Future of Higher Education in the Arab Countries: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Economy

Thursday, 02 November 2017 from 14:00 to 17:00 (BST)
London, United Kingdom

Hosts
World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD)
Royal Docks School of Business and Law
UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY)

Target audience Academic, research, higher education officials, policy makers, youth, NGOs, civil society groups, businesses, and other stakeholders.

Focus Arab Countries

The workshop aims to critically discuss the future of higher education in the Arab countries with more focus on the challenges and opportunities in the Knowledge Economy. There are a range of issues relating to the role of universities and research institutions in supporting and enhancing the process of transforming the Arab countries to advanced, knowledge-based societies led by sustainable innovation and social advance. The conference will also discuss the major obstacles for science, technology and innovation (STI) in the Arab region and help policy-makers to constructs an “ideal role” for STI in achieving sustainable development in the region.

Other topics to be discussed during he event include but not limited:

• General issues on social entrepreneurship.
• Cultural and religious perspectives on entrepreneurship.
• Sustainable entrepreneurship and finance.
• Sustaining family business across the generations.
• Social entrepreneurship case studies/programmes.
• Creating value to people and the planet: Motivations and the role of connectedness for creating a sustainable venture.
• Youth entrepreneurship in developing countries in the context of starting micro-enterprises? Unemployment globally and the ‘youth bulge’ are huge issues which youth entrepreneurship can help address.

Speakers (more to be added)

• Allam Ahmed, Director MEKEI, President WASD, Editor-in-Chief IJIKMMENA
• Ian Bathgate, Director, Centre for Innovation Management & Enterprise (CIME), UEL