Goldman Sachs Celebrates the Next Generation of World?Class Leaders

The Goldman Sachs Foundation and the Institute for International Education gathered 75 outstanding college students selected from five continents for a remarkable week of high–level lectures, networking and leadership workshops.

Since its inception in 2000, the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program was designed to identify and cultivate the next generation of world leaders through its annual Global Leadership Institute (GLI). The program provides life and leadership lessons from leading political, philanthropic and business figures to the outstanding sophomore students that the program gathers from across the globe. The theme of this year´s event was globalization.

Stephanie Bell–Rose, Managing Director and President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation said,"The Global Leaders Program is a vital one, we are proud to support initiatives like this and are hopeful the overall result will be nothing short of a more peaceful and prosperous world."

Dina Powell, Managing Director and Global Head of the Office of Corporate Engagement at Goldman Sachs, and Dr. Allan Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education, opened the Institute on Monday, July 14, welcoming the 2008 global leaders who hail from 22 countries.

"It is our responsibility as a global community to foster these young minds," said Dina Powell. "By investing in the leadership potential of exceptional young people around the world, Goldman Sachs also hopes to invest in the well–being of many people whose lives will be touched by their vision, skills and compassion."

Dr. Allan Goodman spoke of the remarkable journeys ahead of these students and reminded them that, as global citizens, they can learn a great deal from the global community and from the wide network of Goldman Sachs Global Leaders alumni worldwide.

The Ecuadorian Ambassador to the U.S., Luis Gallegos, was the opening speaker of this year´s event. A passionate advocate for Human Rights, the Ambassador was instrumental in the formation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Ambassador Gallegos shared with the Institute how he has, over the course of his diplomatic career, evolved from being an idealist into a realist. The week progressed with remarks by journalist and author Cokie Roberts, who shared insights about her career and the challenges women still face in the workplace, and Jean–Marc Coicaud, Head of the United Nations University, who spoke about education and leadership at the United Nations.

Goldman Sachs arranged an exclusive behind–the–scenes tour of the United Nations during which the GLI honorees lunched alongside UN Ambassadors and were addressed by Ann Veneman, Director of UNICEF, who spoke on a range of topics including how the world must first acknowledge its problems, like the AIDS crisis, in order to fully address them. This was followed by a timely discussion on the state of "˜New China´ by the renowned author and Washington Post contributing editor John Pomfret, who spoke about China´s likely impact on the future of every country represented by the Global Leaders.

Several alumni of the program attended this year´s event and shared their personal stories of success. Their panel provoked dynamic discussions about the program´s long–running Social Entrepreneurship Fund which gives participants the opportunity to collaborate and apply for further funding from the Goldman Sachs Foundation. American Andrew Cunningham (class of 2006), Delhi–born Anurag Gupta (2004) and South African Kopano Matlwa (2005) all have established remarkable projects which leveraged the Goldman Sachs investments to produce broad social benefits for orphans of AIDs victims in Thailand, literacy programs in Burma, and community medical clinics in South Africa. The session proved to be an inspirational opportunity highlighting how social entrepreneurship can use modest investments of capital to produce global and local change, if administered with imagination and perseverance.

The director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department, Dr. David Gordon discussed effects of a rapidly globalizing world and reminded the students that "individuals have the power to shape solutions to some of the world´s most daunting challenges."

This year´s GLI was hailed as "a celebration of talent, a celebration of hard work, and a celebration of what it means to lead" by Stephanie Bell–Rose, who introduced the week´s keynote, Amal Elsana Alh´jooj.

Ms. Elsana Alh´jooj is herself a remarkable example of the leadership ideals that form the founding principles of the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Institute. She is one of the key shapers of public opinion in the Arab community in Israel. She began her career as a community organizer at age 14, and at the age of 17 established the first Arab Bedouin woman´s organization. She used the leadership template that forms the framework of this initiative to speak on the issues faced by minorities in Israel saying that in order to succeed we need not to be the victims of circumstance and that the key to moving forward was building the self–esteem of the community–at–large. Speaking to the 22 nations represented at this year´s Global Leaders Institute, the Arab–Israeli encouraged those present to "believe in themselves, be part of the solution, work hard to promote change and always ask questions."

About the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program

Nine hundred students from around the world have been named as Goldman Sachs Global Leaders since the program began in 2000. The Global Leaders have built an extensive alumni network and, with modest seed funding from the program´s Social Entrepreneurship Fund, have joined forces to launch innovative social ventures. Funded projects to date have assisted with the creation of a community school in India, stopping the spread of malaria in Africa, and providing scholarships for children orphaned by AIDS in Thailand.

About The Goldman Sachs Foundation

The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organization that was funded in 1999 with a $200 million donation from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation´s mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education worldwide. The Foundation is an important extension of the tradition of philanthropy and public leadership at Goldman Sachs. Grants have been awarded in excess of $114 million since its inception, providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries. The Foundation awarded a $5 million grant to the Institute of International Education in 2007 to continue to build the program. Visit the Foundation´s website at www.gs.com/foundation

About the Institute of International Education

The Institute of International Education administers the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program in partnership with The Goldman Sachs Foundation. IIE is a leading nonprofit organization specializing in the international exchange of people and ideas. Its expertise enables institutions and individuals to build capacity in their home countries and regions. IIE designs and implements over 200 programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals, and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright Student and Scholar programs and the Humphrey Fellowships, administered on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, as well as corporate– and foundation–funded scholarships and training programs. IIE also conducts policy research and provides advice and counseling on international educational opportunities. The Institute of International Education has a network of 20 offices worldwide, over 900 college and university members, and more than 5,000 volunteers. www.iie.org