Lebanese Ministry of Information
The economic future of Lebanon rests on the innovation and adaptive nature of the country’s youth, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said at a graduation ceremony at Antonine University in Mount Lebanon’s Baabda over the weekend.
In his speech, the prime minister acknowledged the responsibility of the politicians to create and sustain stability so the economy may grow, calling it his “first mission as prime minister” to find job opportunities for the Lebanese youth.
He called upon the graduates to stay in the country instead of seeking their fortune elsewhere.
“The Lebanese youth cannot be free if the first thing they think about on graduation day is how to leave the country to achieve their dreams and guarantee their future,” Hariri said.
Many young Lebanese university graduates are eager to emigrate to seek better job opportunities and higher pay due to a prolonged economic downturn and low salaries.
Hariri called on the new graduates to embrace the challenges and opportunities presented by technological development, citing a recent graduation speech given at Harvard University by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
“[Zuckerberg] said that technology will [end] millions of jobs … but will open the door for millions of new jobs on the condition that your generation develops ideas that do not come down by parachute, but by means of hard work, effort, innovation and perseverance,” Hariri said.
Succeeding in the “new economy, the economy of knowledge,” Hariri said, requires adaptability, innovation and perseverance. He added that these traits were the first thing that came to his mind when he thought of Lebanon, providing the ideal conditions for success in the new economy.
“You are the human capital and you are our real wealth. In order to benefit from this wealth, we have to adapt it to market needs and the needs of the new economy,” he said.
Hariri also encouraged higher enrollment in technical education versus classical universities as a way to improve job prospects for young people. He highlighted Switzerland and Germany as countries with strong economies where technical education is a popular choice.
“This is Switzerland, which has the highest income per capita in the world. This also applies to Germany, where technical education graduates lead the major companies and assume the highest positions,” Hariri said.
Noting that he acknowledged the great responsibility involved in carrying the future of the country, the premier said he had great faith in the young people seated before him.
“I have no doubt that you will be the generation of success and our country will produce solutions for the region and the world. It will import knowledge and expertise and export services and products and not minds and graduates,” he said.
Around 200,000 students are currently enrolled in 47 Lebanese universities. The graduates of these institutions are often in demand in Middle Eastern economic hubs such as Dubai and Doha, chiefly due to their bilingual competence and Western-based education.
