A delegation from Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) comprising Faisal Bujesaim, Executive Director of MBRF, and Saif Al Mansoori, Corporate Affairs Advisor to Managing Director of MBRF, along with Mourad Wahba, Deputy Regional Director, United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States, participated in a workshop organised yesterday in Columbia University in New York City to discuss with academics and youth the key findings of the Third Arab Knowledge Report (AKR).

This was the second in a series of five workshops jointly organised by MBRF and UNDP in key Arab and international capitals in follow-up to the launch of the AKR in December 2014. The first workshop was organised in Amman, Jordan, in March 2015. The Columbia workshop brought together university students, academics, and relevant professionals. Following a presentation of the Arab Knowledge Report 2014, leading Arab economist and financial expert, Dr. Khalid Wazani, moderated a panel discussion featuring Noella Richard, Youth Policy Specialist, UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, and Durgham Alyasiri, a graduate student at SUNY.

MBRF is keen to identify key challenges facing knowledge and education sectors in the Arab region. We look forward to benefiting from the experiences of others in this area and making use of international expertise and best practices through workshops across the globe in prestigious institutions and universities such as Columbia University, said H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF. These workshops have enabled us to communicate directly with youth groups to gain a closer understanding of their opinions and outlook towards the challenges in the knowledge domain in the Arab region.

Addressing the workshop, Faisal Bujesaim said: This workshop is aligned to MBRFs aim to achieve sustainable development through the transfer of knowledge. It is part of our vision to build the potential and positive outlook of the youth by identifying the key challenges in this area.

The Third Arab Knowledge Report highlights the effective integration of youth in the transfer and localisation of knowledge as one of the most pressing issues facing Arab societies. The report examines the skills and values required for Arab youth to effectively integrate knowledge in their cultural, political and social endeavours and the role of enabling environments in expanding opportunities for youth and building their capabilities.

Since its launch late last year in Dubai, the report has been discussed widely in the media, amongst leaders, in civil society and across academia, said Mourad Wahba. Today we carry this important discussion forward in an event focused on one of the eight main challenges identified by the Arab Knowledge Report that are both symptom and cause of shortcomings in youth engagement in the Arab countries: The Brain Drain.

MBRF and UNDP launched the Third Arab Knowledge Report in December 2014 during the First Knowledge Conference organised by MBRF under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The conference was the first event of its kind in the region to focus on the transfer and localisation of knowledge, aimed at building societies and economies that apply knowledge to create sustainable development and prosperity for all. The event attracted wide participation from international and regional influencers and thought-leaders in the knowledge domain.

We believe the solutions that emerge from these workshops will contribute to our efforts to build knowledge based Arab societies and help in the production and transfer of knowledge around the world. These workshops will also enable MBRF to prepare for the next session of the First Knowledge Conference 2015, further positioning it as one of the most important international events in the field of knowledge, said H.E. Huwaireb.