ALUMNIAlumni Spotlight
Ra'id Q. Shomali ‘98, Palestinian Authority
Faculty at Bethlehem University
Born May 1, 1979, in Jerusalem, Ra'id and grew up in Beit-Sahour, Palestine. After
obtaining elementary and secondary education from Talitha Kumi High School, Beit-Jala,
Ra'id earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Bethlehem University and graduated with
highest honors summa cum laude, valedictorian of the 2001 class. Thereafter, Ra'id
traveled to the United States on a scholarship to join the M.B.A. program at Lewis
University in Romeoville, Illinois, where he will be receiving his degree with
double concentrations in M.I.S. and E-Business in December 2003. Ra'id had shown
love and passion for reading, writing, scouting and music at a very early age.
He plays the piano, recorder and bagpipes and is a member of various church, university
and professional choirs singing as a Baritone. He participated in national and
international Scouting conferences and meetings and won many awards and prizes.
His participation in the 1998 International Institute for Economic and Political
Studies in Athens - Greece, is something he takes great pride in.
Ra'id has always had an interest for the creative applications of technology
in business. He is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree in this field, studying
issues such as projecting a sound ethical framework that could help businesses,
especially in developing countries, adopt successfully different technologies
into operations taking into consideration ethics and controls to assure correct
business practices.
Professionally, Ra'id worked as an accountant for the Golden Park Resort in
his hometown, also, did graphic design projects for the United Nations Development
Program in Jerusalem. Recently, he received an appointment letter to the Faculty
of Business Administration at Bethlehem University, starting February 2004.
"…The mounting importance of cross-cultural understanding, along
with new global events and interdependencies, challenge us to achieve the appropriate
international exposure preparing to be genuine citizens of the world with empathy
for and appreciation of other cultures, gaining deeper understanding of our
own within an international dimension.
The Fund for American Studies provided me with the opportunity to get first
hand quality international exposure through IIPES 1998, an event that not only
left a great impact on my personality: academically and socially, but also provided
me with the tools to analyze and comprehend international political and economic
issues sensibly.
I appreciated the fact that the Fund for American Studies advanced the values
of freedom, democracy, and a free market economy and not forced them on participants
of the program. Dialogue and discussion were valuable instruments in shaping
each participant's views of issues conversed. I am proud of being part of a
network of wonderful people around the world, sharing their relationships and
intellectual resources, which proved beneficial throughout our careers and our
common goal of a better and more peaceful world for all."
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