ICESCO Showcases Its Efforts to Empower Youth at 'Youth Knowledge Forum'
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the fourth 'Youth Knowledge Forum,' organized in Cairo by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports.
In a key working session titled 'Complementarity between governments and international institutions in supporting the knowledge economy,' Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of ICESCO Director-General and Supervisor of the Strategy and Institutional Excellence Sector, reviewed the main programs and initiatives of the Organization aimed at supporting young people in its Member States, particularly in the areas of knowledge, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Mabrouk also reviewed the main thrusts of the 'Youth Knowledge Forum in the Islamic World,' which was recently organized by ICESCO in partnership with MBRF at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat. The Forum saw a large youth interaction and intensive intellectual activity.
The ICESCO delegation also included Taqwa Al Ali, in charge of innovation; Fatma El Ghalia Hannani, strategic planning analyst; and Youssef Stelate, application developer in the Digital Transformation Department.
The interventions of the delegation members focused on their role in the success of the third edition of the Forum, which was held in Morocco, reviewing their practical experiences and contributions in implementing innovative knowledge empowerment programs for young participants.
ICESCO's participation in this major regional event reflects its strategic commitment to empowering youth and promoting the knowledge economy in Member States, as part of its vision to create interactive platforms for the younger generation to participate in decision-making and the achievement of sustainable development. It is also part of the Organization's efforts to strengthen partnerships with regional and international institutions concerned with youth and innovation issues.
The opening session was attended by a number of prominent personalities, including Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports; Dr. Jamal bin Huwaireb, MBRF's Executive Director; Dr. Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Ahmed Fouad Henno, Minister of Culture; Chancellor Mahmoud Fawzi, Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs; Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadiq, President of Cairo University; and Engineer Hani Turki, Director of the UNDP Knowledge Project, in addition to other ministers and senior officials.
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Mohamed Tharwat from Sharqiya had been considering leaving the country until he joined the Multi-Educational Programme for Employment Promotion in Migration-Affected Areas (MEPEP), which has changed his life. He is now the owner of a car-maintenance centre in Egypt. 'I had always wanted to travel to Italy in any way possible, and I was saving for the opportunity. I had no idea what field I was going to work in at the time. At the same time, I was afraid to migrate illegally because I was afraid that I would not survive,' Tharwat said. 'I have a passion for cars, but I did not know how to start or who would teach me if I wanted to work with cars instead. Then I found an advertisement on the Internet and I filled in an application. After a month I received a call informing me that I had been accepted at the Istituto Salesiano Don Bosco, an Italian institute. I joined the car-maintenance training course and learnt a lot about fixing cars. 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EU-MEPEP focuses on curricula enhancement, modern teaching methodologies, skills acquisition for students and building sustainable employment pathways, bridging the gap between education and the labour market. 'MEPEP is part of the 16 million Euro bilateral programmes with Egypt under the EUTF, the EU's programme that supports Egypt's 2030 Vision for sustainable growth and social inclusion,' said head of section for governance, social inclusion, and migration at the European Union Delegation in Egypt Anne Kofoed. 'It is a vision that addresses the creation of opportunities for youth in migration-affected areas. It is also a vision addressing the drivers of irregular migration through stable socio-economic development.' Kofoed said that the success of such projects lies in their ability to address skill gaps through individual and international efforts to modernise TVET. 'As we look to the future, we need to build on these successful efforts. Let us strive to build opportunities to empower individuals, support sustainable development, and address the root causes of migration and also to strengthen the TVET sector here in Egypt,' she said. 'The project was a real start to develop a sustainable partnership in developing vocational and technical education that matches the goals of the Ministry of Industry to improve the quality of technical and professional skills of workers. It has resulted in the development of the quality of vocational education, as well as catering to the needs of the labour market through developing educational syllabuses and presenting youth with modern skills, providing more job opportunities and enhancing co-operation with parties in the private sector and developing infrastructure,' said Director of TVET at the Ministry of Industry Ehab Abdallah. 'This initiative aimed at preparing well-qualified managers ready for the labour market and a generation of young people able to excel whether in Egypt or abroad. It provides training opportunities in many factories as well as applied technology schools,' commented Director of Government Relations at the Federation of Egyptian Industries Gehad Amer. 'We aim at improving the quality of training and education in industry and to enhance the abilities of our young people so that they are ready for the labour market,' Amer said, adding that 'I hope future projects will also focus on empowering women in the workplace.' * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
