Youth Entrepreneurship: A Strategic Tool for Economic Transformation Highlighted in Kabul Economic Debate
At a time when Afghanistan’s economy, more than ever, requires innovation, dynamism, and the utilization of human capacities, the Kabul Economic Debate, focusing on “Youth Entrepreneurship and Afghanistan’s Economic Transformation,” turned into a platform for exchanging ideas and proposing scientific solutions in this field. This debate was organized by the Afghanistan Institute for Economic and Legal Studies in cooperation with Rana University, and was attended by professors, researchers, experts, entrepreneurs, and students.
At the beginning of the program, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Rana University, while appreciating the organization of this scientific and practical meeting, spoke about the importance of entrepreneurship in the process of economic transformation and the role of universities in nurturing youth capacities. He considered entrepreneurship as the “driving engine of economic transformation” and emphasized that universities, in addition to theoretical education, must also provide the ground for the growth of practical skills, creative thinking, and innovation for the youth, so that the young generation can play an active role in creating economic and productive opportunities.
In the main part of the debate, the program’s experts examined various dimensions of entrepreneurship in the process of economic development and stated that entrepreneurship is considered one of the most important factors for the economic and social growth and development of any society. In their view, youth entrepreneurship directly plays a role in creating jobs, reducing unemployment, and increasing family incomes, and this process can strengthen the foundations of economic transformation in the country.
The experts of this debate described the youth as the most important connecting link between human capacity and the needs of the national economy, emphasizing that young people, possessing intellectual, specialized, and creative abilities, can transform economic ideas into productive and service activities. They also considered supporting youth initiatives, investing in scientific capacities, and providing access to the market as important factors for the growth of entrepreneurship in the country.
In the continuation of this debate, the experts enumerated the challenges and opportunities facing the youth in the field of entrepreneurship and stated that young people, by utilizing creativity, innovation, and intellectual capacities, can play an effective role in generating economic value and market dynamism through the creation of new businesses. It was also emphasized that economic transformation based on innovation, investment, and market development provides a suitable environment for the growth and expansion of youth entrepreneurship.
The experts also cited the lack of financial support, shortage of specialized training programs, limited access to the market, and the absence of sustainable economic policies as the most important challenges facing young entrepreneurs, emphasizing that creating support programs, financial facilities, and strengthening cooperation between universities, the private sector, and economic institutions can provide a suitable platform for the growth of entrepreneurship in Afghanistan.
In the Kabul Economic Debate, the participants also played an active role in making the program more fruitful by raising their perspectives, questions, and suggestions; a matter that turned the debate atmosphere into a scientific and constructive dialogue between the young generation and economic experts.
In the summation of this debate, in addition to reviewing and evaluating the different dimensions of youth entrepreneurship and Afghanistan’s economic transformation, it was emphasized that youth entrepreneurship is a strategic tool for the country’s economic transformation, and to achieve this goal, the necessary educational, supportive, and investment grounds must be provided for the youth.
In the end, the participants emphasized the continuation of such scientific and practical programs and considered the holding of such meetings effective and necessary in line with raising economic awareness, strengthening the culture of entrepreneurship, and encouraging the youth towards innovation, self-reliance, and creating sustainable businesses.
