Paul Dyer Takes Part in Education and Labor Market Conference in Abu Dhabi

Paul Dyer, Fellow at the Dubai School of Government, participated in an expert panel at the Education and the Requirements of the GCC Labour Market conference, held from February 1 to 3 and organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR).

The conference covered a wide array of topics related to the upgrading of education systems in the Gulf countries. While the region has invested a considerable amount in improving access to education, school systems still promote rote memorization and do not equip students with the soft skills and critical thinking capacities needed in today's global economy. The conference focused on the respective roles of educational institutions, the private sector, and the governments in the region.

In an interview with ECSSR, Paul explains that the Middle East Youth Initiative was established "to provide a deeper diagnosis of the economic challenges that the young people in the Middle East face but also to steer it towards coming up with effective policy solutions...[W]e have helped shape some short-term and long-term guidelines for policy and have come up with some effective ways to include more youth in the economic process." On educational reform in the region, he notes that, due to the unpredictable performance of specific industries over time, "the most important thing you can do for young people today is to provide them with a broad-based adaptable education."

Coverage of the conference:

(4 February 2010) الخليج: غباش: مطلوب فرز فرص عمل محفزة للمواطني

ECSSR: Quality of Education Suffering in the Region - Interview with Paul Dyer (4 February 2010)