Dr. Sulieman Sulieman & Ms . Lisa Freiburg

1. Global Innovators ConferenceDoha, 5-7 April 2013Regional Project on Entrepreneurship Education in the Arab States Dr. Sulieman Sulieman& Ms. Lisa Freiburg

2. Outline • Regional Context • UNESCO and StratREAL Foundation Cooperation • EPE Programme focus areas • Major achievements in the EPE Project • Regional workshop on entrepreneurship education in the Arab States • Project evaluation • Relevant materials • Conclusions

3. Regional Context • The Middle East and North Africa (Arab region) has the highest rates of unemployment between the world regions- around 20% in 2009 (ILO Statistics), particularly affecting young females. • The region is characterized with fast growth of the youth population. • Recent events have highlighted the discontent of educated youth whose expectations in terms of employment opportunities are not met.

4. Why Entrepreneurship Education? • EPE is considered a useful strategy in diminishing youth unemployment and providing youth with knowledge and competencies that empower them to face socio-economical challenges and self employment; • Promotes personal empowerment and active citizenship; • Encourages individual initiative and self-employment • Enhances young people’s capacities towards improved employability. (UNESCO-ILO, Towards an entrepreneurial culture for the 21st century, 2006)

5. UNESCO and StratREAL Foundation Cooperation • The project was launched in December 2008. UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET-Bonn is the lead Unit in the implementation of the project; • UNESCO Regional Bureau-Beirut is providing the necessary technical support and coordination; • The project involves Ministries of Education, R&D Institutes, and UNEVOC Centres in the Arab region.

6. EPE Programme Focus Areas • Policy review and coordination; • Curriculum revision and development; • Capacity building/training of teachers and instructors; • Networking, engaging the private sector and NGOs; • Other areas/fields (identified by participating institutions and working teams).

7. Major Achievements in the EPE Project:Component I (2009-2010) • Four case studies of Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Tunisia were prepared, published and disseminated to policy makers and professionals in the region; • Based on the four case studies and the international perspectives, a Regional Synthesis Report was prepared and published to guide EPE actions; • Coordination with other UN/International Organizations (i.e. ILO, ETF, UNIDO) was arranged for mobilization of joint effort.

8. Major Achievements in the EPE Project:Component II (2011-2012) Phase 1: • Three countries (Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco) were selected to receive technical and financial support to develop national EPE strategies/frameworks and completed phase 1 in January 2011; • Oman joined phase 1 of the project in July 2012; • Activities carried out under phase 1 varied between countries, but generally focused on: • Establishment of committees to review policies and curriculum/textbooks; • Organization of workshops for teachers and other relevant stakeholders; • Identification of relevant stakeholders and existing initiatives .

9. Major Achievements in the EPE Project:Component Two (2011-2012) Cont’d Phase 2: • Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco have entered phase 2 of the project (July 2012). • Activities carried out under phase 2 varies between countries, but generally focuses on and is still ongoing: • Networking with private sector and relevant stakeholders; • Further development of EPE framework and curriculum; • Organization of workshops for teachers and relevant stakeholders to validate the suggested EPE framework and work plans.

10. Regional Workshop on Entrepreneurship Education in the Arab States (Manama, Bahrain, 10-12 Dec. 2012) • The regional workshop was attended by 66 participants from 19 Arabic countries and confirmed the recognition of EPE in the region; • Sharing of initiatives in the area of entrepreneurship education and enhancing work skills and employment for youth in the region; • Workshop highlighted success stories from female entrepreneurs in the region and provided a platform for open dialogue and exchange of experiences within the Arab region; • Stressed importance of regional collaboration and exchange of experiences – initiated development of EPE Portal.

11. Project Evaluation • A final evaluation was necessary to assess the outcome and impact of the activities carried out by the countries and should aim to capture the experiences and lessons learnt throughout the project; • The evaluation report concludes that the initiative was welcome and raised awareness on the importance of EPE in the region. Recommendations include: • All relevant actors should be involved in the process of integrating EPE, need for national strategy on EPE; • Sufficient budget and time should be allocated to such an initiative to have lasting effects; and • This initiative was only the first step and more needs to be done to ensure its impact. (Dr. JilaniLamloumi, President, Virtual University of Tunis , 2013

12. EPE Resources • EPE Case Studies and Regional Synthesis Report, 2011 • http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/docs/EPE_Component_One_ENG_March_2011.pdf (English) • http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/docs/EPE_Component_One_ARABIC_March_2011.pdf • EPE CD-ROM, Component II, 2013

13. Conclusions • EPE is gradually becoming a mean for knowledge and skills development related to business, industry, and self-employment through the education system; • The regional and international experiences reflect growing needs in all regions to target youth competences in a wider range, covering life skills, personal development, business development, and social entrepreneurial skills development; • As primary implementers, teachers and trainers should be active participators and contributors to the successful integration of EPE. • It is necessary to identify all relevant stakeholders and initiatives and establish partnerships with the private sector.

14. Thank you! Questions? UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States – Beirut s.sulieman@unesco.org www.unesco/beirut UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for TVET – Bonn l.freiburg@unesco.org www.unevoc.unesco.org