Kazan – The 1st Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum started its work today in Kazan, the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia) with the official Opening Ceremony attended by H.E. Vladimir Leonov, the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mr. Elmaddin Mehdiyev, Chief of Cabinet of ICYF-DC, Mr. Djavdet Suleymanov, the Director General of “SELET” Youth Movement of Tatarstan and more than 100 hundred young participants from the OIC Member States and Russia interested in entrepreneurship.

The Forum is being organized by Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan and “SELET” Youth Movement under the patronage of H.E. Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan (RF). It will continue its work in the framework of the Kazan Summit 2015 until the 16 June 2015.

The 1st Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship forum has been designed to release and support the potential of Muslim youth entrepreneurs throughout the Muslim World and Russia, the observer state to the OIC. Over 50 youth from the OIC member states and 50 young participants from the regions of the Russian Federation participate in the work of the Forum that will aim at ‘project management skills development’ and presentation of the youth entrepreneurship projects. The Forum consists of 2 parts: 1) Kazan Youth Entrepreneurship Camp and 2) the 2nd General Assembly of the Islamic Countries Young Entrepreneurs Network (ICYEN), an initiative developed by ICYF-DC and approved by the OIC Member States.

Some of the objectives of the workshops that were held today were: the understanding of the changing and dynamic of the business world, project management, the development of the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of young people, the development of entrepreneurial skills and the promotion of new innovative entrepreneurial ideas.
The forum is only one part of ICYF-DC’s greater corporate social responsibility in creating opportunities for the Muslim youth throughout the world.

Throughout the summit, ICYF-DC and its online platform (https://www.facebook.com/OIC.Youth) will showcase extensive coverage of the 1st Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, focusing on innovation and dialogue.