August- September 2005

Gnehm Appointed as Inaugural
Elliott School Kuwait Chair

BY AMY ALDRICH

GW received more than $3.3 million from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences to fund the Kuwait Chair for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs. The endowment, made official during a July 11 signing ceremony, funds a faculty member in the Elliott School who will focus specifically on this vital region of the world. The level of expertise gleaned from close scrutiny of the region will benefit current students and ensure their competitiveness in the field of international affairs.

Ambassador Edward “Skip” Gnehm, BA ’66, MA’68, is the first professor appointed to the Kuwait Chair. Gnehm is expert in the area of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula affairs, having served as the United States Ambassador to Jordan, Australia, and Kuwait. In 1991, he raised the American flag over the United States embassy following Kuwait’s liberation. Beginning his career at the Department of State in 1969, Gnehm has served as director general of the Foreign Service, director of personnel for the Department of State, and deputy permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations.

“I am honored to be chosen as the first person to hold this chair,” Gnehm said. “Over the last 10 years increasing knowledge about the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula has become crucial in the field of international affairs. I am looking forward to working with students who will shape the future of this region in years to come.”

Throughout his career, Gnehm has continued to give back to GW. He served seven years as a member of the Board of Trustees, was a member of the board’s executive committee, andwas chair of the student affairs committee. In 1992, he received the GW Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Gnehm joined the Elliott School in September 2004 as the J.B. and Maurice C.Shapiro Visiting Professor of International Affairs and currently serves as the codirector of the undergraduate program in international affairs.

The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences was developed in 1976 by his Highness Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al- Sabah to encourage and support scientific research. Considered one of the premier organizations in Kuwait, KFAS plays a large role in financing scientific research projects undertaken by organizations in Kuwait and around the world. The organization issupported by all company shareholders in Kuwait andis chaired by His HighnessAmir of Kuwait.

President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg was delighted by the establishment of the
Kuwait chair. “We are very grateful for the contribution from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences,” Trachtenberg said. “The chair is a symbol of the University’s commitment to maintain a healthy relationship with Kuwait and with other countries throughout the region. We are fortunate to have a prominent faculty member like Ambassador Gnehm tofurther GW’s relationships
with other countries.”

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