it was the summer of 2016 in Erbil a Jay
a day just like today in July but so hot
that a national holiday had been
declared because he was just too hard to
handle I was extending with the first 40
students of recoded recoded headstart
had started on that day with a mission
to train youth how to code in places
affected by work but it just so happened
that day that the generator in our
training center had blown up and we were
left with no electricity so there I was
planning to teach coding skills with no
power in Inglourious summer day but that
marked that they marked the start of a
movement that is now growing stronger a
movement that is creating the next
generation of tech leaders so you might
be asking yourselves why this is
important we are at the beginning of a
technological revolution that is
fundamentally changing the way we live
work and relate to one another a
revolution that has the potential to
connect every human to the Internet a
revolution that will bring unprecedented
processing power storage capacity and
access to knowledge and this
possibilities are being multiplied by
emerging technologies like artificial
intelligence machine learning robotics
and 3d printing but unlike previous
industrial revolutions this one is
blurring the lines
between the physical digital and
biological spheres it is challenging our
own understanding of what it means to be
human it is an exciting time to be alive
because we will witness unprecedented
disruption in almost every industry and
while this disruption will bring
advances to our lives
it may also widen the gap between
countries that have access to those
technologies and talents and those who
don’t
this gap could leave scores of people
outside of a movement that will
inevitably shape our future so it is
fundamental that we start to think about
those things here in Erbil and across
the region more than half the 369
million people living in the Middle East
and North Africa today are under the age
of 25 this is the highest proportion of
youth in the world
this large young population presents a
significant opportunity for a
technological revolution but one that
has remained untapped so far because
this region has also the world’s highest
youth unemployment rates the lowest
performance and Sciences in the lowest
levels of English proficiency this
presents a serious problem because as
disruptive technology advanced the jobs
that we have today who no longer exist
tomorrow and because of this we have to
start at
acting our education models to ensure
that the skills that we teach use today
will enable them to thrive in the future
of work skills like social intelligence
technical ability and creative
intelligence will be so important in the
future so what are we doing to change
this reality what are we doing to make
sure that the boys and girls of Erbil
Suleymaniye Baghdad to hook ready for
the future of work and recoated we
believe that we have a responsibility to
apply the learning science that we have
today to the opportunities that tomorrow
will bring but we did not start recoded
just because we wanted to teach youth
how to code and help them to find jobs
we did it because we believe that they
can also become leaders in their
communities and this is the most
powerful multiplier effect the ripple
effect as the economy here and elsewhere
starts to get back on their feet we are
training the next generation of that
leaders who drive this country forward
with the help of technology one year in
and the founding mission of recoded has
never been more true and stronger since
May 2017 we have launched three coding
boot camps in Erbil training almost 100
youth how to code
we have also doubled down on our
commitment to grow the tech ecosystem in
the Kurdistan region we have brought
dozens of technology enthusiasts for the
first social innovation hackathon we
have brought
coding training to refugee camps we have
started the first Google developer group
in Erbil
we have organized two women in
technology summits and just a few weeks
ago we have started the first program to
teach children how to code because
quoting is a fundamental skill alongside
math and reading and every child should
have the opportunity to learn it so here
we are with that huge opportunity in our
hands but of course to do what we do is
not easy and we do not do either we do
not do it alone we’re proud to have
partners who believe in our mission and
we’re helping us to build this community
since the beginning we have worked with
the German government through their
development agency G I said and with
Zane telecom they believe as we do that
by combining technology intrapreneurship
will help prepare youth to shape the
next way forward and this movement is
also spreading to other parts of Iraq in
Basra now as Arif is leading the maker
movement in Iraq what he has achieved so
far is incredible from his home garage
he has created a 3d motion capture suit
which is a wearable device that captures
Hulme emotions to control 3d animation
in Baghdad thicker space and the station
have viewed a community of developers
and entrepreneurs together these
organizations are creating the first
ripples of a tech ecosystem one that has
the potential
to grow and sustain itself over the
years but for that to be possible we
just don’t need skilled talents we need
also skewed leadership so that’s why I’m
not here today to talk about how to
teach youth to create technology I’m
here to tell you how to create the next
generation of tech leaders so I want to
share with you some of the most
important qualities a leader should have
in the digital age
first empathy empathy is the capacity to
place oneself in another’s position it
requires active listening and humility
and it is one of the most powerful
skills and leader can have empathy goes
well with a bias towards diversity
diversity is beautiful and recoated we
were determined from the get-go to
imprint on our DNA what now has become a
core part of our mission bridging the
gender divide in technology we’re proud
to make our cohorts as gender balanced
as possible with 40% female
participation and we also work with
Syrians Kurds Iraqis Iranians Muslims
Christians because we’re all equal and
that’s what makes a strong third
adaptability emotionally intelligent
people recognize when to continue their
course and when it’s time to change it
we must be ready to deal with the
unknown with Xterra tea and confidence
the world is changing fast and we must
act fast to adapt to it forth
creative intelligence last year in the
same stage
dr. hemming Latif from the American
University in Seoul ammonia talked about
yes
talked about how to teach creativity
creativity is what sets us apart and
more automation who need more creative
workers and finally a desire to help
others succeed too often we get self
desorbed
with our own worries and concerns and
that’s completely normal but true
leaders show an interest in success not
only for themselves but also for others
and this behavior helps build powerful
relationships and Trust the demographic
dividend of young technology technology
leaders is immense but we have to invest
in their future
imagine what each one of them is capable
of imagine what each one of them can
Bude together
imagine the ripple effect of letting the
young minds of this country dream one
tech leader in erbil will inspire one
tech leader in muscle one tech leader in
muscle will inspire one tech leader in
Bagdad one tech leader in Baghdad will
inspire one tech leader in sulemani
and the wave will not stop in our office
in Erbil
we have one wall with big black and blue
letters and it says the best way to
predict your future is to create it the
best way to predict your future is to
create it so when you go home today
think about how you want to create your
future and join the next generation of
tech leaders thank you
[Applause] [Music]
a day just like today in July but so hot
that a national holiday had been
declared because he was just too hard to
handle I was extending with the first 40
students of recoded recoded headstart
had started on that day with a mission
to train youth how to code in places
affected by work but it just so happened
that day that the generator in our
training center had blown up and we were
left with no electricity so there I was
planning to teach coding skills with no
power in Inglourious summer day but that
marked that they marked the start of a
movement that is now growing stronger a
movement that is creating the next
generation of tech leaders so you might
be asking yourselves why this is
important we are at the beginning of a
technological revolution that is
fundamentally changing the way we live
work and relate to one another a
revolution that has the potential to
connect every human to the Internet a
revolution that will bring unprecedented
processing power storage capacity and
access to knowledge and this
possibilities are being multiplied by
emerging technologies like artificial
intelligence machine learning robotics
and 3d printing but unlike previous
industrial revolutions this one is
blurring the lines
between the physical digital and
biological spheres it is challenging our
own understanding of what it means to be
human it is an exciting time to be alive
because we will witness unprecedented
disruption in almost every industry and
while this disruption will bring
advances to our lives
it may also widen the gap between
countries that have access to those
technologies and talents and those who
don’t
this gap could leave scores of people
outside of a movement that will
inevitably shape our future so it is
fundamental that we start to think about
those things here in Erbil and across
the region more than half the 369
million people living in the Middle East
and North Africa today are under the age
of 25 this is the highest proportion of
youth in the world
this large young population presents a
significant opportunity for a
technological revolution but one that
has remained untapped so far because
this region has also the world’s highest
youth unemployment rates the lowest
performance and Sciences in the lowest
levels of English proficiency this
presents a serious problem because as
disruptive technology advanced the jobs
that we have today who no longer exist
tomorrow and because of this we have to
start at
acting our education models to ensure
that the skills that we teach use today
will enable them to thrive in the future
of work skills like social intelligence
technical ability and creative
intelligence will be so important in the
future so what are we doing to change
this reality what are we doing to make
sure that the boys and girls of Erbil
Suleymaniye Baghdad to hook ready for
the future of work and recoated we
believe that we have a responsibility to
apply the learning science that we have
today to the opportunities that tomorrow
will bring but we did not start recoded
just because we wanted to teach youth
how to code and help them to find jobs
we did it because we believe that they
can also become leaders in their
communities and this is the most
powerful multiplier effect the ripple
effect as the economy here and elsewhere
starts to get back on their feet we are
training the next generation of that
leaders who drive this country forward
with the help of technology one year in
and the founding mission of recoded has
never been more true and stronger since
May 2017 we have launched three coding
boot camps in Erbil training almost 100
youth how to code
we have also doubled down on our
commitment to grow the tech ecosystem in
the Kurdistan region we have brought
dozens of technology enthusiasts for the
first social innovation hackathon we
have brought
coding training to refugee camps we have
started the first Google developer group
in Erbil
we have organized two women in
technology summits and just a few weeks
ago we have started the first program to
teach children how to code because
quoting is a fundamental skill alongside
math and reading and every child should
have the opportunity to learn it so here
we are with that huge opportunity in our
hands but of course to do what we do is
not easy and we do not do either we do
not do it alone we’re proud to have
partners who believe in our mission and
we’re helping us to build this community
since the beginning we have worked with
the German government through their
development agency G I said and with
Zane telecom they believe as we do that
by combining technology intrapreneurship
will help prepare youth to shape the
next way forward and this movement is
also spreading to other parts of Iraq in
Basra now as Arif is leading the maker
movement in Iraq what he has achieved so
far is incredible from his home garage
he has created a 3d motion capture suit
which is a wearable device that captures
Hulme emotions to control 3d animation
in Baghdad thicker space and the station
have viewed a community of developers
and entrepreneurs together these
organizations are creating the first
ripples of a tech ecosystem one that has
the potential
to grow and sustain itself over the
years but for that to be possible we
just don’t need skilled talents we need
also skewed leadership so that’s why I’m
not here today to talk about how to
teach youth to create technology I’m
here to tell you how to create the next
generation of tech leaders so I want to
share with you some of the most
important qualities a leader should have
in the digital age
first empathy empathy is the capacity to
place oneself in another’s position it
requires active listening and humility
and it is one of the most powerful
skills and leader can have empathy goes
well with a bias towards diversity
diversity is beautiful and recoated we
were determined from the get-go to
imprint on our DNA what now has become a
core part of our mission bridging the
gender divide in technology we’re proud
to make our cohorts as gender balanced
as possible with 40% female
participation and we also work with
Syrians Kurds Iraqis Iranians Muslims
Christians because we’re all equal and
that’s what makes a strong third
adaptability emotionally intelligent
people recognize when to continue their
course and when it’s time to change it
we must be ready to deal with the
unknown with Xterra tea and confidence
the world is changing fast and we must
act fast to adapt to it forth
creative intelligence last year in the
same stage
dr. hemming Latif from the American
University in Seoul ammonia talked about
yes
talked about how to teach creativity
creativity is what sets us apart and
more automation who need more creative
workers and finally a desire to help
others succeed too often we get self
desorbed
with our own worries and concerns and
that’s completely normal but true
leaders show an interest in success not
only for themselves but also for others
and this behavior helps build powerful
relationships and Trust the demographic
dividend of young technology technology
leaders is immense but we have to invest
in their future
imagine what each one of them is capable
of imagine what each one of them can
Bude together
imagine the ripple effect of letting the
young minds of this country dream one
tech leader in erbil will inspire one
tech leader in muscle one tech leader in
muscle will inspire one tech leader in
Bagdad one tech leader in Baghdad will
inspire one tech leader in sulemani
and the wave will not stop in our office
in Erbil
we have one wall with big black and blue
letters and it says the best way to
predict your future is to create it the
best way to predict your future is to
create it so when you go home today
think about how you want to create your
future and join the next generation of
tech leaders thank you
[Applause] [Music]
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