Youth Ambassador Think Tank: The Economic Crisis and Development: A New, "Hip" Career Choice?
26 Sep 2008 in Education, Employment, Civic Participation
MEYI’s Youth Ambassador Think Tank is a forum to encourage active discussion on topics of timely relevance to Middle Eastern youth. Our third topic asks if the current economic climate has affected the popularity of development and related career paths among young people in the region.
The Think Tank shares brief perspectives from MEYI's Youth Ambassadors on a current issue or topic relevant to MEYI's research. The primary goal is to stimulate an exchange of ideas between youth in the region and the wider public, and for emerging research concepts to be defined and evaluated by youth – the very population whose lives this research hopes to impact. Youth Ambassadors will provide initial responses to the topic, which will rotate on a regular basis.
We encourage you to visit our facebook discussion board to participate in the discussion, or to submit your comments through the "Write to the Editor" form below.
Think Tank Discussion #3: The Economic Crisis and Development: A New, "Hip" Career Choice?
Given the wide range of development challenges that the Middle East is facing now (or will face soon) – climate change, rising food prices, diminishing supplies of water and arable land, poverty and unemployment – are more young people in the region pursuing educational tracks and careers in development? For example, do you find many youth in the region who have become more passionate about issues such as the environment and climate change, urban planning, social services, or food and water security? On a related note, has your daily life been affected by the changing economic trends in your community? If so, give some examples of how things are changing for you, your family, and/or your friends.
NASEEM TARAWNAH (Amman, Jordan):
“Jordan is an interesting case study, given the fact that it is resource-poor and thus everything from energy and water to poverty, unemployment, inflation and arable land affect it greatly. Without a doubt, development is becoming a blooming passion for young people in our country. In very recent years, Jordan has opened the door for more NGOs to operate in the country, most of which have pursued various development-focused projects, specifically that of educational reform and employment-enhancement. Such NGOs tend to employ many young and educated Jordanians, however there should be a clear distinction between passion, career and education. While many young Jordanians might want to pursue careers in development or to even fulfill a passion, the higher-education system is still very mainstream and is not typically observant of specialized fields that are inclusive of development approaches. Moreover, while development is becoming a hot field, there are still many missing elements that I feel are necessary to Jordan's future but somewhat overlooked, especially development with regards to water and food security...Given Jordan's highly sensitive economy, recent trends have taken their toll on the local community. Gas prices are incredibly high for the average Jordanian, and without a proper public transportation system, the majority of people, including myself, tend to rethink every trip they take with their car. I think the most significant impact may be in the changing attitudes towards marriage, as new economic trends have made it all the more difficult to sustain a family and many young Jordanians are delaying it. These trends have also given more reasons for young Jordanians to work abroad, typically in neighboring wealthy Gulf-states such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.”
JOULAN ABDULKHALEK (Beirut, Lebanon):
"Development and development-related fields are among the most ‘hip’ majors for students choosing their future career. But, just like many other things in our region, the problem is not in the lack of competency in individuals but rather in the structure of the economy itself. To be frank, an important factor for many people choosing their future career path is the ability to make money. With development agencies in our region being mainly confined to international organizations, they usually pay higher salaries being benchmarked with international standards. However, the very fact that these agencies are confined to international organizations makes job offerings very competitive and leaves a lot of development-related degree holders without jobs. The answer to the riddle is clear. The global economy is changing, and with change comes hardship. Both private and public sectors must invest in developmental institutions to buffer the societies of the region against such economic ‘tidal waves.’"
ALAA AL-MIZYEN (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia):
"Today’s Middle Eastern youth are passionately driven by the political, economic, and social circumstances that they live in, and have been working hard to tackle present as well as future challenges. Economic conditions have led some countries to engage in deficit spending. Whether they are driven by these economic conditions or the region’s geopolitical struggles, young people are claiming social responsibility and are assuming more and more active roles in development."
RADWAN WETTI (Damascus, Syria):
“Among all of the countries in the region, Syria increasingly has more development agencies opening their doors for beneficiaries as well as employees. Being new, well-paying, prestigious and, above all, a leading society in facing new challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental issues, the development sector is drawing more interest than ever from Syrian youth, who are pursuing careers and educational opportunities in this field. Sometimes this represents a change from their originally chosen domain or career path. Rana, a graduate from the American University of Beirut (AUB) with a degree in Biology, spent four years in a lab and then, surprisingly, decided to pursue a career in youth development with the SHABAB Project. Rana had previously volunteered for the Red Cross, where she realized how much she could give to society and contribute to development. Rana recently moved to England for her Master’s degree in Development at UCL, and plans to continue a career in development.”
YASSER SALIMI (Tehran, Iran):
“As they are concerned about their financial situation, young people in Iran are mostly pursuing business majors and other fields which will lead to a good and secure jobs. Few people are concerned with development, since there are no jobs for people who have graduated with development-related majors. For example, there are no think tanks or research centers to employ people in this field in Iran. MBA studies have become very popular in recent years and many universities, including technical ones, are offering MBA programs. Thousands of graduates from different academic fields compete in entrance exams to study for their MBA…
As a recently married person, I faced some difficulty in becoming independent from my parents. Although I come from a middle-class family and my parents provided a house for me to live in, it is still hard for me to afford the monthly costs of living while I am student and working part time, since I cannot find a full-time job until I graduate and have completed military service.”
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