Licia Mattioli, Vice-President for International Affairs, Confindustria, speaking to The Peninsula. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Doha: The Italian business association Confindustria is considering to cooperate with Qatar associations to start an educational programme to instil entrepreneurial spirit in students from early stage.
“It would be the first-of-its-kind programme in Qatar by Italy. So, it is very important in the field of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. It means that both sides are willing to explore new possible ways of cooperation,” Licia Mattioli, Vice-President for International Affairs – Confindustria, told The Peninsula. “The Educational programme will be aimed to empower young generation to become entrepreneurs,” she added.
Confindustria is the main association representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy, with a voluntary membership of more than 150,000 companies, employing over 5.4 million people.
Mattioli, who is also the CEO of an Italian luxury handcrafted jewellery company, was in Doha last week to attend Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition and held meetings with Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman, Qatari Businessmen Association.
They discussed the possibility to organise a business forum to increase networking and trade partnership especially between SMEs as well as ways of exploring new avenues in the cooperation between the two countries and respective associations, including a possible entrepreneurial educational program to support the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Elaborating about the educational programme, Mattioli said it could include teaching students about how to set up business and grow it.
“The programme would be aimed at bringing exchanges between the schools and will be parallel to school system. The idea is to focus on young children, from the beginning elementary schooling, to let them understand how to set up a business and grow it. We have already experienced similar initiatives in Italy and they have proved to be very valuable. During my stay in Doha I also met with the CEO of INJAZ Qatar, an organization which is already engaged in entrepreneurial education in Qatar and I am confident that we could plan some joint activities for the future,” she added.
The programme could include exchange of students so that Italian children can come here and learn from here and vice versa.
“A programme of this kind would also help meeting the goals established by the Italian and Qatari Governments to strengthen the cultural cooperation and the exchanges in the field of education and professional training, with particular regard but not limited to the fields of design and fashion where Italy has a well-known tradition”.
The students will get first hand practical knowledge about entrepreneurship as successful entrepreneurs will be roped in for the programme. “We will associate private sector and business associations in this effort. One of the best ways to go ahead with this programme is to involve businesswomen and businessmen to let them understand how it works. Case studies of the businesspersons will be helpful for the children,” she added.
