TRENDS Research & Advisory, through its Dubai office, participated in a symposium — The Future of Youth Studies in Egypt and the Arab Region: An In-Depth Look. The event was organized by the Academic Research Sector of Bibliotheca Alexandria in the Arab Republic of Egypt. During the symposium, TRENDS researchers reviewed their leading experience in youth studies and their efforts to bridge the gap between theory and practice in this field.
The symposium, held in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center, witnessed the participation of main sessions that aimed to develop integrated scientific outputs and to explore developmental potentials to create a new Arab research agenda that reflects the specificities of local and regional contexts while supporting studies of Arab youth.
Empowering Young Researchers
Ali Abdullah Al-Ali, researcher and Director of the TRENDS Dubai Department, stated during the Leading Arab Experiences session that empowering young researchers is an integral part of TRENDS Research and Advisory’s strategy, as young professionals hold all research and administrative leadership positions at TRENDS.
The center also launched the TRENDS Youth Council, a unique initiative aimed at enhancing young people’s research roles and refining their skills as future leaders and innovators. He added that the center has established a specialized research program for young researchers, which publishes their outstanding intellectual contributions and motivates them to continue developing their research skills. This program, managed by young researchers, adheres to rigorous academic publishing standards to ensure the quality of its research outputs.
Training and Skills Development
Al-Ali emphasized that TRENDS is also committed to training young people and developing their intellectual and research competencies. The center has organized dozens of training courses for youth, both from within the center and from other Emirati institutions.
He added that TRENDS collaborates with global training centers to launch specialized research and training programs of world-class standards. These initiatives aim to meet the evolving needs of the labor market, enhance knowledge and build competencies in the region, and provide outstanding educational opportunities for young professionals.
The TRENDS International Training Institute has organized a total of 28,809 training hours for 569 trainees. Its programs include innovative courses such as international diplomacy, media, presentation skills, and others, offering a pioneering research and training experience distinguished by its innovative approach.
Marketing Youth Research
Dr. Mohamed Rashwan, Advisor to the TRENDS Dubai Sector, affirmed during the session “From Youth Studies to Public Policies: Towards an Evidence-Based Arab Research Agenda” that the Arab world has witnessed significant social transformations that have created a new reality requiring a reexamination of how to support and promote academic research produced by young people.
He explained that the Arab world’s young people capital provides an opportunity to develop indigenous models tailored to local contexts and developmental needs. This potential can be maximized by establishing specialized scientific marketing units in universities dedicated to promoting academic production and managing research communication, thus serving as a link between researchers and beneficiary sectors.
Build Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Rashwan also called for the development of researcher preparation programs by integrating scientific marketing and innovation skills into academic curricula. He recommended designing specialized training programs in knowledge transfer and innovation management to cultivate a new generation of researchers capable of promoting their scientific output.
Additionally, he emphasized the need to strengthen media partnerships and establish strategic alliances between research institutions and media outlets. He advocated for developing academic programs and publications that simplify research knowledge, leveraging digital platforms to promote scientific literacy within the community, and supporting the publication of innovative youth research. Finally, he proposed linking research priorities to the developmental needs of Arab countries and establishing a dedicated fund for marketing research with societal impact.
