Developing Skills That “Stimulate Creativity, Intellectual Curiosity and Honest Inquiry” for the Youth
Mawlana Hazar Imam places a great emphasis on youth development and education. This is evident in his vision for the Aga Khan Academies, globally, demonstrated by the following quote:
“An education must equip students with the tools that enable them to adapt and thrive, in a world characterised by change. In such an environment, technical proficiency is not enough. Education that prepares children for life must go beyond fundamental skills to stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and honest inquiry.”
His vision recognizes the importance of creative skills alongside fundamental skills as an integral part of a holistic educational curriculum. Hence, it is fitting that our community is helping the youth to develop these skills on World Youth Skills Day.
In 2014, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly announced that World Youth Skills Day would be held annually on 15 July. The UN highlights on their official World Youth Skills Day page that the main objective of this event is to “celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.”
Now more than ever, it is vital for the youth to expand their abilities, which will allow them to stand out in the current competitive environment. It is noteworthy that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the unemployment rate for graduates with a Bachelor's degree in the United States from 1.8% to 4.1%, according to this article published by Forbes, which is reflective of global trends.
With the new post COVID-19 norms forming around us, the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board (AKEPB) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been conducting webinars to develop these skills for the Community. These webinars cover a multitude of topics, from Blockchain and Cryptocurrency to developing data analysis skills through Microsoft PowerBi. These webinars have been helpful for the youth to develop skills that they may not learn otherwise. The Chairman for the AKEPB, Nashir Jiwani, conveyed that the objective of these webinars is to “support the Community and enable youth to be informed of the new norms as a result of COVID-19, as well as educating them on some of the essential tools required in today’s economy.” He added that the “youth will need to adapt their thinking in line with some of these new norms as opportunities in traditional careers have changed over the last 18 months.”
Zain Sadruddin, an attendee of the Microsoft PowerBi webinar, expressed that the webinar helped him learn about and further develop “crucial and powerful skills of data visualisation.” This is an integral part of a data analytics career, which he hopes to pursue. In addition, Zain commented that the webinar was “very technical and hands-on, making it unique and comparable to what I usually learn in school.” Lastly, he noted that these webinars are an excellent tool for students like him to continue learning and exploring their interests.
Referring back to the quote by Mawlana Hazar Imam, one can see how the AKEPB is fulfilling Mawlana Hazar Imam’s vision in enabling the youth to further develop these unique skills. We invite you to join us in our upcoming webinars.
To participate in the World Youth Skills Day webinar, to be held on July 15, 2021, click here.
To access previous webinars conducted by the AKEPB, click here.
Should you have any questions, you can reach the AKEPB at this email: [email protected].
