{"id":23537,"date":"2018-08-15T14:38:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-15T18:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencescosmaincms.cm.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=23537"},"modified":"2018-08-15T21:33:30","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T01:33:30","slug":"ucf-pmu-to-sponsor-conference-on-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-pmu-to-sponsor-conference-on-saudi-arabia\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF & PMU to Sponsor Conference on Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cThe Impact of Social and Economic Reforms on Saudi Youth<\/strong>\u201d <\/strong>Conference will focus on younger Saudis, recent reforms, and opportunities for American collaboration<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The University of Central Florida and Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University will host \u201cThe Impact of Social and Economic Reforms on Saudi Youth\u201d January 17-18, 2019, in Orlando. The conference will be held at the UCF Student Union, Pegasus Ballroom, and is being organized by the UCF Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Program for Strategic Research and Studies.<\/p>\n

The conference will focus on the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which calls for the Kingdom to decrease its dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and increase employment opportunities for Saudi citizens \u2013 particularly the youth which comprise a high percentage of the population. It is hoped the 2030 reforms will further develop public service sectors such as health, education, recreation, tourism, and infrastructure. Reforms are also creating new areas in which U.S. and Saudi businesses, universities, institutions, and individuals can cooperate. The conference will permit educators, practitioners, students, and members of the business community to participate in an innovative and interdisciplinary discussion focusing on the impact of reforms, particularly on the sizable youth population.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conference will provide a unique and timely platform to discuss the changes that are underway in the Kingdom, and crucially their transformative impact on Saudi youth. This is the key demographic bloc in the Kingdom. There are also enormous business, educational, and cultural opportunities in working with younger Saudis, which Vision 2030 recognizes. We feel it is important to have this conversation in Central Florida so we understand the changes and their potential for Saudis and for Americans,\u201d noted PMBF Director David Dumke.<\/p>\n

The conference will feature Saudi and American speakers, including UCF and PMU faculty, from a variety of academic and business fields. In a series of panels, coupled with special addresses, experts will highlight the design, implementation, and expected results of ongoing reforms, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and opportunities and challenges. The conference is designed to be interactive, and the audience will include students, faculty, and members of the businesses community.<\/p>\n

UCF and PMU are calling for papers from prospective participants on a range of topics, including:<\/p>\n