Page 209 - MBRF International Part 2 - September 2024

cutting-edge resources, the academy will empower organisations and partnerships to leverage the opportunities
offered by the global digital economy."

Partnership model

On a broader scale, the academy is designed to bridge the digital divide, promoting innovation, resilience, and
inclusion by providing individuals, governments, and SMEs with essential digital skills to drive digital
transformation and foster community innovation. It also seeks to enhance social innovation through partnerships
with universities and the private sector, enriching learning experiences and improving practical educational
outcomes. Additionally, the academy addresses labour market inequalities, including gender disparities, and
offers educational and vocational programmes tailored to support underrepresented groups.

The Future Skills Academy is set to offer a diverse range of certified and specialised programmes, available both
online and in-person, in its initial phase. It is designed to equip students, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators,
and government officials with essential future skills and will act as a knowledge-driven catalyst, supporting
various global digitalisation and transformation initiatives, including the Digitalisation for Sustainable
Development (DT4SD) programme. This collaboration underscores the synergy between UNDP initiatives and
the Foundation's commitment to bringing about positive social change through educational initiatives.

Crucial support

The academy will play a pivotal role in enhancing the skills of younger generations across sectors such as health,
education, environment, governance, and policy-making. This is particularly significant given that youth constitute
nearly half of the region's population, with nearly a quarter of this segment facing unemployment and a still bigger
proportion preparing to enter the workforce. Recent statistics highlight the growing gap between individual skills
and labour market demands in the Arab region. Despite 70% of the population having internet access since 2022,
only 1.7% are recognised as 'digital talents.'

The Knowledge Summit is the leading annual knowledge event in the Arab world, providing a dynamic platform to
highlight insights that drive modern technological trends and the evolving knowledge ecosystem. It brings
together leaders, experts, visionaries, and policymakers to exchange ideas, explore the future, and address key
themes from the knowledge and developmental perspectives.

Strategic collaboration

The 'Knowledge Project' is the result of a strong and strategic collaboration between the UNDP and the MBRF. Its
mission is to guarantee accessibility to knowledge-based societies and promote sustainable development.
Additionally, the initiative seeks to facilitate meaningful dialogue and enhance awareness around the significance
of knowledge and knowledge-driven policies. It also fosters the use of knowledge outputs, with a special
emphasis on the 'Global Knowledge Index' (GKI) as a catalyst for transformation.

For further information, please contact:

Orient Planet Group (OPG)
Tel: +971 4 4562888
Email: media@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation launches 'Future Skills Academy' as
part of the Knowledge Project (technologyprnews.com)