A series of international education programmes was launched yesterday at the opening of the Educational Youth Forum 2013, being held under the theme “Challenges and Prospects”.
The forum is sponsored by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani’s AlFaisal Without Borders Foundation (Alf) and organised by Hemam Qataria for Human Development and Doha Youth Centre.
In its second year, the forum targets young people, their parents and teachers, to inspire, motivate and boost educational achievement among students, and to instil in them a love of life-long learning, the spirit of creativity, innovation and greater self-development.
In line with Qatar National Vision 2030 of creating a knowledge-based economy, the forum aims to empower Qatar’s youth with the necessary skills and abilities to become successful leaders of the future.
During the six-day event at Sheraton Doha, educational experts from Qatar and the region will deliver keynote speeches, facilitate workshops and deliver a comprehensive series of courses.
The objectives are to enhance students’ capabilities, equip teachers with new skills and techniques to support their students and to make learning more fun, and help parents provide a nurturing and inspiring home life in which their children can flourish personally and academically.
Alf, a charitable foundation established in 2011, promotes sustainable development and improved quality of life for people around the world – under the philosophy “giving something which no-one can take away”.
The foundation supports educational and social advancement within Qatar and internationally. Embodied in its ethos is the empowerment of Qatar’s youth through the latest, world-class education programmes.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani said that the philosophy of Alf is to give people something of real value which no-one can take back – this includes education, life-skills, and ambitious career aspirations.
Alf general manager Abdullatif al-Yafei said that the main purpose of the programme is to enhance academic standards in order to make education appealing and fun.
Hemam Qataria manager Jameela al-Saabi said that the event seeks to inculcate creativity and self-development in students, educators and parents and to instil in the young a passion for learning, self-improvement and academic success.
The forum was opened by Dr Ali al-Omari, president of Open Mecca University and secretary-general of the Youth Award for Islamic Action Service. He is also an expert on youth and education, having published books and papers on the issue.
This year’s event offers three programmes – for young people, for teachers and for parents – which are tailored to the particular group’s needs.