU_wF7ZaoiLbAm3Ddza5oiMfubqC4SQpRBseep4AK6owdi3Fj0s_5L1g44UboVtcQp4sm255VKy49b/s1600-h/PA060967.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_JOji5fsjTApUM7f3eqtAq8P617Chmol0ShpR_EpFiuao8d9VG7zgKpU_wF7ZaoiLbAm3Ddza5oiMfubqC4SQpRBseep4AK6owdi3Fj0s_5L1g44UboVtcQp4sm255VKy49b/s320/PA060967.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118865934758192514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's my guess. This Friday 10 of us went out for "eftar" together at Fairuz restaurant in Palo Alto. Nice to see a growing Egyptian community at Stanford. The number of Egyptian students at least doubled this year reaching 14 students. 5 EE, 1 CME, 1, IE, and guess what 3 MBA's :). It seems the Egyptian Association at Stanford will return again. </span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-16345678243898299932007-09-30T15:41:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:32.966+02:00Ramadan Goes Upside Down with School<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNxRM14kXR8DQ4Y1dtqx76zfZrthgDjXGKRp1WWBSF1S66kJRNNkpVQ82mnG3VZzwj469H9i77kdbpdGvq0ET_92QraxFwxdA7uhIEnL_T7DASkgrXtExuRm-6KYbyu3GeJlL/s1600-h/ramadan-upsidedown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNxRM14kXR8DQ4Y1dtqx76zfZrthgDjXGKRp1WWBSF1S66kJRNNkpVQ82mnG3VZzwj469H9i77kdbpdGvq0ET_92QraxFwxdA7uhIEnL_T7DASkgrXtExuRm-6KYbyu3GeJlL/s320/ramadan-upsidedown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5115995496445126002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I've been back in the US for one week now and because of my irregular and inflexible schedule at school Ramadan went completely out of control.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I don't eat enough (lost 2-3 kgms in one week)</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />I don't sleep enough (5 hrs a day on average)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I don't pray as i would like (no more tarawee7 in jama'a)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> I don't exercise (not even once)</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"> & I don't really work </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />The question is: If that wasn't the case would there be any meaning to Ramadan? Should i not resist? </span><br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-85289838121883260952007-09-27T11:37:00.000+02:002007-09-27T11:47:33.238+02:00Ego vs. Values<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That's what came out when i was talking with Collin today, my Canadian friend and classmate. We were talking about our next career choices. While we both felt that international development is where we want to contribute the most, we were still unable to shift our attention away from big corporate America or its equivalent. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Succeeding in the competitive sophisticated silicon valley culture is very ego serving and image boosting. At the same time if i want to think what value I brought to the world, i don't want it to be an iPod - as much as i love that tiny piece of style. </span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-50583589572801450502007-09-23T09:50:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:33.112+02:00Kenya -- Parting Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr8b4ydCmTU66LH7S0vHFBv0Kwjnn1ej4PhhVAGuYo0w4y9HNp1gT_U6QJ_3HkWPtGaSZC9H_kr9aenkxOTTNiyxlIxbJItTV8H7P6ze_HgCd_7QqXVL6adGV73kdyNR1NQeO/s1600-h/kenya-flag.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr8b4ydCmTU66LH7S0vHFBv0Kwjnn1ej4PhhVAGuYo0w4y9HNp1gT_U6QJ_3HkWPtGaSZC9H_kr9aenkxOTTNiyxlIxbJItTV8H7P6ze_HgCd_7QqXVL6adGV73kdyNR1NQeO/s320/kenya-flag.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113309737430820194" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Right now, I am on my way back from Kenya. Kenya turned to be a beautiful country: beautiful nature, beautiful wildlife, and I believe beautiful people.<br /><br />I didn't come across signs of extreme poverty or wide spread pendemics. This is in part because i stayed relatively close to Nairobi, and also because Kenya is more fortunate than many other afAfrican countries. Nevertheless Kenya is the center of NGO's and favorite destination for Expats. The striking problems are the lack of security - the wide spread of crime, and the poor infrastructure.<br /><br />Yesterday i realized this wasn't my first visit to an African country as much as my first visit to a developing country other than Egypt.<br /><br />I would definitely try to come back on a longer vacation insha'allah. But for the sake of engaging with struggling Africa, I might choose a different destination. </span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-70707470755777419842007-09-22T04:31:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:33.264+02:00Jum'a in Nairobi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-NajJjw3u0GJgttWKCvEPt1xallwo6bZ31ssv0l5JY1CtEfMI4h-4-7X_foKt2BgNCnzZ3vszQ7e2kPmiiyxXVt4x3Ra1jIJ6yPDErbocqYCDXSY2HfS2Xt0yQVTQCV8x-gI/s1600-h/jum'a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-NajJjw3u0GJgttWKCvEPt1xallwo6bZ31ssv0l5JY1CtEfMI4h-4-7X_foKt2BgNCnzZ3vszQ7e2kPmiiyxXVt4x3Ra1jIJ6yPDErbocqYCDXSY2HfS2Xt0yQVTQCV8x-gI/s320/jum'a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112853130867647778" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Yesterday I thought I have to pray Jum'a in Kenya before I leave. This time I didn't go to the nearby mosque but I went to Nairobi's biggest mosque in the city center, Jamai Mosque.<br /><br />It is a big mosque and it was full with people, at least 3000. It wasn't exactly similar to the Jum'a i would go to in an Egyptian Mosque.<br /><br />At started with the normal call for prayer "Athan". It was a beautiful voice he gave the athan. Then an Imam started the "Khutba", Jum'a Speach. It was in Swahili with occasionaly Arabic references from the Qur'an or Suna. The imam had a calm voice and seemed quite fluent.<br /><br />After he finished another man started another speech. It didn't seem like a relegious one. The man was speaking in a loud voice as if he's calling people to join a fight. People seemed more attentive. There was what seemed to be artificial cheering after some of his statements. He made some statements in English that made me realize he was some sort of politician. Statements like "democracy is not the rule of the majority but the respect of the minority", "Our power is still not reckoned", and "I have 10 million people backing me".<br /><br />After that there was another "Athan" and the Imam came back and repeated his first speach but in Arabic this time. That was when a non-swahili speaker, like me, would typically come :). The Imam's Arabic was quite impressive, very similar to Saudi Imam's, and so was the arabic of the Mu'athen. Probably they are either Saudi's or have been trained there.<br /><br />On the way home I asked Simon about that politician who made a speach. He said Muslim's in Kenya are supporting the oppositon lead by "Rayla". The muslims being 30% of the population are definitely a considerable mass. They are angry at Kebabki's goveronment because it didn't bring welfare to the Muslims as it promised, and because it arrests muslim suspects and hands them to the Americans who take them to Ethiopia to be unhumanly interrogated.<br /></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-61512714389832039622007-09-21T08:14:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:33.408+02:00Dinner with a Kenian Disbeliever<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy7rpLe0PZ-JPgyPAvMntz4Hqwri70FKUrPJf6cgnFe-vWwkMvxFaI5VJGrf1BRrzb7UJ2gKDWc7LVfC3AGTFkaI_TfaSXTX-QOSRY89ydJBKEviKHV2UR_A8ud9HGEh-0d2J/s1600-h/mogathia.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy7rpLe0PZ-JPgyPAvMntz4Hqwri70FKUrPJf6cgnFe-vWwkMvxFaI5VJGrf1BRrzb7UJ2gKDWc7LVfC3AGTFkaI_TfaSXTX-QOSRY89ydJBKEviKHV2UR_A8ud9HGEh-0d2J/s320/mogathia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112556267023115538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I wouldn't have guessed that a group dinner with a group at work yesterday, an indian, two kenyans, a chinese, and myslef would end with a short debate over creation vs. evolution, a debate between a believer and a disbeliever, between myself and Mugathia. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Mugathia, or Samuel as everyone calls him, is a very intellectual Kenyan. He is a very strongly opinionated person. Through our interactions this month I was impressed by how knowledgeable he is and how good a reader he seems to be. He is 33 years old, married, studied commerce, and worked for different organizations in and outside Kenya, spent some time in the US, and he's an Atheist. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Mugathia, similar to other disbelievers, believes that all religions are man made to cover for their scientific shortcomings among other things. He says that as science uncovers different phenomenas we now know that there is a logical reason behind everything not a mighty creator. If someone from 1000 years ago saw someone talk over a piece of stone to another 100s of miles away, they would think this is God. But now that they understand its scientific explanation they wouldn't see any signs of divine power. </span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />But advancement in science can only be explained in that sense if it makes us more knowledge. But the reality is that it only shows us how more ignorant we are. The ancient man had only the sun, the moon and the relatively few stars they can see as big mysteries. We might have known more about these objects today, but we also came to realize that there is a substantially bigger universe that lies beyond these countable set of objects. The amount of things we need to learn about today as we explore the universe by far exceeds what that ancient man thought he doesn't know when he looked up into the sky.<br /><br />Our knowledge in absolute terms has increased. But it has dwarfed relative to the growing unknowns.<br /></span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-84059130666684563092007-09-20T13:11:00.000+02:002008-12-11T22:21:33.817+02:00As much of Entrepreneurship as i can get :L<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am trying to think what classes should I take on this year. It was kind of frustrating because, first, it is relatively too late to think of this, and second, it is not easy to have classes that don't conflict with each other.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">My main goal now is to get as much Entrepreneurship classes as I can. I believe while there are many great things at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">GSB</span>, learning about Entrepreneurship is one thing that can't be matched by any other schools.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9GD33rbo6PTOMO4B0R3QKXZ6cHSA7T3lycA2NQi6DcZH5yuCC5XbCsAKBu_jNY0MQh_lLV19JUh3fo-aOF3n8OhIftOoKkG-4tAELTGxZfPR9RGvzrPxU0J2wrZe2sj2zWV2/s1600-h/grousbeck-harold-irving.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9GD33rbo6PTOMO4B0R3QKXZ6cHSA7T3lycA2NQi6DcZH5yuCC5XbCsAKBu_jNY0MQh_lLV19JUh3fo-aOF3n8OhIftOoKkG-4tAELTGxZfPR9RGvzrPxU0J2wrZe2sj2zWV2/s320/grousbeck-harold-irving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112244847073150898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am already listed in "Managing Growing Enterprises" in the Spring with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Grousbeck</span>, which is great. But at the same time I'll miss taking three classes that i would have loved to take; "<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Formation</span> of New Ventures" by Mark Leslie and Andy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Rachleff</span>, "Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital" by Eric <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Shmidt</span>, Andy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Rachleff</span>, and P</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">eter</span> Wendell, and "Aligning <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Startups</span> with their markets" by William Barnett and Andy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Rachleff</span>. The first two have been filled during the super round last May. The latter has a time conflict with "Managing Growing Enterprises" which I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">hadn't</span> noticed when I applied.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Still the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">GSB</span> provides several other options. For "Formation of new ventures", I'll try to get into the Garth <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Saloner</span> class in the Spring. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Saloner</span> is believed to be a very good professor, however, the class will be less tech oriented and will miss having a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">prominent</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">VC</span> as an instructor. I'll also try to get into the other section of "Entrepreneurship and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">VC</span>" which is given by John Glynn. I don't know much about Glynn, but i wouldn't expect this section to match one that has the CEO of Google among the instructors. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP-z3iyaMCJSyTQ3st3s24lZ2OEf-wrLc1-FNplfy-JerowTzEQsg5YSm41XhfhBHOGb1HP2UDFzIG_LX8QPMoQC3rM5-Jd56SLORGjFyvVVwv6gTj6812PrGD0ienn6Yxn6e/s1600-h/dlight.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaP-z3iyaMCJSyTQ3st3s24lZ2OEf-wrLc1-FNplfy-JerowTzEQsg5YSm41XhfhBHOGb1HP2UDFzIG_LX8QPMoQC3rM5-Jd56SLORGjFyvVVwv6gTj6812PrGD0ienn6Yxn6e/s320/dlight.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112242699589502882" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Finally there is "Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability" - a joint B-School and D-School class. This seems to be a great class. It combines social entrepreneurship with innovative design. This class requires an application, so I'll have to put some effort in that.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Although i still have a "chance" for a great entrepreneurial academic year, if there is one advice i would give to a first year MBA student, it would be to start figuring out what classes to apply to early on. </span> </span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-57405370403186449592007-09-19T07:56:00.001+02:002008-12-11T22:21:33.985+02:00Remembering Ali - My Teacher<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRqzQAD1Yo-G7Ic-tAJaPt1TwXIkvdZW_3p8W2Ucrrd70mQvhhTdvGG4l0_9bNKmKbsmJgb_GARBOW96E6rAKZsLReOxbcv5kejQhXTcwoePjGTHMNP4_4gPpwGRXHxlf9Top/s1600-h/ali.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRqzQAD1Yo-G7Ic-tAJaPt1TwXIkvdZW_3p8W2Ucrrd70mQvhhTdvGG4l0_9bNKmKbsmJgb_GARBOW96E6rAKZsLReOxbcv5kejQhXTcwoePjGTHMNP4_4gPpwGRXHxlf9Top/s200/ali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112859697872643410" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Every Ramadan as - like many people - I start reciting more Qur'an I remember Ali. The first and probably the only one who taught me some things about reciting Qur'an. His teachings come back to mind as I try to inhale from the gems of the greatest of all books.<br /><br />Ali and I might have had our ups and downs. But it is for this that i will always stay grateful to him and ask him to forgive any wrong I might have done him.<br /><br />"Jazak Alloh Khayran Ya Ali Ya Maher"</span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-55305230115340893242007-09-17T16:30:00.000+02:002007-09-18T06:45:12.636+02:00Planning for 2008-2009<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The biggest thing that will be happening at the GSB for 2nd years this <span style="font-weight: bold;">autumn</span> is <span style="font-weight: bold;">On-Campus-Recruitment</span> (OCR). Most big companies will come to recruit for full time positions. At the forefront of these will be management consulting and banking organizations.<br /><br />I don't think i should take the recruitment part as lightly as i did last year. This is especially true given my special requirement of spending only up to <span style="font-weight: bold;">one more year</span> in the US after graduation. This means i will be looking for a <span style="font-weight: bold;">short-term</span> project-based job, or a job with a company that has an option for moving to Egypt in a years time. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">At the same time, my two <span style="font-weight: bold;">summer experiences</span> showed me how the right assignment, function, and/or company can make a <span style="font-weight: bold;">big difference</span> in the experience you gain. So i'd better do my <span style="font-weight: bold;">homework</span> this time.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />My goal is to get as much of an working experience in the US before i head back. I want a job that is <span style="font-weight: bold;">strategic</span> in scope and is not very detailed oriented. I still want something related to either <span style="font-weight: bold;">marketing</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">management</span>. I want to be working closely with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">team</span> and want to report and be in contact with someone I look up to and I can <span style="font-weight: bold;">learn</span> from. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">industry</span> might vary, but I am likely to start searching <span style="font-weight: bold;">technology</span>-related companies or <span style="font-weight: bold;">social</span> ventures. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Venture Capital</span> would be great but i don't think it can easily fit with my constraints of leaving in a year. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Consultancy</span> isn't completely excluded, considering the experience you can gain there and the existence of Egypt office for some of the big ones. Finally i want to work in a place that is <span style="font-weight: bold;">inspirational</span>. A place with strong <span style="font-weight: bold;">leadership</span> and a captivating <span style="font-weight: bold;">vision</span>.<br /><br />This means i have to work on identifying which companies fall within these criteria. Then <span style="font-weight: bold;">networking </span>with everyone i can who works or worked in any of these companies. Lots of <span style="font-weight: bold;">informational interviews </span>knowing about their different projects and organization. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I believe I'll have to reach out to people in management positions rather than the companies university relations officers. I'll have to make the best out of our <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alum Network</span>. </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Except for the few companies that will fit in the US-Egypt operations model, i don't think I'll be doing much of the OCR interviews. I expect that any opportunities will appear relatively later in the year considering the short term requirement.<br /><br />Going back to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Egypt </span>right away is also not completely excluded , but it won't be a first option at the current time unless there is an exceptional opportunity.<br /></span></span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18673479.post-8353274721471824502007-09-16T15:26:00.000+02:002007-09-16T15:45:26.829+02:00Rapped Women in Islam<span style="font-size:85%;">An American friend asked me yesterday about women who are raped in Muslim countries and then get stoned to death. My eyebrows went up!! Without thinking I told her, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">NO WAY</span>". Then after some little thinking i said, , "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Maybe</span>, this happens if a woman claims being raped but can't prove it, so this means she had performed adultery - the punishment of which is stoning to death". Could this be true! That's how several online accounts report was the case in some muslim countries like Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, here is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1939566.stm">one</a>. Despite the fact that the sentences have never been executed, this can't be true implementation of Islamic Lay . If it is, what is a rapped woman expected to do??? Just say she's raped and she can't prove who rapped her???</span>Ziad Mokhtarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809229564393904211noreply@blogger.com0