Experts from around the world are scheduled to deliberate on ways of strengthening youth entrepreneurship and access to Islamic finance during a forum to be held by the Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. IRTI is organizing the 12th IDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance with the theme "Empowering Youth Entrepreneurship and Access to Islamic Finance" on May 15 in Jeddah, in partnership with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), as part of the side events of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the IDB Group. The objective of the forum is to discuss the emergence of alternative finance for youth to pursue innovation-driven opportunities. "IRTI is organizing the forum to find ways of providing access to Islamic finance for youth and how that can help spur economic growth and jobs creation, promote inclusive growth, reduce inequality and accelerate poverty reduction," said IRTI Director General, Prof. Mohamed Azmi Omar. "The youth are an important segment of the society, and empowering them is one significant way to boost economic activities and promote financial and social stability for IDB member countries." The forum will also feature a presentation on the key findings of the first Global Report on Islamic Finance, jointly produced by IDBG and World Bank Group. Speakers during the program will include Amal Dokhan of KAUST; Stephen Wilmarth, Principal, The Whitney International Project, USA; Umar Munshi, Founder, Ethis Ventures, Singapore; and Craig Moore, CEO, Beehive, UAE. Others are Benoist Grossmann, Idinvest, France; Riadh Boukhris, CEO, Blue Mena, UAE; Riad Hartani, Partner, Xona Partners, USA; and Mohamed Hedi Mejai, Director of IDB Enterprise Development Department. IRTI and IDB organize seminar on linking graduates with careers The Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Human Development Department will hold a seminar on linking education with employability, during the 42nd Annual Meeting of the IDB Group. The seminar, scheduled for May 14, is being organized with the academic partnership of the Islamic Economics Institute of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. Discussions during the seminar, which is themed "Linking Graduates to Careers for Youth Economic Empowerment", will focus on formulating policies and strategies to provide youth with relevant skills and competencies that would meet contemporary labor market demands. "This seminar will provide practical policy recommendations on the way forward to strengthen youth employability for better economic opportunities," IRTI Director General, Prof. Mohamed Azmi Omar, said. Speakers will include Dr. Abdullah Q. Turkistani, King Abdulaziz University; Amal Dokhan, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); Stephen Wilmarth, The Whitney International Project, USA; and Ozan Sonmez, Managing Director of T. Jump, USA. Other speakers are Abdullah AlHarbi, King Abdullah Economic City; Manal Bakur Quota, World Bank Group; Dr. Michaela Baur, Country Director of GIZ for Jordan and Lebanon; and Gonzalo Rodriguez of the Saudi Spanish Center for Islamic Economics and Finance (SCIEF). Two award-winning start-up creators, Lulwa Alsoudairy from KSA and Taufik Hidaya from Indonesia, will share their experiences on start-up development. Wagdy Sawahel, Founder and General Coordinator for IDB Alumni & Science Development Network, will give a lecture on producing employment-ready graduates and promoting innovation in the private sector.
