No matter the developing or developed country you are coming from there are always going to be flaws in an education system, and the Middle East is no exception.

Another important hurdle that affects multiple aspects of our societies and their development, is transportation and mobility. Easy and accessible transport is no longer considered a luxury, rather a necessity and a right in today’s societies.

According to the Millennials in the Middle East survey conducted in February 2014, 31 percent of those surveyed felt that a disconnection between their educational qualification and their current job profile presented a major barrier. This was closely followed by a lack of relevant training (28 percent).

As part of Wamda’s efforts to help raise awareness around the importance of education and transportation, we are hosting a design thinking workshop, titled Minds on a Mission, for teams of Emirati university students to come up with solutions to transport and education challenges facing the UAE. The workshop is in collaboration with Cognit, the exclusive provider of IBM Watson technology in MENA.

Teams will work alongside facilitators from Wamda and entrepreneurs from their network to define problems within each respective track, and work towards crafting a solution. The output of the workshop will be a deck presenting the solution to be pitched on Day 2, by IBM Watson.

The workshop will be part of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Majlis for Future Generations, taking place March 7-8 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. The two-day event will feature discussions, breakouts and workshops around topics such as cyber security, smart cities, urban development, and of course, entrepreneurship. The fun, interactive event aims to help young Emiratis think about the career options available to them and the skills they will need in tomorrow’s world, to realize their ambitions for the future.

Minds on a Mission will culminate with a presentation on Day 2 of the event, where the audience will select the most innovative solution to the award of 20,000 Emirati dirhams. Students interested in the event should first register on the website, and then apply for the Minds on a Mission challenge.

Organized under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, more than 3,000 Emirati university students will take part in plenary sessions and breakouts.

In addition to senior representatives of the country's leadership, confirmed speakers will include members of the council of ministers, notably Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation; and Shamma Bint Suhail Bin Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs.

Feature image via mbzfuturegen.com.