TRENDS Summit For Dialogue Between Think Tanks And The Media’ Highlights Importance Of Boosting Youth Participation In Overall Development
The “First TRENDS Summit for Dialogue between Think Tanks and the Media,” which was organised by the TRENDS Research and Advisory at the Dubai World Trade Centre, highlighted the importance of boosting youth participation in all areas of development, especially in scientific research and the media.
The summit’s participants called for the adoption of a joint research and media strategy by think tanks and media organisations based on youth participation, which will reinforce the sense of patriotism of the youth and establish standards to ensure the success of targeted programmes in achieving its desired outcomes, as well as to promote coordination and cooperation between think tanks and media organisations in supporting young researchers by highlighting their research and intellectual contributions to the media, and reinforcing the skills of young journalists and media professionals. They also suggested the teaching of media-related topics at the early stages of education, training students to conduct research and sharpening their content creation skills.
The summit took the form of a panel discussion and looked at developing visions for cooperation between think tanks and media institutions to enhance the role of young people and support scientific research, both of which constitute important inputs for knowledge creation.
The summit, attended by editors-in-chief of several newspapers and directors of news agencies and media offices as well as a number of young researchers and TRENDS Council for Young Researchers, was inaugurated by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, who stressed the importance of reinforcing youth capacities and talents and engaging them in community development.
Under this framework, TRENDS Research and Advisory has been keen to address the dialogue between think tanks and the media during its first summit through two main pillars, which are research and media collaboration in empowering and protecting the youth and enhancing their awareness, and focussing on the future role of the youth within think-tanks and media organisations and the sustainable development process, he added.
During the event, Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM), highlighted the importance of the summit and the topics it addressed, stressing that gathering think-tanks and the media sector is a pioneering step.
The media sector needs the research community to convey accurate information, he added, highlighting two key factors in the cooperation between the two sectors, which are media outlets publishing simplified research content and think tanks performing studies that can help develop the media. Networking between think tanks and the media is a strategic partnership that will prepare a new generation of the youth capable of creating the future, he further added.
On the challenges facing the cooperation between think tanks and the media, Al Rayssi explained the weaknesses of specialist studies on the media, stressing that is a lot of hope in the youth, but qualified young leaders must be trained to lead based on knowledge and facts.
