Transcript Fostering Giftedness and Creativity and Supporting Innovation

Supporting Innovation in Saudi Arabia
Mawhiba Young Leaders Program
King Abdulaziz and his companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity
(Mawhiba)
August 2008
Saudi Arabia
• The largest country of the Arabian Peninsula
• Capital: Riyadh
• Population: 28 million
• Land: 2.15 million square km
• World's leading petroleum exporter
• GDP (2007): $565 billion
• Estimated (2008) GDP growth rate: 7.2%
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King Abdulaziz and his companions Foundation for Giftedness and
Creativity (Mawhiba )
• King Abdulaziz and his companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity
(Mawhiba) is a non-for-profit organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Mawhiba was established in 1999
• The King is the president of Mawhiba
• Under the President, there is a Board of trusties (comprised of princes, ministers,
business people, and specialists), and a secretary general as shown below
The King
(The President)
Board of Trusties
Secretary General
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King Abdulaziz and his companions Foundation for Giftedness and
Creativity (Mawhiba )
Goals:
• To foster giftedness, creativity and support Innovation. This includes supporting
talented and creative people
• To strengthen national capacities to generate innovative ideas
•To find pioneers of young people who are creative and talented in science and
technology
• To support and provide enriched educational activity for the gifted and talented
Saudi students.
• To make awareness and educate the public (parents, teachers, and employers)
about methods of nurturing gifted and talented people.
• To assist educational and professional institutions across Saudi Arabia in the
creation of a comprehensive program for the gifted and talented people.
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Mawhiba Strategic Plan
to foster giftedness and
creativity and supporting
innovation in Saudi Arabia
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Mawhiba hopes to foster a critical mass of gifted and talented young
leaders who can support the sustained growth and prosperity
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is facing a unique set of challenges
owing to certain domestic and international developments
• To address these challenges, several initiatives with a multi-billion
SR investment are underway to transform the Kingdom into a
knowledge-based society, thus contributing hundreds of billions of
SR to GDP and creating millions of jobs
• This transformation requires a critical mass of gifted and talented
young leaders, which is not adequately supplied at the moment
• Mawhiba will reinforce existing initiatives by fostering a critical mass
of gifted and talented young leaders, who can support the sustained
growth and prosperity of the Kingdom
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Mawhiba Vision 2022
To be a creative society with a critical
mass of gifted and talented young leaders
who are innovative, highly educated and
well-trained to support the sustained
growth and prosperity of the Kingdom
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Mawhiba will focus on fostering giftedness and creativity,
thereby supporting the national innovation system
Mawhiba framework for giftedness and creativity
A Vision and objectives
Supported
elements of the
innovation system
Vision and objectives
B System structure
Preschool
Primary
school
Secondary
school
University/
tertiary
Adulthood
Policy organizations
Policy
and governance
Parents
Gifted/
talented
individual
Society
Interfaces to innovation
C Environment
Human
capital
Idea
generation
Teachers
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Overview of five key Mawhiba initiatives for the next 5 years
Agreed priority
initiatives
Linkage between
initiatives
Pre-school
Primary school
Secondary
school
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University/
tertiary
Adulthood
3
Mawhiba School Partnerships
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Mawhiba Young Leaders Program
Mawhiba Enrichment Programs
• Summer programs
• After-school programs
• Competitions and awards (School to university age)
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Mawhiba Creative
Work Environment
Initiative
Overarching initiatives
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Mawhiba Awareness and Communication Initiative
Research and policy unit
Research and policy unit
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Mawhiba Young Leaders Program – Snapshot of overall system
Internships
Mentorships
• Internship opportunities at
• Professors in a relevant course
top Saudi and
international companies
during summer vacation
• Online job portal
• Career information
sessions
of study at the student’s
university or industry
professional acts as a mentor
• Regular interactions in one-onone and group meetings
Skill-building programs
• Courses on variety of
topics; e.g.,
– Language courses
– Entrepreneurship
courses
– Research seminars with
experts in relevant fields
Mawhiba Young Leaders
Program
• Applications are open to all
students entering final year
of high school
• Selection based on
academic performance,
personal essays, and
interviews
Scholarships
• Scholarships to study at top
international universities
• Assistance with university
applications
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