24 September 2019, New York, USA – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Women Forward International (WFI) at the UNITAR New York Office to collaborate on new training courses for women.

Present at the signing were Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth; UNITAR New York Head of Office, Mr. Marco Suazo, Director of WFI, Dr. Kent Davis-Packard; Communications Consultant, Sarah Odeh, and Advisory Committee Member, Mona Oswald.  

Women Forward International (WFI) is a global platform for systemic change in international affairs education, reorienting research towards the principals of unity, collaboration, and service. It creates unique partnerships that lead to behavioral changes that advance women to advance humanity. WFI partners with a range of private sector, academic and non-profit clients to identify critical research on women’s issues, and then pairs teams of graduate international studies and business students to complete that research. Additionally, WFI uses the reflective power of Art to reveal and investigate the underlying cultural issues at stake in a given international relations issue and provides the next generation of leaders a more holistic approach to human relationships.

Dr. Davis-Packard was Founder and Director of the SAIS Women Lead program, visiting research associate, and adjunct professor of Middle East studies, global theory, and history at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), She voiced her pleasure to extend beneficial training to many women who would be impacted by the program in the future. Mr. Seth and Mr. Suazo thanked the new partners and stated positive anticipation at this new corporation between UNITAR and WFI.