Launching of the National Jury for "Youth for Development" Initiative

The National Arbitration Committee for the "Youth for Development" initiative has begun its work for the academic year 2022/2023. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the National Institute of Governance and Sustainable Development, and the Supreme Council of Universities. The committee's work spanned over two days.

Dr Mohamed Alaa, the initiative's coordinator and head of the human rights unit at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, emphasized the Egyptian government's commitment to valuing the opinions and ideas of young people. The initiative aims to harness these ideas, provide policy papers, and implement advanced development projects that support the state's public policies. Dr Alaa praised the efforts of the young participants in competitions, the teamwork of research teams, and their cooperation, which resulted in innovative ideas and policy proposals addressing contemporary economic, social, and environmental issues. He also highlighted the initiative's commitment to providing training programs and workshops to enable and empower young people in preparing successful policy papers and development projects.

During the first day of the committee's work, 11 policy papers were reviewed from various Egyptian universities. These papers covered different aspects of the initiative, including governance of public services, Egyptian family development, health, and education. Notable papers included Mansoura University's submission on "improving mechanisms and means of control over basic goods" in the governance axis, Cairo University's paper on "bridging the gap between government supply of electronic services and societal demand," and Suez Canal University's paper on "economic exploitation of unused housing units." In the field of Egyptian family development, Assiut University presented papers on the dangers of cyberspace, while Galala University offered a proposal to solve the problem of fines in Egypt. Additionally, papers on healthcare were presented by Kafr el Sheikh University, focusing on "reducing the migration of doctors outside Egypt," and Helwan University's paper on "reforming the healthcare system." In the education axis, Alexandria University proposed a training program to develop future skills for teachers, Port Said University presented two papers on empowering students of determination in education faculties and creating a virtual educational system for Egyptians abroad, and Mansoura University submitted a policy paper on employing artificial intelligence technologies in the education system for people with disabilities.

On the second day, the committee reviewed 10 development projects from Egyptian universities in various domains of the initiative. These projects covered health, environment, women's empowerment, and education. The British University in Egypt presented a project in the health axis, while universities such as Alexandria, Beni Suef, Cairo, and the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology showcased seven environmental development projects. Port Said University submitted a women's empowerment project, and Kafr el Sheikh University presented an education project. The launch of the National Jury for the "Youth for Development" initiative sets the stage for fruitful collaboration between young minds and government institutions, aimed at shaping a better future for Egypt.