Dubai Knowledge Village partners with IC Events to host region's first education forum

The event is organised by IC Events and The Middle East magazine, a division of the international publishing group IC Publications.

To be held on 11 June at the DKV Conference Centre, the inaugural forum titled SkillsInvest 'Growth through Education in the Arab World' will provide a platform for regional participants to engage with global business leaders, policy makers, academic experts, as well as young professionals and students.

Thirty keynote experts from human resources, higher education, ICT, banking and finance, as well as energy sectors, will participate in the discussions at the event that is supported by Dubai School of Government (DSG), a leading think tank research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, said:

"Dubai Knowledge Village is committed to complementing Dubai's strategic mission to create a knowledge-based economy across the Arab World. The SkillsInvest forum will aim to provide incisive insights into the gap between the education system and the skills required for key economic sectors such as banking and finance, energy and ICT."

"The event will throw open solutions that will help us lead and address the reforms required in our educational system to equip the next generation workforce with relevant skills for sustaining the region's economic growth," he added.

The SkillInvest Forum will kick-off with a general plenary session to discuss the skills needed for achieving the objectives of the public and private sectors. An open debate on skills that need to be developed to foster entrepreneurship and responsible leadership in the region will be one of highlights of the event that will also include industry-specific working sessions to examine the skills needed for promoting sustained growth and innovation in key business sectors.

The first of its kind forum in the region coincides with the 35th anniversary of The Middle East magazine, the best selling pan-Arab monthly. Headquartered in London IC Publications have over 50 years' experience in publishing magazines, newsletters, country supplements, industry reports and market intelligence on Africa and the Middle East.

Afif Ben Yeddder, Founder and Group Publisher, IC Publications said, "Human development and education remain at the heart of policy making, a reason why we are launching SkillsInvest in Dubai with much enthusiasm. With millions of young people poised to enter the workplace, the time could not be more right for hosting such an event in the Arab world. This event offers a unique platform to foster interstate cooperation and knowledge sharing between key stakeholders who are redefining human development policies in the region. It will also nurture new partnerships between the public and private sector."

"Strategically placed between the West and the East, the region needs to gear itself up to take advantage of the shift in economic power. It is not by any coincidence that economic growth, prosperity and stability are positively correlated with strong educational values, workable policy frameworks and high levels of R&D investment," he added.

Speakers at the path-breaking SkillsInvest Forum will include Tarek Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government; Sheikha Aisha Bint Faleh Bin Nasser Al Thani, Member of the Qatar Supreme Education Council; Jeffrey Belnap, Associate Provost and Campus Director Abu Dhabi, Zayed University; Simon Jones, Director Abu Dhabi Men's College, Higher Colleges of Technology; Malcolm Richards, Dean of the Business School, American University of Sharjah; Ghaith Fariz, UNDP Representative and Director of the Arab Knowledge Report, and Hanine Salem, Senior Project Manager and Co-Author of the Arab Human Capital report, RAND Qatar Policy Institute.

The forum will also feature panellists such as Mohamad Khawaja, Deputy Director, Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship; Charbel Fakhoury, General Manager - Gulf Region, Microsoft; Badr Al Badr, General Manager Saudi Arabia, Cisco; Husni Khuffash, Country Manager UAE, Google; Nabih Maroun, Partner, Public sector, Booz & Co; Ammar Shams, Head of Human Resources UAE, HSBC; George Saab, Chief Human Resources Officer, TECOM Investments, and Clare Woodcraft, Regional Communications Director MENA region, Shell.

Launched in 2003, Dubai Knowledge Village aims to consolidate the status of the emirate as a global destination for human resource management and learning excellence. It is a unique hub that offers the right investment opportunities in human capital empowerment, skills development and enhancement.

The free zone cluster has evolved into an effective catalyst for training and learning for the entire MENA region, hosting a large number of HR training and development centres, management consultancies and e-learning providers.