Global Entrepreneurship Week: Youth get a chance to learn from forward thinkers

This is the first time the event is being celebrated in Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD:

To inspire the youth and fire up its students with ideas to face challenges of the real world, an informative session with Pakistani entrepreneurs was held at Roots Millennium Campus on Friday evening.

Each November, Global Entrepreneurship Week inspires people around the globe through that help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators. In a casual interactive session here, panellists spoke about their experiences and the hurdles that came in the way of their success.

“I landed in Pakistan wanting to be a dancer during martial law,” not an ideal time for acclaimed classical dancer Nighat Chaudhry. She feels there is much to be done to facilitate women entrepreneurs in the country. In the urban areas, more challenges are emerging parallel to the growing opportunities for educated women to work while those in villages need awareness campaigns and vocational trainings to develop and polish paying skills according to her.

ICCI President Shahban Khalid informed the audience about the new initiatives taken by his organisation to facilitate young entrepreneurs and said a system has been put in place which entertains all the queries about start-ups. “We must share all the good things with the youth that we have learnt the hard way” he said.

While concluding the session, Roots Millennium Schools CEO Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq said, “If 20,000 students can march in front of Lal Masjid for their definition of a change, students of elite schools must also do the same for the sort of change they wish to see.”

Global Entrepreneurship Week is being celebrated in collaboration with Global Entrepreneurship Week Pakistan, US embassy, Indus Entrepreneurs, Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry, KAUFFMAN Foundation and WWF Pakistan. The two-day event will continue with a business fair followed by a fashion show on Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2013.