The UAE is bidding to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.Every five years and for a period of six months, World Expos attract millions of visitors. The World Expo has never been held in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia in the history of the event.
Reaching out to a generation: How an Expo in Dubai could reap rewards for young people
Patrick Awuah is founder of Ashesi University in West Africa, a state-of-the-art education hub devoted to cultivating a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders for the region. The charismatic businessman, who was a tech millionaire by the age of 30, offers his thoughts on the global significance of the Dubai Expo 2020 theme of Opportunity
Q: As somebody who has dedicated his profession to using education to further young people’s entrepreneurialism and, by extension, their life prospects, what is your perspective on the timeliness of the Dubai Expo 2020 subthemes, particularly Opportunity?
A: It is important that today’s youth and the generations to come are given the opportunities to advance themselves and the world with them. A fundamental part of that lies in giving young people the tools to navigate a world that is changing at an incredibly fast pace and helping them to create those opportunities for themselves. We have a rapidly growing population, which throws up significant issues in terms of creating employment and life opportunities for our young people. This is a challenge we must face collectively.
Q: Are economic and educational opportunity inextricably linked?
A: Economic opportunity arises through a couple of different sources. One is natural resources – oil, minerals and so on. The second is how we apply our human intellect to making those resources work for us. For example, when I look at a mobile phone what I see is a lot of different technologies converging to add value to the natural resources used to manufacture that phone. Get beyond the raw materials and what you have in that phone is a lot of science and arts – physics, chemistry, maths, design – all of which comes from education. As a world, we must equip people to add value to those natural resources and build on what has already been created. That means an educated, entrepreneurial population.
Q: How important is the spirit of entrepreneurialism to future global development?
A: It is extremely important across the world. Africa is a good example of the need for entrepreneurism because most of the advancement that we will see across the continent has yet to take place. There is a lot that needs to be created, and creation is, by definition, the job of entrepreneurs. The thing about entrepreneurs is that they imagine a new structure, then make it happen. To generate that environment you need scientists and artists, engineers and entrepreneurs. This combination can be very powerful and is essential for emerging economies, in terms of unlocking potential.
Q: Through its Expo Live project, Dubai Expo 2020 will make funds available to help rethink and unlock economic opportunity. How powerful could such an initiative be?
A: These kinds of resources can be extremely catalytic. Take the example of funds targeted at young people. This generation has a natural energy and idealism and any investment programme benefits from that. They also have an interest in how the world will look in the next several decades. Young people across the world may have that all-important drive but they also need the capital to implement their ideas. Deploying these resources towards educating young people, towards research projects backed by young people, and towards incubating businesses launched by young people is a powerful proposition.
Q: What opportunities are we, as a world, failing to unlock in terms of human capital?
A: We need to help people to be risk-takers – to give them the confidence to go out and make mistakes. That means creating an environment that supports innovation and nurtures a spirit of entrepreneurialism. From my own experience, that spirit exists but it needs to be encouraged more. On one level, there are a lot of young people here running micro-businesses out of their homes and who are engaged in this entrepreneurial struggle to make ends meet. Those people are taking the future into their own hands. And on a second level I look at the experience of some of my alumni who are starting businesses, and they face considerable difficulties, ranging from their families, who want them to find “proper jobs” (as employees with existing companies), to financial backers, who are hesitant to invest because they are concerned about a lack of experience. It is gratifying to see that many of my former students do overcome those challenges but it takes a lot of courage and a lot of vision. We must do far more to encourage our young people.
A: It is important that today’s youth and the generations to come are given the opportunities to advance themselves and the world with them. A fundamental part of that lies in giving young people the tools to navigate a world that is changing at an incredibly fast pace and helping them to create those opportunities for themselves. We have a rapidly growing population, which throws up significant issues in terms of creating employment and life opportunities for our young people. This is a challenge we must face collectively.
Q: Are economic and educational opportunity inextricably linked?
A: Economic opportunity arises through a couple of different sources. One is natural resources – oil, minerals and so on. The second is how we apply our human intellect to making those resources work for us. For example, when I look at a mobile phone what I see is a lot of different technologies converging to add value to the natural resources used to manufacture that phone. Get beyond the raw materials and what you have in that phone is a lot of science and arts – physics, chemistry, maths, design – all of which comes from education. As a world, we must equip people to add value to those natural resources and build on what has already been created. That means an educated, entrepreneurial population.
Q: How important is the spirit of entrepreneurialism to future global development?
A: It is extremely important across the world. Africa is a good example of the need for entrepreneurism because most of the advancement that we will see across the continent has yet to take place. There is a lot that needs to be created, and creation is, by definition, the job of entrepreneurs. The thing about entrepreneurs is that they imagine a new structure, then make it happen. To generate that environment you need scientists and artists, engineers and entrepreneurs. This combination can be very powerful and is essential for emerging economies, in terms of unlocking potential.
Q: Through its Expo Live project, Dubai Expo 2020 will make funds available to help rethink and unlock economic opportunity. How powerful could such an initiative be?
A: These kinds of resources can be extremely catalytic. Take the example of funds targeted at young people. This generation has a natural energy and idealism and any investment programme benefits from that. They also have an interest in how the world will look in the next several decades. Young people across the world may have that all-important drive but they also need the capital to implement their ideas. Deploying these resources towards educating young people, towards research projects backed by young people, and towards incubating businesses launched by young people is a powerful proposition.
Q: What opportunities are we, as a world, failing to unlock in terms of human capital?
A: We need to help people to be risk-takers – to give them the confidence to go out and make mistakes. That means creating an environment that supports innovation and nurtures a spirit of entrepreneurialism. From my own experience, that spirit exists but it needs to be encouraged more. On one level, there are a lot of young people here running micro-businesses out of their homes and who are engaged in this entrepreneurial struggle to make ends meet. Those people are taking the future into their own hands. And on a second level I look at the experience of some of my alumni who are starting businesses, and they face considerable difficulties, ranging from their families, who want them to find “proper jobs” (as employees with existing companies), to financial backers, who are hesitant to invest because they are concerned about a lack of experience. It is gratifying to see that many of my former students do overcome those challenges but it takes a lot of courage and a lot of vision. We must do far more to encourage our young people.
A Masterplan symbolizing the enduring values of Expo
An unforgettable attraction that for the first time translates the aspirations of World Expo into concrete spatial features and innovative exhibits areas
The site has been selected and designed for maximum visitor and participant benefits. It is located at Dubai World Central, a dedicated free zone that sits at the heart of the newest business hubs of Dubai. It is equidistant from the two largest airports in the UAE and adjacent to Jebel Ali Port for ease of access and operations. For the first time in history, it translates the concepts of the theme into spatial features across its 438 hectares, enhancing the educational messages of the Expo. The Innovation Pavilions and Labs, together with the central iconic “Al Wasl” plaza, are another novelty introduced by Dubai Expo 2020. The circular layout and the distribution of the pavilions inspired by the Arabic Souk will ensure high visibility for all pavilions. Sustainability is a key priority and aggressive targets are in place to generate 50% of the energy on site from renewable sources and deliver a carbon-neutral Expo.
- The themes come to life through the spatial layout of the site which allows participants to select a preferred location based on exhibition content
- The Masterplan provides a range of build and rent options of varying sizes to ensure maximum choice and flexibility to the participants
- A well-defined legacy plan which includes the development of research and university facilities to continue the work initiated by Dubai Expo 2020
Dubai Expo 2020: a unique opportunity
Hosting a World Expo in the MENASA region for the first time, on the eve of the UAE’s 50th anniversary celebrations, carries profound meaning and creates an environment for exceptional opportunity and cultural understanding.
The country’s stability and safety, its open and dynamic economic environment, the readiness of its infrastructure and the passion to forge a bright future that binds the people from 200 nationalities living here will deliver a unique environment for a World Expo that will galvanise the world.
The opportunities:
1. An inspirational theme reflecting global priorities
2. Expo Live: a 7-year programme of collaborative innovation that starts now
3. Unprecedented global exposure for an eagerly anticipated Expo
4. An iconic and unique site
5. Unsurpassed global and domestic connectivity with a trustworthy track-record of delivery
6. A springboard for economic development
7. National and international public support and awareness for Expo 2020multimedia/video/a_model_for_opportunityhttp://expo2020dubai.ae/en/multimedia/video/a_model_for_opportunity
The opportunities:
1. An inspirational theme reflecting global priorities
2. Expo Live: a 7-year programme of collaborative innovation that starts now
3. Unprecedented global exposure for an eagerly anticipated Expo
4. An iconic and unique site
5. Unsurpassed global and domestic connectivity with a trustworthy track-record of delivery
6. A springboard for economic development
7. National and international public support and awareness for Expo 2020multimedia/video/a_model_for_opportunityhttp://expo2020dubai.ae/en/multimedia/video/a_model_for_opportunity
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