CHAPTER THREE: EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ARAB YOUTH IN THE LOCALISATION OF KNOWLEDGE: BUILDING THE HUMAN CAPITAL Effectiveness of the Arab Youth in the Localisation of Knowledge: Building The Human Capital 59 60 Arab Knowledge Report 2014: Youth and Localisation of Knowledge Introduction integration into the development process? In the previous chapters, we emphasised - To what extent have these countries the definition of youth as a transitional succeeded in providing an atmosphere of phase, between childhood and adulthood, citizenship and participation for young through which the person experiences a people? set of changes that allow a gradual move from limited dependence on others to full The discussion of this chapter is divided independence. However, the economic, into six key axes: social and cultural conditions in the Arab • Cognitive effectiveness, including skills region, as previously mentioned, play an and qualifications influential role in the delay of this transitional • Cultural effectiveness, including culture phase affecting young people. Several and values studies have discussed the phenomenon of • Economic effectiveness, including this delay as young people move from one employment and unemployment stage to another, to the labour market and conditions to social independence. This report focused • Social effectiveness, including citizenship, This chapter focuses on young people in the age group 19-29 belonging and voluntary work on finding answers to years, to form a deep understanding and a • Women, between marginalisation and important questions clear identification of the extent of their empowerment revolving around effectiveness in terms of transfer, localisation • Openness and communication, locally the effectiveness and employment of knowledge processes; or and globally of the youth in rather in the formation of a human capital the localisation capable of building the knowledge society Cognitive Effectiveness of the Arab of knowledge, and achieving the renaissance of the Arab Youth: Skills and Qualifications region, where a favourable opportunity for i.e., the success of knowledge-based development exists. This section aims at analysing the cognitive Arab countries in effectiveness of young people in the Arab transforming the Accordingly, this chapter focuses on finding countries with regards to development, youth bulge into answers to important questions revolving transfer and the production of knowledge. a human wealth around the effectiveness of the youth in the As previously demonstrated, the youth and cognitive asset localisation of knowledge, i.e., the success constitute one of the most important groups that integrates with of Arab countries in transforming the youth concerned with the issues of knowledge real developmental bulge into a human wealth and cognitive acquisition and production, as well as those operations to move asset that integrates with real developmental of empowerment and integration in the the region towards operations to move the region towards the economic and social development processes. the knowledge society knowledge society. These questions are the They also represent the social group with the following: highest ability for learning, training, work and production, and constitute the driving force - To what extent have Arab countries for development within the society. Youth succeeded in providing opportunities for empowerment requires equipping young young people in terms of education and people with skills and qualifications, which qualification for their integration into the enables them to assimilate the technology transfer, employment and production of and transfer it from the developed world knowledge processes? centres to their home countries so as to - To what extent have they succeeded in employ and localise it. bringing about a cultural development that enables young people to adopt new Based on the previously mentioned concepts mental approaches that unleash their of human capacity and social justice, and creative innovative potentials? in an attempt to determine the status of - To what extent have Arab countries young people and their effectiveness in the succeeded in providing job opportunities dissemination and localisation of knowledge, and social participation for youth along with the ability of the Arab countries Effectiveness of the Arab Youth in the Localisation of Knowledge: Building The Human Capital 61 to form an effective human capital in the by the young labour force. It also includes field of knowledge transfer and localisation, the quality of skills they possess and the we will discuss in this section four axes that opportunities to apply them. Consequently, represent four basic levels. The first axis is the efficient participation in the processes of acquisition of knowledge and training; the knowledge acquisition and regular attendance formation of the essential cognitive capital at schools and universities that constitute the needed for the transfer and dissemination fostering environments for the cognitive of knowledge; the extent to which the fair capital, from which emanate active forces distribution of knowledge opportunities in the cognitive production and innovation among young people has been achieved; and processes, represent the basic foundations to the ability of education and training systems enable young people to transfer and produce to achieve this task. The second axis is the knowledge.1 extent of “the achievement of advanced quality levels of acquired knowledge”, for Access to Basic Knowledge and the purpose of quantifying the success of Continuous Training education and training systems in providing a chance for the efficient distribution of The enrolment of young people aged knowledge and fairly, as well as in identifying between 19-29 years in various stages of the quality of skills acquired from education education is determined by indicators and Despite progressing and training and their responsiveness to the practices that are traced back to the years in illiteracy conditions of achieving cognitive efficiency preceding this age bracket. Before reviewing eradication, the for youth. The third axis focuses on “the the knowledge situation of university number of people development of the personal skills in the students, the status of the pre-youth who are illiterate information and communication field,” in category will be presented briefly through in the Arab region order to determine the level that the Arab an overview of efforts to eradicate illiteracy remains high. In youth have reached in their possession of and improve youth education. 2012, it was estimated skills to use information technology, since that there were it is the pillar of progress in the transfer Literacy Efforts around 51.8 million and localisation of knowledge. The fourth and last axis is “the active participation of Despite progressing in illiteracy eradication, illiterate people (age young people in the activities of scientific the number of people who are illiterate 15 years and above), research and innovation,” with the purpose in the Arab region remains high. In 2012, out of which 66% of shedding light on the limitations and it was estimated that there were around were females obstacles hindering the effectiveness of the 51.8 million illiterate people (age 15 years youth in the dissemination and localisation and above), out of which 66% were of knowledge, as well as the shortcomings females.2 According to the latest UNESCO that limit the expansion of the capacities of estimates, the literacy rate among adults in young people and the available opportunities the Arab region (aged 15 years and above) that help them achieve and maximise their is around 77.5%, compared to 95% in East own potential. Asia and the Pacific and 98.7% in Central and Eastern Europe, and to a global average Knowledge Acquisition, Training and of 84.3%. These percentages put the Arab Formation of the Knowledge Capital region ahead of Southeast Asia (62.6%) and sub-Saharan Africa (58.7%). In 2012, the Knowledge acquisition through the systems number of illiterates among young Arabs of education and teaching is the cornerstone (age group 15-24) reached 6.9 million, 64% in preparing citizens for the transfer and of whom are females.3 4 These statistics also production of knowledge. The educated indicate that the literacy rate among the and competent young labour force is the youth (age group 15-24) reached 89.7% in key driver for knowledge participation, 2012, and this percentage increases among in addition to its effective dissemination, males (92.8%) and decreases among females development and use. This entails the (86.4%). Regardless of this seemingly opportunities and educational levels attained increasing percentage among young people, 62 Arab Knowledge Report 2014: Youth and Localisation of Knowledge it remains a cause for concern when The latest UNESCO data estimated the compared to the rates in similar countries average number of schooling years for undertaking a “transition period,” where the the population in the Arab countries to literacy rate among young people exceeds be at 11.8 years for 2011 and 2012. This 99.7%. The same is true when comparing rate varies among Arab countries; where it the rates of the region of Central and constitutes 13.5 years in Egypt and Jordan Eastern Europe (99.5%), while the rate is (2012); 15.6 years in KSA (2012); 14.6 years at 98.9% for Eastern Asia and the Pacific.5 in Tunisia (2011); and 9.2 years in Yemen (2011).8 Upon comparison, we