BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A successful program, instituted by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, which provided dozens of college students from the Middle East and North Africa with information on how to become entrepreneurs last summer, is now being expanded to include students from Pakistan and Afghanistan as well.   

Last summer, approximately 100 students from six countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa came to IU Bloomington to participate in the program. 

This summer’s 100-student contingent will also include young people from six predominantly Arab nations, who are again coming to IU Bloomington for the Global Business Institute. 

Students will arrive this weekend from Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian territories, Morocco and Tunisia to learn about business plan development, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management and other subjects.

All participants were selected on the basis of their ideas for starting a business. Over 7,000 students applied for the program, up from 5,300 a year ago, and a staggering 360,000 people signed up to review and vote online for the best ideas.