Last month, the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth ran a campaign to celebrate International Youth Day (which falls on 12th August every year). This initiative was aimed at showcasing young people’s resilience, resourcefulness and leadership to create a better world for all under the theme of “Celebrating Ways Youth Lead as Agents of Change for the Global Goals”. Ahmed Hussain – a student of our MSc in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) programme – was one of the young leaders featured in...

Why are boys and teenagers most prone to dropping out of school in Jordan? Why are Syrian children up to 10 times more likely to drop out than Jordanian children? And why is the return on education so uneven for different groups? In December 2020, Prof Franziska Gassmann took part in the launch event of the Jordan Country Report on Out-of-School Children, produced under the auspices of UNICEF Jordan. She was joined by representatives from the Ministry of Education, international organisations an...

A new report out from the International Labour Organization features contributions from five researchers at UNU-MERIT. Along with the ILO’s youth employment specialist Drew Gardiner, Micheline Goedhuys collaborated with Alison Cathles, Chen Gong, Michelle González Amador and Eleonora Nillesen. The report begins with two main questions: How can young people around the world – even the most marginalised – navigate the fast-moving currents of modern labour markets? How can UN agencies, nation...

This Friday, pupils in countless cities across the world will skip school and march for climate action. In just a few months, the movement has made quite an impact. It now needs policy backup – and action. In a recent tweet, the 16-year-old Swedish youth leader Greta Thunberg gave a list of practical recommendations for all school-striking youngsters: “no violence, no damage, no litter, no profit, no hatred, minimize your own carbon footprint, and always refer to science.” The last one may seem ...

Immigrants and refugees, especially those from developing nations, are often portrayed by segments of the media and policy makers as an economic burden, a threat to our social cohesion and “our way of life.” However, immigrants and immigrant youth can help build nations like Canada. They are a great source of economic potential, while also contributing to a rich cultural mosaic. But immigrants must be supported with appropriate education and training policies....

How can young people help themselves, both practically and professionally? How can developing countries cut youth unemployment and realise their full potential? How can the United Nations University make a difference? We asked Ibrahima Kaba, a PhD fellow from Guinea in West Africa, and Diego Salama, a research assistant from Bolivia in South America, for their views ahead of the first ever World Youth Skills Day. In November 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 69/145, de...