The Distinguished Visitors Series is a series of presentations ranging on different topics from the business, information technology and humanities communities. The Series was inaugurated in January 2011 and on a monthly basis a speaker from one of the communities will be invited to speak. These events will be open to the public. Please register early to ensure your seat at this event.

For more information or to RSVP to reserve your seat, please contact Lynda Kuit (Tel. 604-648-4461) or email lyndakui@fdu.edu by Monday, March 19, 2012.
 

Forthcoming Speakers

Allan Knight
Topic: “How to Communicate with Impact”

March 20, 2012 4:30 pm in Room 130  OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For over 25 years, Allan Knight has dedicated his life to helping others transform their lives both professionally and personally. Allan is a solo entrepreneur and self-help author, speaker and mentor. He helps people increase their success through self confidence and effective communication. He has created a most unique and complete self management system called the Mind Fit for Success. His program is a practical, and results oriented system that helps you discover your greatness, achieve inner freedom and lead an extraordinary life!

Allan is the author of a book called “ What’s Holding YOU Back? He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master’s of Education in Counseling Psychology from McGill University. Allan is a sought after speaker and conducts sales and inner fitness training programs throughout Canada and the US.  He has successfully coached thousands of individuals on how to become effective communicators, become financially successful, and lead more fulfilling lives.  Among his many clients are Realtors, Financial Advisors, Sales Professionals, CEOs’, entrepreneurs and small business owners. Born in Montreal, Canada, Allan currently lives in Vancouver, BC.  He loves horses, sports and Dean Martin who he considers to be the greatest personality of all time.

Bassam Al Kuwatli
Topic: “Syria — Freedom vs. Stability”

March 6, 2012 4:30 pm in Room 130  OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Bassam Al Kuwatli was born in 1970 in Bulgaria and raised in Damascus, Syria. He obtained his masters degree in computer science from the Technical University of Sofia.

He worked in the IT and Oil & Gas sectors in Syria. After immigrating to Canada Al Kuwatli worked in the IT sector then ran his own telecommunication business. Later on he took a study program in immigration law and started his own immigration practice.

Currently he is doing his masters degree in conflict management and analysis. Al Kuwatli has been involved with politics since the age of seventeen. He was one of the founders of the Syrian Canadian Society of Calgary and later on a founder and the vice-president of the Syrian Canadian Society of British Columbia. He has been a member of Amnesty International since 1998 and a member of the Green Party of Canada since 2008.

Currently he is a member of the Syrian National Council.

Past Speakers

Mihran Nazaretyan, MD, Ph.D and Dr. S.M., M.P.H.A
Topic: “Perspectives on Global Health: Introduction and Overview”

Juliane Okot Bitek
Essayist, free-lance writer, and poet
Topic: Poetry Reading

Georgios Ayfantis
Consul General of Greece,
Topic: Debt crisis in the EU: the case of (for) Greece 

Prof. Laks V.S. Lakshmanan
Computer Science, University of British Columbia
Topic: "Data Mining for Social Networks"