The Jordanian partner of CRE@CTIVE, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, in cooperation with the University of Science and Technology and sponsored by the Minister of Youth, Mr Muhammad Al-Nabulsi, organized an open day on the 5th of July in Amman, Jordan to present the projects supported within the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme in the Mediterranean (ENI CBC MED), which aims to empower the youth and provide grants for project proposals to support creative ideas and capacity building and contribute to mitigating unemployment and support the economy.

The event showcased the goals and visions of three ENI CBC MED projects: CRE@CTIVE, MYSEA and U-SOLVE and their role in creating job opportunities for youth in the Mediterranean region, supporting entrepreneurship and creativity, and marketing their ideas in the fields of technology, agriculture, energy and the traditional sectors.

The President of the University of Science and Technology, Dr Saeb Khreisat indicated that the projects as a whole seek to qualify young people to use innovation and creativity and contribute to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), focusing on the participation of women and youth in developing entrepreneurial projects, presenting innovative ideas and creating job opportunities in different sectors.
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology, Dr Diaa El-Din Arafa, referred to the role of these projects in networking between institutions at  national and international levels and stimulating the ecological and economic system.

Arafa pointed to the role of the creative process and entrepreneurship by exploiting the energy of young people to transform their ideas into start-up companies, products or services, to pave the way  into concrete opportunities and solve many challenges that can help in supporting the economy.

In turn, the head of the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East & North Africa (AARINENA), the former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Reda Al-Khawaldeh, presented the challenges facing the agricultural sector, especially the lack of water, marketing, agricultural employment and high wages. Al-Khawaldeh called for expanding the use of agricultural mechanization, agricultural entrepreneurship, and the use of smart applications in the agricultural sector for the great role it plays in the national economy.

Additionally, he asserted the need for efforts to achieve the UN SDG2030 and to take advantage of the population opportunity, stressing the adoption of innovation and creativity to involve young people in creating job opportunities, not searching for a job.

The coordinator of the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean of the ENI CBC MED Programme, Dr Esmat Karadsheh, pointed to the role played by the program in funding projects in 14 countries for the period of 2014-2020 with a total budget of 209 million euros.
He indicated that nearly 55 national institutions have adopted the implementation of these projects and have had clear results in building the capacities of graduates, both young and women, as well as logistical and technical support for all economic sectors.

Managers of several projects said that this event aims to create coherence and networking between projects and to provide no less than 300 job opportunities for youth and women after the projects´ implementation which will end in 2023.

The Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Dr Mahmoud Abu Hussein, said that the main idea of the funded projects revolves around how to use innovation and creativity in addressing unemployment issues, developing the economy, providing job opportunities for women and youth and empowering them to the fullest.

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يوم مفتوح لعرض مشاريع ابتكارية مدعومة من الاتحاد الأوروبي