Egypt’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development holds the first training day for participants of “Youth For Development” initiative

The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development held the first training day for participants in the "Youth for Development" initiative launched by the Ministry in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (the Supreme Council of Universities).
H.E.Dr. Hala El-Said stressed that the "Youth for Development" initiative aims to provide and create spaces for youth to engage in issues of public affairs, and open continuous channels of communication with them. It also aims to raise awareness of the principles and goals of sustainable development and link them to public policies and development projects that the Egyptian state is working on. This comes within the framework of the themes addressed in the Egyptian Human Development Report 2021, namely: education, health, adequate housing, economic reform, social protection, environmental sustainability, the new renaissance of Egyptian women and governance.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Alaa, coordinator of the initiative, human rights unit official and deputy director of the international cooperation office at the ministry, indicated that the initiative consists of two main pillars. 
The first aims to introduce university youth to human development and link it to the state’s strategic plan and development projects at the national and local levels. This is done through seminars, conferences and workshops on the topics covered by the Egyptian Human Development Report 2021.
The second pillar is holding student competitions aimed at preparing a generation of experts, practitioners and trainers aware of human development issues and goals and how to link them to the Egyptian state’s strategy, programs and projects.
He added that the student competitions consist of two tournaments that are being worked on under the umbrella of the initiative, so that the activities in both events depend on the formation of research teams of graduate students and final year students at the undergraduate level, provided that each team includes more than one college in each of the participating public universities. 
These two competitions are: 
-The Development Project Competition, and this component is based on preparing projects that are applicable at the local or national level in specific areas that intersect with the issues addressed in the Egyptian Human Development Report 2021. 
-The Policy Papers Competition where a policy paper is presented that presents an innovative solution to a specific policy problem.

Dr. Mona Essam, Head of the Sustainable Development Unit at the Ministry, gave a presentation that included the definition of sustainable development and its dimensions, history and importance, the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, Africa Agenda 2063, the National Agenda for Sustainable Development: Egypt’s Vision 2030, the participation of government stakeholders, the private sector and Civil society in achieving sustainable development.

Dr. Dalia Khalil, Assistant Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities and coordinator of the initiative, confirmed the interest of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in this initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. 
She noted the importance of informing students and faculty members of universities about the components of the development report and its importance. 
She explained that five universities were selected in the initiative as a prototype to ensure its success; These universities represent Upper Egypt, the Canal Region, the Delta, and the Universities of Cairo and Ain Shams. The teams representing those universities were selected from various faculties to ensure the diversity and strength of ideas.