The world’s most significant trend today is the shift towards a world where new solutions and bold ideas are encouraged to facilitate our daily life, and help solve
critical & pressing issues in the dynamic sectors of the community. As this trend
accelerates, new and different opportunities are created by young talents who have
realized that the globe’s ultimate development and growth, lies in the renovation,
adaptation and diffusion of technology accompanied by entrepreneurial culture &
mindset.
This worldwide interest in entrepreneurship represents a sea change from what
existed just a few years ago and it is easy to understand why. This may be the first
generation of young talents who fully understand that their standard of living may
not be as high as that of their parents, who truly ‘get’ that they are in competition
with a global marketplace and who recognize that the good, secure jobs that were
once a feature of many economies are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
Consequently, students are taking their future into their own hands and becoming
more entrepreneurial
Accompanying this interest has been the growth of courses, specialized programs,
incubators, discovery spaces, centers, hubs, hatcheries and accelerators.
Understanding that the creation of small, medium enterprises (SME’s) is one of the
keys to increased GDP, job growth and youth employment, governments worldwide
have responded and have been encouraging post-secondary education (PSE’s) by
investing heavily in institutes that have developed, or are, developing, such
educational and support related entrepreneurship initiatives. This is having a
noticeable impact in the culture of higher education. It is perhaps most dramatic in
North America but it is also increasingly being felt elsewhere, including Egypt.
Throughout my work in Egypt, I have had the opportunity and the privilege to
observe the power of the bright minds of prominent Egyptian youth who
passionately work to create the perfect combination of technology and innovation.
As an integrated part of the Information Technology Institute human capacity building programs – where I used to work- the students are asked to work on a graduation
project to apply what they have explored during their learning journey. Students
have then been encouraged to turn their graduation projects into start-ups and
sustainable ventures. However, whether facing difficulties in conceiving an idea that
effectively tackles true customer needs; in reaching and understanding customers to
effectively validate ideas; because of the lack of mentorship and direction to guide
good ideas to viable commercial products; the lack of exposure to entrepreneurship
and little or no business training offered; ITI students face a number of challenges in
starting their own viable businesses.
More than ever, we have touched upon the urgent need for an entrepreneurial
platform to help further cultivate an entrepreneurial culture & mindset among the
ITI students and encourage innovation through relevant tools and mentorship,
A new strategy has been developed out of the strong belief that Entrepreneurship
can and will take significant steps towards economic growth and development. The
ITI talents have been harnessed and leveraged through comprehensive
entrepreneurship-driven education, interactive mentorship and access to top-notch
business and technical support that have nurtured their skills and knowledge,turning them into change-agents who are capable of building and sustaining high-
impact businesses in a joint effort.
Entrepreneurial education is the nation’s answer to equip itself in facing disruptive
changes, and the response for the demand for continuous innovation & renovation in
ICT applications that can best be reflected on Egypt’s socioeconomic development.