IMF Youth Dialogue
On March 4, 2010, Mr. Saade Chami, METAC coordinator, with staff of the IMF external relations department met with students from the American University of Beirut to exchange views on the economic policy challenges facing Lebanon, the region, and its youth as part of a series of roundtable discussions being held in the Middle East and North Africa under the auspices of the IMF Youth Dialog. Mr. Chami also participated in similar round table discussion at the University of Cairo and the University of Jordan. The Youth Dialog is an IMF-sponsored initiative aimed at engaging with the next generation of the region’s leaders. The objective of the initiative is to work with university students to gain their perspectives on their economic future and to contribute to the evolution of their views on the policy measures that will be needed to secure sustainable economic growth in the Middle East. The roundtable discussion focused on students’ views of a variety of economic challenges facing the Middle East. Foremost among those challenges is the need to provide employment opportunities for millions of young people who have entered the workforce in recent years, or who will be seeking employment over the next decade. In addition, the roundtable covered the role the IMF can play is assisting countries of the region reach their economic potential.
