Producing Employment-Ready Graduates & Promoting Industrial Innovation in Private Sector in IDB Member Countries …. Initiatives for Actions Associate Prof. Wagdy Sawahel Consultant, Higher Education, Science, Technology & Innovation. General Coordinator, IDB Alumni & Science Development Network Board of trustees of Arab organization for quality assurance in education Advisory board of Arab scientific community organization International associate, Center for Learning Innovation & Customized Knowledge Solutions

Do OIC countries really suffer from youth unemployment problem?

Who is suffering from unemployment problem?

Why our higher education institutions and universities are producing unemployed graduates?

Defining employability Recruiters agree or strongly agree that employability means: Source: Global University Employability Survey 2016 © Emerging

Predictors of employability and the importance of employability skills Source: Global University Employability Survey 2016 © Emerging

Company/university links Source: Global University Employability Survey 2016 © Emerging

Countries producing the most employable graduates Source: Global University Employability Survey 2016 © Emerging

Global University Employability Ranking 2016 3 universities out of more than 1500 universities located in only 3 countries out of 57 IDB member countries….were included among the 150 best universities for delivering work-ready graduates ==================================================================== Rank University Country 147 American University of Dubai UAE   148 University of Malaya Malaysia 149 King Abdul-Aziz University Saudi Arabia

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 Indicators   Employer Reputation 30% Partnerships with Employers 25% Alumni Outcomes 20% Employers’ Presence on Campus 15% Graduate Employment Rate 10%

Which OIC MCs–based universities are best at creating student-employer connections? Which claim the most impressive alumni outcomes, or the strongest reputation among employers? 13 universities out of more than 1500 universities located in only 7 countries out of 57 Islamic states included in IDB member countries

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 ===================================================================== Rank University Country 81-90 American university of Beirut Lebanon 151-200 Khalifa univ. UAE 151-200 King Fahd univ of petroleum & Mineral Saudi Arabia 151-200 Universiti Malaya Malaysia 201+ The American Univ. in Cairo Egypt 201+ American univ. of Sharjah UAE 201+ Bandung Institute of Technology Indonesia 201+ Bilkent Univ. Turkey 201+ Bogazici Univ. Turkey 201+ Cairo Univ. Egypt 201+ Koc univ. Turkey 201+ univ. Sains Malaysia Malaysia 201+ Indonesia Univ. Indonesia ======================================================================

Can the Solution for Member countries' Job Crisis Be Found in Higher Education?

Islamic Virtual Academy for Work-Ready Graduates (IVAWRG) Online knowledge transfer and dissemination clearinghouse "a repository of knowledge for developing higher education for employment" for the following: Facilitating knowledge and best-practice transfer from world-class and regional universities to higher education policy makers in IDB member countries Serving universities to produce employable graduates Training university Graduates to fit with market and industry needs.

A guide for employer-driven training This would include organizations that provide graduates with top-class professional and technical training leading to career-building jobs, and enabling educational institutions to better prepare graduates for the workforce by providing them with quality curriculum and methodologies. An example is the Education for Employment Foundation.

A directory of policies for education-orientated jobs This would provide information about organisations that conduct rigorous and timely research to support education policy-making targeted at improving educational outcomes and the economic competitiveness of university graduates in an increasingly globalised world. It would also promote exchanges of policy ideas. Examples are the Center on Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness and the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

 Project on "promoting education for (Self) employment in universities of IDB member countries" The aim of the project is reforming universities for producing: Market and industry – ready graduates Self-employment graduates Making universities in IDB member countries "functional developmental institutes" providing valuable resources for business, industry and society.

 Steps of the project 3 universities, one from Africa, Asia and the Arab world, will be identified to carry out the upgrades and reform, for enhancing graduates employment capabilities The institutions will be selected using international and regional university rankings, as well as their readiness to meet the demands and their likely impact on the development of knowledge-based economy.

Global University Employability Ranking 2016 ==================================================================== Rank University Country 147 American University of Dubai UAE   148 University of Malaya Malaysia 149 King Abdul-Aziz University Saudi Arabia

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 ===================================================================== Rank University Country 81-90 American university of Beirut Lebanon 151-200 Khalifa univ. UAE 151-200 King Fahd univ of petroleum & Mineral Saudi Arabia 151-200 Universiti Malaya Malaysia 201+ The American Univ. in Cairo Egypt 201+ American univ. of Sharjah UAE 201+ Bandung Institute of Technology Indonesia 201+ Bilkent Univ. Turkey 201+ Bogazici Univ. Turkey 201+ Cairo Univ. Egypt 201+ Koc univ. Turkey 201+ univ. Sains Malaysia Malaysia 201+ Indonesia Univ. Indonesia ======================================================================

A roadmap for promoting education for (Self) employment in universities of IDB member countries will be prepared. It must include specific initiatives such as establishing: University-business incubators ……. # To narrow the gap between university educational outputs and the needs of the workplace, and to encourage new businesses.   # To support projects at universities being incubated into business ventures, to attract finance from businesses, impart useful skills among students and provide employment for graduates

University-based career centers  # To enhance the employability of graduates and their transition to the workforce through providing orientation services to students and graduates as well as work readiness training, information on high growth sectors and exposure to employers, internships and other forms of workplace learning. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centers # To inspire, connect, encourage, and support startups, students and existing entrepreneurs. Through educational training, entrepreneurs and students will have access to the tools needed to build valuable companies and technical prowess.

Approaches for new kind of learner # Smart education and e-learning systems for enhancing graduates’ skills and capabilities.   # Higher education institutions must promote analytic learning applications to provide a platform to build up learners’ career-readiness and evaluate their professional development during the course of their academic study with the aim of developing professional orientation, and career path development aligned to industry needs

A diagnostic report for each institution will be prepared to ensure it has the necessary minimum standards to leap-frog to excellence and to precisely define the objectives to be reached by the end of the upgrading A quality assurance system will be incorporated and benchmarks established as indicators of the quality and achievements will be monitored.

Islamic intelligence system for promoting partnership between private sector and universities Aim: Promoting university-industry alliances for employment creation. These would combine research with technological and social innovation to develop models that empower unemployed university graduates, and to convert concepts into small projects that help to ease unemployment problems. It would also assist small and medium enterprises in technology acquisition, adoption and adaption to foster and promote a close productivity linkage between industry and research and development institutions, including universities.

3 messages to think about … 3 messages to think about …. (1) Islamic Virtual Academy for Work-Ready Graduates (IVAWRG) Online knowledge transfer and dissemination clearinghouse "a repository of knowledge for developing higher education for employment" for the following: Facilitating knowledge and best-practice transfer from world-class and regional universities to higher education policy makers in IDB member countries Serving universities to produce employable graduates Training university Graduates to fit with market and industry needs

3 messages to think about … 3 messages to think about …. (2) Implementing a roadmap for promoting education for (Self) employment in universities of IDB member countries…….in one university at each of IDB region (Africa, Arab, and Asian region)………………..these up gradated universities will act as a regional focal point for leading the initiatives for producing work-ready graduates

3 messages to think about …   3 messages to think about …. (3)Islamic intelligence system for promoting partnership between private sector and universities.  This could be done through partnership between IDB scholarship division and IDB private sector arm .

Company/university links Source: Global University Employability Survey 2016 © Emerging

  .