Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn delivered a keynote speech during the regional ‘Bridging the Gap: Higher Education and Beyond’ conference organised by SPARK, in partnership with the EU Madad Trust Fund and the American University of Beirut (AUB). The conference focused on how to further improve and support the access of young people in the region to quality training, higher education, and entrepreneurship, while their countries are affected by conflict, mass displacement and economic stalemate. Notable keynote speakers included Jan Waltmans, Ambassador of the Netherlands for Lebanon; M.İ. Safa Kapıcıoğlu, Deputy President of YoK (Council of Higher Education), Turkey; and H.E. Marwan Hamadeh, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Lebanon.

In the wake of the Syria refugee crisis, SPARK has awarded almost 7,700 scholarships to vulnerable young people in the region under its Higher Education programme, out of which 2484 are funded by the European Union, including for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. It is now time to consider the next steps for these young, qualified people: how can scholarship, exchange and other support programmes work to benefit both refugees, the future reconstruction of Syria and Iraq and local hosting economies? How to provide sustainable solutions for economic development in a region with high rates of youth unemployment? What options for job creation in the region?

Commissioner Hahn said: “Students and Higher education institutions have been and will remain a key sector for assistance of the European Union and it member states as we believe that they are the actors of change in the quest for a more prosperous era, and a peaceful region. Beyond education and skills development additional measures are needed to allow for more jobs to be created and to increase the employability of graduates. Entrepreneurship and start-ups are new tools to be used. An enabling environment and policies to allow the reduction of inequalities, the increase the number and competitiveness of SMEs and the promotion of sustainable growth are key.”

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Press Release

Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon