Qatar Shell and Silatech have hosted Itijah, an intensive leadership development programme that had 40 leaders from across Mena and Europe gathered in Doha to find ways in which to secure employment for youth in future.

The four-day course, created by global not-for-profit organisation Common Purpose, was held at the Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre (QSRTC) located at Qatar Science and
Technology Park.

Itijah, meaning ‘direction’ in Arabic, is part of a series of ventures designed to expand, enrich and energise collaboration between Arab and European nations. The participants were set a hypothetical challenge of ensuring that for every 10mn euros invested in legacy events, such as the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, 100 business and social youth enterprise jobs would be directly generated as a result.

Welcoming the participants to the programme, Rob Sherwin, general manager of corporate affairs and deputy country chairman at Qatar Shell, said nurturing the skills of emerging Qatari leaders, and those from the wider Arab world and Europe, is an important outcome of the Itijah Venture.

Dr Tarik M Yousef, CEO, Silatech, stated that the Itijah programme was an attempt to find practical solutions to the pressing issue of job creation.

Representing Qatar at Itijah were 11 leaders, each with a proven professional leadership track record. The other participants represented Egypt, Hungry, Germany, Libya, Jordan, Turkey, the Netherlands and the UK.

QSRTC continuously strives to foster collaborations with the academic community to develop local Qatari research talent and enhance scientific capabilities.

It also seeks to link budding Qatari scientists with academic experts by facilitating educational partnerships that cultivate national innovation.

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