First Annual Competition for Libyan University Entrepreneurs

Within the framework of cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and in implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Expertise France on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, and among the implementation of the activities of the EU4PSL project funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France and its efforts to integrate the entrepreneurship course in University education, the first annual competition for university entrepreneurs was held Thursday the 19th of January 2023, in Tripoli. The goal is to award the best three projects out of 12 selected from among the students who studied the entrepreneurship module over three semesters in different Libyan universities.

The competition aims to shed light on the new entrepreneurship course outputs and provide an opportunity for students to apply the information and skills they acquired through their study of the academic course in developing the private sector with their entrepreneurial ideas.

After pitching their projects to the audience and the jury, three winners were announced:

The first place went to the student Hashim Nasser from the University of Tobruk with his project on vertical farming, the second place for the student Hadeel Ben Ali from the University of Zintan with her project on paper recycling, and the third place for the student Abdul Mujib Pasha from the University of Zintan with an educational platform.
 

Among the judging committee were Dr. Hanan Daqiz, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research representative, Ms. Iman Saleh, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Skills Company for Development and Training, and Mr. Mukhtar Al-Juwaili, Executive Director of the Global Entrepreneurship Network in Libya.

Also, among the attendees of the event were Mr. Mohamed Sweid, a representative of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Al-Aswad, Deputy Director of Programs at Expertise France in Libya, and a group of directors of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centers and international cooperation offices in a number of Libyan universities.

It is worth noting that the entrepreneurship course curriculum was developed in cooperation with the French University, Lyon 3, and was integrated into higher education in Libya last year after raising the capacities of a number of professors to deliver it across Libyan universities.