The International Conference on Education and Employment, under the auspices of Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman, will discuss the compatibility of education with the needs of the labor market in member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih will also participate in the conference, which is being organized and hosted by the Institute of Knowledge Economic City (KEC) in Madinah on Sept. 3 and 4 at the Oberoi Hotel.

The conference is being held to discuss the ways and means to create synergy between educational institutions and the labor market, KEC Executive Director Mohammad Mustafa Mahmoud said, adding that the exchange of ideas was the most prominent feature of the event in which 20 scientists and specialists from several countries will share their experiences.

He said the first session will conclude with the signing of documents of cooperation between the KEC and the Higher Education Academy of Management in Malaysia.

The second session is entitled “Higher education in the countries of Islamic Cooperation and the growing challenge of staffing needs.” Osman Bakur, conference president, said that four research papers and topics will be discussed in the second session, including higher education and employment, the Malaysian experience in coordinating farming culture and the possibility of employing graduates, graduate recruitment challenges and modification of the vision and mission of education at the University of Brunei in Darussalam, in addition to the challenges facing higher education institutions in Turkey.

To conclude the second session, a talk on the challenges and prospects of education and employment in the Kingdom will be provided by Abdul Karim Nujaidi, director-general of the Human Resource Development Fund at the Ministry of Labor.

Other sessions will cover topics such as the readiness of graduates of educational institutions and their cultural and institutional aspects, educational qualifications and training for careers, rethinking the role played by professionals in higher education, and higher education in the Internet community.