UNESCO to sum up “Youth Mobile” contest

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 28 May 2019, the UNESCO Office in Tashkent in cooperation with the Tashkent University of Information Technology named after Mukhammad al-Khorezmi (TUIT) will hold the final stage of the contest for developing mobile application under the framework of the joint project “Youth Mobile”.

The goal of the project is to equip young people with digital skills and competencies required in the 21st century to develop, promote and distribute mobile applications relevant to the local population. The project promotes the effective use of ICT among young people to expand their employability and solve local problems of sustainable development.

The contest started in November 2018. Ten mobile applications were shortlisted to the final stage of the contest. The applicants will get a chance to present concepts of their ideas to the jury consisted of the specialists from TUIT and UNESCO. As a result, one winning application will be determined, the author of which will receive financial assistance for the implementation of his or her idea. At the end, the fully completed application should be uploaded to the online stores Google Play and AppStore.

Smartphones are the main device for millions of people around the world and have a significant impact on their lives every day: from communication to training, from business to games. At  the  end  of  2018,  more  than  half  of  the  world  population  was connected to the Internet;  the  estimates  show  that  the  next  billion of new Internet connections will come through mobile devices owned by the young people. In this regard, the “Youth Mobile” Initiative recognizes the significant potential of mobile applications as a tool for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Since its launch in 2014 by the UNESCO Division of Knowledge Societies, the “Youth Mobile” Initiative has more than 7,000 participants from 27 countries. “Youth Mobile” is firmly committed to the implementation of sustainable development goals, in particular goal 10 to reduce inequalities within and between countries and goal 5 to achieve gender equality by breaking stereotypes and unlocking the potential of women in ICT.

“This project can help young people create a business and develop skills that may be in demand when applying for IT work in a local, national or international market,” the contest organizers say.