Page 67 - MBRF English PR Report - September 2024

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.

Younger generations

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 percent of the population
having internet access since 2022, only 1.7 percent 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.

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.

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