Lebanese Ministry of Information
Caretaker Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad Najd, participated Sunday in the virtual roundtable discussion on the extent to which education is prepared for the future and the possibility of imagining the future of the partnership of universities and building neighborhoods, which was organized by the “Talents of Endearment Career Labs” Program at the Forum for the Development of Corporate Identity, based in the United Arab Emirates.
The webinar was also attended by the Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, Dr. Amro Ezzat Salameh, and the founding CEO of Du and Mobinil (Orange Egypt), Othman Sultan, and was moderated by the Chairman of the Group’s Board of Directors and CEO of the Forum for the Development of Corporate Identity, Dr. Abed Beidas.
In her word during the discussions’ roundtable, Abdel Samad pointed to “the rapid transformation of higher education and the importance of aligning students’ future and aspirations with technological developments.”
She touched on ways “to enhance the future outlook of students’ professions, their businesses and their communities,” and considered that the COVID-19 pandemic “turned some challenges into opportunities, as it provided a chance to shift to digital education, and contributed to accelerating the introduction of technology in education and the adoption of virtual education, which has become modern and advanced.”
Speakers at the roundtable also indicated that “e-learning has existed since the beginning of this century, but it was rejected by some educators and legislators, while the pandemic pushed everyone towards e-learning – to accept it and adapt to it.”
They also agreed that “more needs to be done on the partnership between the corporate sector, education and government in order to advance education,” arguing that ““without corporate sponsorship and relevant research funding of value to local businesses, educational institutions have very little or no chance of surviving the post-Covid-19 era.”
The webinar concluded with a presentation entitled, “Talents of Endearment”, addressing the means to an instant and affordable solution that aligns students from around the world with companies and professionals, in 33 electronic days, to collaborate together to create wonderful opportunities for all and participate in building the future of their aspirations.
