New Mexico State University sent six students to Cairo, Egypt for the Annual Women Economic Forum. Sponsored by the Aggies Go Global program, the students participated in the six-day event which took place Mar. 4–9.  

The Annual Women Economic Forum brings together women from across the globe to discuss not only economic and business topics but life, entrepreneurship, corporations, self-care and diving into the realm of being a woman ready to take on the world. WEF is not limited to students; women of all branches of careers and stages of life. 

The conference, typically held in India, was moved to Cairo this year. WEF holds hundreds of satellite conferences throughout the world. Abby Nayra, program specialist for the Aggies Go Global program, said NMSU hopes to hold one of the future conferences here in Las Cruces soon. 

With 1000 chapters in over 100 countries, WEF is the largest global women chapter in the All Ladies League, according to their website. ALL is a multinational movement to connect women across the globe. 

2020 is the third year NMSU has participated in the WEF. While NMSU only sponsors students, degree plan or variation is not a factor in determining eligibility. Students must, however, be in good standing with the school and maintain a GPA of 3.0.   

“Students from all over campus, any major, any college have applied this year to attend. They go to said location, to the conference, and then experience whatever country it is on a specifically non-credited program,” Nayra said. 

NMSU’s Aggies Go Global programs find resources to connect students to these non-credit programs with the understanding that not all students have the resources or finances to spend entire semesters abroad. Information for credited programs abroad can be found at the Office of Education Abroad.  

AGG specializes in opportunities for students to find specialized programs abroad like internships, conferences, volunteer work and research. 

An important aspect of the program is to also ensure the students absorb their locations as well as their education.  

“They get to speak to people, of course within country, but of all over the world, who represent their country as a delegation or a sort of cultural ambassador in that sense,” according to Nayra.  

As an increasingly globalized society, it is important for students to experience the world outside of Las Cruces and individual universities to keep up with the demand of up and coming world leaders. WEF puts emphasis on the development of independent women going into fields of global leadership with skills such as self-reliance and interpersonal relations. For example, this year in Cairo a Desert Research Center presented water sustainability and salvation techniques which is helpful worldwide. Exploring new solutions for student to bring home of problems shared across the globe.  

Nayra boasted of her students, “There’s nothing like being in a country where no one speaks your language, and having to sustain yourself to really up that self-confidence there. They always come back changed. They stand up a little bit taller, they feel a little bit more relaxed and confident.”