Uchenna Efobi’s Post

Six outstanding researchers are joining our 2025-26 Policy Brief Program! Their expertise spans across critical areas of public health, tax policy, socio-economic equity, global affairs, and beyond, and we are confident they will bring fresh perspectives and rigor to the issue at hand. Meet our 2025-26 Researchers: 🩺 Dr. Al-Amin Ahamed, PharmD A double graduate from the University of Toronto, Dr. Al-Amin holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and has been recognized as Valedictorian and a U of T Global Scholar. Passionate about global health equity, he co-founded TRUSTi, a harm reduction venture, and is committed to optimizing healthcare access for marginalized groups. Currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at McGill University as a McCall MacBain Scholar, Al-Amin aims to bridge the gap between healthcare and policy-driven interventions. 🔬 Zara Ahmed, MPH (c) A Master of Public Health student at the University of Alberta with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, immigrant and refugee health, and health equity. Zara is also a graduate in Honours Bio-Medical Sciences from the University of Guelph and is passionate about driving community-based health solutions. 💼 Pallawi Anand Hailing from India, Pallawi brings over 6 years of experience as a civil servant with the Ministry of Finance, specializing in Indirect Tax Administration and Goods & Services Tax (GST). She recently completed her Master’s in Public Policy at McGill University and is eager to deepen her knowledge of Bangladesh’s socio-economic landscape. 🌍 Nahid Tahrima Rashid A policy and government affairs professional with a deep commitment to climate change, poverty reduction, and women’s empowerment. With experience working in Singapore and Bangladesh, Nahid holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the National University of Singapore and another Master’s in Applied Economics from BRAC University. 📊 Tasneem Tahrin A Master of Global Affairs graduate with a passion for creating scalable social change through data-driven decision-making. Tasneem’s experience across government, international organizations, and NGOs enables her to communicate complex development concepts effectively. 📈 Xinyuan(Shirley) X. An economist with dual Master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Xinyuan is dedicated to bridging socio-economic equity gaps through data analysis and econometric modeling. The cohort will focus on addressing the critical challenge of youth unemployment in Bangladesh, a pressing issue highlighted by recent protests and alarming statistics from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, with 41% of youth aged 15-24 inactive and a disproportionate impact on young women at 61.71%. "The second zero is zero unemployment." - Professor Muhammed Yunus, Nobel Laureate & Chief Advisor, Government of Bangladesh https://lnkd.in/gM7AMh_5

We are proud to present the 11th edition of the Geneva Challenge on "The Challenges of Youth Empowerment." Today, there are 1.8 billion youth, the largest generation of young people in history. As the late Kofi Annan, former High Patron of the Geneva Challenge, noted, “Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind.” Young people, however, face many barriers to their empowerment. For instance, more than 333 million children live in extreme poverty and 1 billion lack access to safe drinking water and nutritious food. Two hundred fifty million children were out of school in 2023 and 600 million lacked basic literacy and numeracy. Unequal access to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated inequalities in access to education – and youth unemployment continues to climb. Furthermore, climate change is expected to impact today’s youth and future generations particularly. We hope that graduate students from around the world will embrace the opportunity to devise innovative solutions for these many challenges, taking an interdisciplinary approach to tackle the pressing issues of youth empowerment. Our registration deadline is April 22, 23:59 CET and our submission deadline is July 14, 23:59 CET. Have a look at our website to read our call for proposals and rules and regulations - and to learn more about the Geneva Challenge: https://lnkd.in/gRK52uKg. Register via: https://bit.ly/49z4sxc. Geneva Graduate Institute #youthempowerment #genevagraduateinstitute #iheid #sdgs #genevachallenge

I was excited to share my latest research on Youth Participation in Policy and Sustainable Development at the prestigious Forth Isibalo Symposium 2024 from 21-22 November! 🎓🌍 My PhD study, supervised by Prof Philani Moyo at the University of Fort Hare, revealed critical insights into the challenges young people face in policy engagement. These are as follows:      i.        While frameworks from local to global levels recognise youth participation, significant gaps still exist in practice and implementation.     ii.        Barriers like limited information access and adultism often reduce youth involvement to tokenism.    iii.        There is an urgent need to bridge the gap between policy and meaningful youth engagement. The Isibalo Symposium, organized by Statistics SA and the KZN Provincial Government, provides a crucial platform for evidence-based decision-making. I was thrilled to contribute to discussions that will shape better planning for South Africa and beyond. As we look towards post-2030 development goals, it's imperative that we create youth-centric policies with robust implementation and evaluation strategies. Curious to learn more? Check out my peer-reviewed article here: https://lnkd.in/d9suNd9j Let's work together to empower young voices in shaping our future! 💪🏽

In recent years, development studies has witnessed a sea change in its approach to tackling some of the world’s most urgent problems. Now recognised as Europe’s largest teaching and research institute committed to tackling poverty and inequality across the globe, the Global Development Institute (GDI) reflects on its legacy and the role of development studies in the 21st century. Read more in this article for The University of Manchester's 2024 Magazine. #GlobalDevelopment #SocialJustice #ClimateChange #UoM200 UoM Humanities | Healthier Futures at The University of Manchester | Sustainable Futures at The University of Manchester

🌟 Day 114 - Grant Number 100 - Grant Alert: 🌟 🌍 United Nations University - World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) Launches Research Proposal Call! 🔍 We are excited to announce the request for research proposals for our project on Inequality over the Life Course. This initiative seeks to deepen the understanding of inequality dynamics, focusing on intergenerational mobility and labor market inequalities in Global South countries. ### What We Are Looking For: - Original research addressing:  - Pre-market factors affecting intergenerational mobility and labor market inequality.  - Impact of geographic and social environments on inequality from childhood.  - Policies and interventions that can address these inequalities. ### Offer: - Honorarium: USD 6,000 - 20,000, depending on the project scope. - Publication Opportunities in high-quality journals. - Support: Webinar guidance and a participatory review process. ### Important Dates: - Webinar on Submission Guidance: 11 June 2024 - Proposal Submission Deadline: 30 June 2024 - Decision Notification: 1 September 2024 - Final Paper Submission: 31 August 2025 ### Eligibility: - Open to individuals, groups, and non-profit organizations. - Strong empirical contributions using innovative datasets, especially from Africa, are highly encouraged. - Applications from women and researchers from developing countries are particularly welcome. 📅 Join our webinar on 11 June 2024 to get detailed insights on how to craft a successful proposal. For more information on how to apply, eligibility criteria, and detailed project themes, visit [UNU-WIDER's official page](https://wider.unu.edu). Don't miss this chance to contribute to meaningful global change! ### Apply Now! Let’s tackle global inequalities together! https://lnkd.in/gvDdk_cK #ChanakyaAdvisors #ResearchFunding #EconomicDevelopment #GlobalSouth #UNUWIDER #InequalityResearch #CallForProposals #AcademicResearch #SocialImpact

I learned a lot at the recent National Council of Social Service (NCSS) event which also launched the Centre for Evidence. Doing good is not sufficient without evidence and impact measurements. But the risk is that "Every dollar spent on poorly conceived research that does not help tomorrow’s children is a dollar wasted" as the article here warned. Which is why the Centre for Evidence is a welcome move and only if it helps the sector pull some of the weight in implementing good research. A caveat nonetheless is in order when it comes to all measurements of social programmes. To paraphrase the late Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman, there are some probable answers, some possible measures and absolutely many unknowable reasons what might work or not work. https://lnkd.in/g5y9txZj

On International Youth Day, we spotlight an urgent global imperative: the critical need for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for the world's young people. The statistics paint a stark picture: • By 2030, the global #youth population will surge by over 78 million, with nearly half of this growth concentrated in low-income countries. • In 2023, 1 out of 5 youth worldwide did not receive education, employment, or training opportunities — two in three were female. Quality TVET programs equip youth with essential skills for employment and sustainable livelihoods. When implemented at scale, they can expand the workforce, create jobs, and drive economic growth, yielding significant benefits for both workers and nations. Our She Thrives project in Ethiopia with CARE is a testament to shattering intergenerational poverty by bolstering youth earning potential. In a nutshell, the project registers adolescent girls into government-affiliated TVET Centers, with programs based on participant demographics and labor market assessment. To date, 375 girls have graduated from courses ranging from woodwork and food preparation to animal production, plant science, and natural resource and crop protection. Manyare beginning formal jobs, starting businesses, or working with master craftspeople to expand their skills further and can now contribute to their household income. With the global youth population peaking in the coming decade, the public and private sectors must act decisively to cultivate this wealth of potential, creating opportunities for youth to thrive and a future of shared prosperity. Learn more about She Thrives: https://lnkd.in/e4KgJmdV

OECD Youth Toolkit ******** Hosted by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, the launch of the OECD Youth Toolkit will bring together policy makers, young people, civil society, and experts to discuss policies and practices in these areas, inspiring and encouraging innovation and reform within governments and beyond. It will include a high-level panel followed by interactive parallel sessions on each pillar. The OECD Youth Policy Toolkit aims to support policy makers in implementing the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People by providing practical, concrete guidance for designing and executing youth policies, featuring good practice examples from all 38 OECD countries. It covers diverse policy areas such as education and skills, employment and entrepreneurship, health and social inclusion, participation in public life, and intergenerational justice. Rita Ribeiro Maria Manuel Velosa Lucas Chambel Tiago Rodrigues Maria Rita Fonseca Bernardo Simão Pedroso Filipa Santos Mariana Fonseca FNAEESP - Federação Nacional de Associações de Estudantes do Ensino Superior Politécnico AEICBAS-UP AEENSP-NOVA - Associação de Estudantes da Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública da UNL (ENSP NOVA) https://lnkd.in/dWGUPAE9

How can governments create better opportunities for young people? The OECD has unveiled a new Youth Policy Toolkit—a comprehensive resource designed to inspire governments, policymakers, and organisations with practical guidance to improve opportunities for young people. The Toolkit reflects diverse characteristics of young people and covers policy areas such as: ➡️ Skills and competencies ➡️ Youth labour market outcomes and entrepreneurship ➡️ Young people’s social and health outcomes ➡️ Young people’s trust in government and relationship with public institutions ➡️ Administrative and technical capacities to address age-based inequalities Discover more: https://oe.cd/5Ok | #OECD4Youth

If you are constantly being hit with that rod of ‘I’m getting old’, well, blame it on the army of youth around you. At the age of 25, someone here is a happy uncle—I won’t talk about those who are already grandparents before 30. It’s that real. You’ve got to admire our production rate😎 Africa has the world's youngest population, with over 400 million individuals aged between 15 and 35. By 2030, young Africans are projected to constitute 42% of the global youth demographic. In 🇺🇬 alone, children under 18 are half the total population (50.5%), with 18 to 30-year-olds accounting for 22.7%—🤨 Anyway, let’s see if there are solutions, sustainable approaches before this young continent freezes in debt and dilemma. How can approaches like Social and Behavior Change (SBC) empower this dynamic youth demographic to overcome challenges and seize opportunities for societal development? Look, for the millions of graduates every year, the “What’s Next” question is still an everyday bread—navigating opportunities amidst societal barriers remains a challenge, leading to uncertainty and frustration. ⁉️How can we foster an enabling environment where African youth can thrive? Join us this Tuesday from 4 PM (EAT) for a Pre-Summit Youth Event where we'll explore these questions and more. We will look into outcomes and key learnings from projects using these sustainable innovations, paving the way for future opportunities to predict and influence change pathways. Finally, I'm honored to be part of the African Society for Social & Behavior Change team that will usher you into the #AfricaSBCSummit24, representing the voices of our generation. You too can be #thenextbigthing ⤵️ 🔗 https://shorturl.at/BsJSN