Update:
As per a recent update shared by the official Digital Youth Summit account, the event schedule has been pushed to an undisclosed time in future.
Digital Youth Summit 2016 has been postponed. Stay tuned for new dates!
— Digital Youth Summit (@KPDYS) May 11, 2016
While we manage to get in touch with the event organizing team, make sure you keep an eye on this space for further updates.
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As the mercury climbs the scales, Peshawar anticipates one of the most technically fertile events of the country – the Digital Youth Summit. Hailing as a joint initiative of the Government of KP and the World Bank, Digital Youth Summit is a tech conference and startup expo which has been organized in Peshawar, Pakistan annually since 2014. Techies and business experts from all over the world convene at the Digital Youth Summit for three days of passionate discussions on innovation and entrepreneurship, angel investing, startups, and opportunities to work online. Its main objective is to bring together the next generation of digital innovators in Pakistan, with a primary focus on ‘tech for social’ innovation. The event showcases local startups and gives access to youngsters to income-generating opportunities based on Information and Communication Technologies. It is not just a startup expo, but also an employment opportunity for multitudes of qualified participants.
Each year, the conference sees around 4,000 participants and #DYS is a trending topic on Twitter in Pakistan. There are young students busy tweeting with their smart phones, tech entrepreneurs discussing latest development in the industry, government officials interacting with thousands of youth in the crowd figuring out ways to better funnel the technical innovations for the masses, and the venue buzzes with energy. This could have been a tech conference like many in the Silicon Valley. But it takes place in Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan – bringing the city the right kind of identity.
Considering the local context of uncertainty, it is indeed a blessing to have low entry barriers in the non-traditional sector of Information and Communication Technologies. This provides the tools to easily take an idea to the global market, and quickly tackle challenges such as knowledge gaps or distance. Thus, growing at global level while providing new opportunities of tech entrepreneurship and on-line work, this sector is identified as the new Alchemy among the youth. Young people making up the bulk of the audience at the Digital Youth Summit listen to panel sessions on the growing opportunities in the virtual economy, learn through the experience of the best in the industry and the impact of their geographical location seems to diminish.
A common thread among all the previous Summits has been to encourage youth to be economically independent so that their presence in the industry does not only prove individual success but also becomes a means to collective progress. The attendees getting networking opportunities with the key influencers of Pakistan’s tech industry is another plus this Summit, Pakistan’s largest tech fair by any margin, has been providing proudly.
From panel discussions to interviews to Angel investment opportunities, trust Digital Youth Summit to address each and every issue the next generation of digital innovators in Pakistan face. This year promises to be no different – only Bigger & Better!
Whether you’re a student, a founder, a professional or a freelancer, there’s reason and there are perks to be a part of the Digital Youth Summit taking place on 26-28 May 2016. For beginners aiming to earn online from the comfort of their homes, both national and international companies are hosting free 101 sessions for beginners. The freelancers are in luck for registration is not required for this type of ticket and they can get their pass on-spot.
This year’s list of speakers includes Syed Irfan Ajmal, Puruesh Chaudhary, Ajmal Paiman and Elmira Bayrasli, among others. While the list of speakers for the event isn’t any less illustrious, the three-day event agenda proves to be promising as well with all its plenary and breakout sessions.
Working towards the establishment of a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem, Digital Youth Summit 2016 carries all the ingredients for becoming a successful platform for the next generation of digital innovators in Pakistan.
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