The Arab Thought Foundation (ATF) recently concluded its annual conference (FIKR12) in Dubai with the launch of two key initiatives to support the goal of creating 80 million jobs by 2020.

The foundation seeks to facilitate more investments and create jobs as its first initiative, by consulting with experts, while its second initiative is to launch a classification system for Arab universities to strengthen the quality of education, said ATF in a statement.

The rating system will first be applied in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and then Lebanon.

The initiatives were developed on the basis of the discussions at the conference and a report that was unveiled by the ATF on ‘Enabling Job Creation in the Arab World,’ following an extensive survey undertaken across the region.

Several panel discussions and workshops were also held to discuss various aspects related to job creation such as public policy, labour mobility, sustainable job creation, importance of capacity building, role of the private sector, volunteerism and the role of entrepreneurship and start-ups.

A session on the need to promote regional integration summarised the key factors that promote job creation as improving the quality of education, promoting public private partnerships, focusing on research & development, and driving the involvement of youth.

Experts also urged governments and policy makers in the Arab region to instill the right work culture among the younger generation to create a more productive work force and achieve realistic growth.

“The right work culture can help the younger generation benefit from economic opportunities. However, considering that work culture is intrinsically connected to lifestyle and traditional attitudes, the challenge before the region is to overcome any semblance of negative culture and inculcate the spirit of positive culture,” said Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, member of the Federal National Council, UAE.

Ghassan Mourad, director of the Center of Languages, Sciences and Communication, Lebanese University, said culture cannot be developed without developing knowledge, and called for a more dynamic environment that includes “digital humanities”.

The need to look at non-traditional sectors that may provide job opportunities for unemployed young people was also discussed at the conference.

Delegates from across the world took part, representing governments, private business, civil society organisations, educational institutions, financial institutions and various other stakeholders representing diverse sectors of the economy. - TradeArabia News Service