MBRF and UNDP to discuss key findings of Third Arab Knowledge Report

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, MBRF, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, will hold a workshop at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris on 3rd June, as part of its preparations for this year's Knowledge Conference. This will be the third in a series of five workshops being organised in key Arab and international cities to discuss the findings of the Third Arab Knowledge Report launched during the First Knowledge Conference in Dubai in December 2014.

Speakers at the workshop will include Jack Lang, former French Minister of Culture and Education, and current President of the Institut du Monde Arabe, IMA, Prof. Eric Fouache, Vice-Chancellor of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Dr. Badr Aldden Arodaky, former Deputy-Director of IMA and a prominent writer and literary expert, Inaam Kachachi, writer and journalist, and Mohamed Al Hosani, Senior Manager of Leadership and Empowerment at the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development.

The workshop will be addressed by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, and Jacob Perez, Regional Director of UNDP. A presentation on the main findings of the Arab Knowledge Report will be made by Najoua Ghriss, one of the authors of the report. The workshop will also include a panel discussion participated in by Jack Lang, Prof. Eric Fouache, Dr. Badr Aldden Arodaky and Inaam Kachachi.

Jamal bin Huwaireb said that the workshops on the Third Arab Knowledge Report have been helping draw attention to state of knowledge in the Arab world, and the most important challenges facing the region in the knowledge domain. The workshops are aimed at gaining access to the best international practices in this area and integrating youth in the production, transfer and localisation of knowledge, Huwaireb said.

He added that the workshops will enable the MBRF and the UNDP to support the creation of enabling environments for Arab youth and provide the best opportunities to enable young people to boost their knowledge capabilities. As an important step towards the preparation of the First Knowledge Conference 2015, the workshops offer an opportunity to understand the views and experiences of experts in the field of knowledge, Huwaireb added.

The Third Arab Knowledge Report highlights the need for effective integration of youth in the transfer and localisation of knowledge as one of the most pressing issue facing Arab societies. The report explores the current status of the Arab youth in relation to skills and values required for the effective integration of knowledge and the contribution of young Arabs in the cultural, political and social arenas. The report also examines the situation of existing enabling environments and their capacity to expand opportunities for youth and to build their capabilities.