Applied Science University (ASU) Bahrain’s Initiatives for Sustainable Business and Community Empowerment (SDG 1.4.1 – No Poverty)

Applied Science University (ASU) in Bahrain demonstrates a strong commitment to SDG 1 (No Poverty) by empowering local community members and students to create sustainable businesses and improve their employability. Through formal educational programs and dedicated centers, ASU provides entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and access to resources that help individuals launch start-ups or secure meaningful employment. These initiatives contribute to poverty reduction by enabling participants to generate income and economic growth within their communities. The following report outlines ASU’s key programs and resources – including free public workshops and paid professional courses – that support entrepreneurship and career development, along with the partnerships and resources that underpin these efforts.

Business Incubation and Start-Up Support

ASU established a dedicated Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in September 2019 to nurture entrepreneurial ventures and innovation on campus [1]. The BIC’s mission is to educate and mentor aspiring entrepreneurs, providing them with workspace, guidance, and practical support to turn ideas into viable businesses [2]. Since its launch, the BIC has organized over 60 entrepreneurship activities and benefited more than 3,000 students, supervising the development of nearly 300 start-up projects across sectors such as manufacturing, retail, services, trading, and agriculture [1]. This incubator serves as a platform for students (and recent graduates) to gain entrepreneurial skills and receive one-on-one coaching in business planning, marketing, and finance. Notably, ASU’s incubated start-ups have a nearly equal gender mix (approximately 53% female and 47% male entrepreneurs), reflecting the university’s inclusive approach to enterprise support [1]. By fostering student-founded companies, ASU helps young people become “job creators” rather than job seekers, aligning with its strategic goal to produce entrepreneurial graduates who contribute to the national economy [3].

ASU’s students have leveraged the incubator and related programs to achieve significant entrepreneurial success. For example, an ASU student start-up team named “Al Fazaa” won multiple awards in 2019: “Best Company of the Year” in Bahrain’s INJAZ youth entrepreneurship competition, INJAZ Al-Arab’s Boeing STEM Challenge Award, Product of the Year 2019, and 2nd place in the Arab Youth Center’s Youth Solutions Initiative [4] [5]. These achievements illustrate how university-supported projects can evolve into award-winning business ideas. The incubation ecosystem at ASU – including mentorship, competitions, and networking – was instrumental in these outcomes [4]. By supporting students through the early stages of venture creation and linking them to national/regional contests, ASU directly contributes to sustainable business formation and empowers youth to lift themselves and others out of poverty through entrepreneurship.

Mentorship Programs and Entrepreneurship Workshops

Mentorship and training are core components of ASU’s community entrepreneurship initiatives. The Business Incubation Centre and related offices regularly organize seminars, workshops, and guest lectures that are open to students and the broader community. Many of these events are offered free of charge as a public service to spread entrepreneurial knowledge. For instance, in November 2019 the BIC hosted a “Kick-Start Your Business” workshop (ورشة عمل أبدأ مشروعك) to help budding entrepreneurs in the community learn how to develop and launch a business idea [5]. This workshop provided practical guidance on startup financial planning and business modeling, and was open to participants outside the university as well. Around the same time, ASU invited officials from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism to deliver a public lecture in December 2019 on business registration and support services for new enterprises [6]. Likewise, a dedicated lecture by the Labor Fund “Tamkeen” – Bahrain’s national entrepreneurship and skills support fund – was held on campus to educate students and community members about Tamkeen’s programs for start-up funding and training [7]. These free seminars allow aspiring entrepreneurs to directly learn from policy-makers and industry experts.

During Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020, ASU (under the patronage of its Board of Trustees Chairman, Prof. Waheeb Alkhaja) partnered with Tamkeen to host a high-profile virtual seminar titled “Funding Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs in the COVID-19 Era.” This seminar, open to the public, featured a panel of distinguished experts discussing how youth and small businesses could secure financing despite pandemic challenges [3]. Speakers included the CEO of Ebdaa Bank (who explained micro-loans for small enterprises), the President of the Bahrain Entrepreneurship Organization, the CEO of Tenmou (Bahrain’s first angel investor network), a manager from Flat6Labs Bahrain (a startup accelerator), and the founder of a crowdfunding platform [3]. Together they provided mentorship by sharing tips on fundraising, pivoting business models, and leveraging new financing avenues like angel investment and crowdfunding [3]. ASU’s President, Prof. Ghassan Aouad, noted that entrepreneurship is now an “integral part of the University’s educational process” and highlighted that the incubator “provides all the support and services that students need to develop their ideas and turn them into successful projects.” [3]. This event – free for all attendees – exemplifies how ASU connects its students and local entrepreneurs with mentors and knowledge networks. It also underscores ASU’s close cooperation with Tamkeen in celebrating entrepreneurial culture and mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19 on start-ups [3].

Beyond formal seminars, ASU engages students in entrepreneurship competitions and training programs often supported by outside organizations. Through partnerships with INJAZ Bahrain (a non-profit organization for youth business education), ASU students receive mentorship to develop start-up ideas and compete nationally. ASU proudly notes that its students benefit from competitions and workshops “hosted by Tamkeen and INJAZ,” which enhance their practical business skills [4]. In 2022–2023, ASU teams again qualified for the national INJAZ startup competition, reflecting an ongoing pipeline of mentored student entrepreneurs [8]. These mentorship-driven activities, whether via guest experts, alumni entrepreneurs, or partner institutions, are often provided free or at minimal cost to participants as part of ASU’s community service mission. In summary, ASU leverages a rich network of mentors and training events to broaden entrepreneurial skills in the community – from basic “how to start a business” workshops to advanced seminars on funding startups – thereby enabling more individuals to pursue sustainable business ventures.

Skills Training for Employment and Workplace Success

In addition to fostering start-ups, ASU runs programs to improve employability and job-readiness, recognizing that transitioning into stable employment is key to escaping poverty. The university’s Career Development and Alumni Affairs Office and the Training, Development and Continuing Education Centre collaborate to offer training that equips both students and community members with workplace skills. For example, ASU holds an annual Career Day which serves as a bridge between education and industry. At the 11th Career Day in May 2024, 52 companies and institutions from the public and private sectors participated on campus [9]. The Minister of Labour, Jameel Humaidan, inaugurated this event, emphasizing its purpose: to familiarize students with available job opportunities in the labor market and to guide individuals in choosing specializations aligned with market needs [9]. During Career Day, students and recent graduates meet employers, learn about recruitment criteria, and practice job-hunting skills. The event also introduces attendees to government employment initiatives – the Ministry of Labour’s training and qualification programs offered in collaboration with Tamkeen – which support youth in gaining vocational skills and securing jobs [10]. These programs (such as Tamkeen’s National Employment Program) can subsidize on-the-job training or wage support for Bahraini job-seekers, and ASU ensures its graduates are aware of and prepared for such opportunities.

Furthermore, ASU’s Continuing Education Centre offers a range of professional development courses and workshops to the public, enabling lifelong learning for career advancement. The Centre’s mission is to deliver “learning solutions & bespoke trainings” to individuals and corporate clients, with a focus on practical, experience-based learning [11]. Community members can enroll (for a fee) in short courses to acquire or upgrade skills in business management, ICT, languages, and other fields demanded by the job market. These paid programs are often designed and scheduled to accommodate working adults, thereby supporting upskilling and career transitions. Notably, Bahraini participants can often utilize Tamkeen’s training support schemes to offset fees, making the courses more accessible. The impact of ASU’s training is evident in its alignment with market needs – the university reports that it strives to “align educational outcomes with the job market and meet the community’s needs by providing exceptional employment opportunities.” [10]. In practice, this means ASU continuously updates its training offerings and provides career services (like CV workshops and coaching) to help learners secure jobs. The Alumni Office’s “Path to Success” program, for instance, organizes workshops on career skills (e.g. professional communication, interview techniques) and invites industry speakers to prepare students and alumni for workplace success. These initiatives are generally free for current students and alumni, while some advanced training certificates are offered on a paid basis through the continuing education arm.

By combining free career guidance events (job fairs, alumni workshops) with paid continuing education programs, ASU caters to a broad spectrum of the community. Fresh graduates benefit from networking with employers and learning about job programs, while mid-career professionals or unemployed community members can enroll in courses to improve their qualifications. This dual approach enhances individuals’ ability to obtain and sustain employment, which is critical for poverty reduction. Indeed, ASU’s efforts have been recognized in national forums; the university has hosted government partners like the Ministry of Labour on campus to promote national employment initiatives, underscoring ASU’s role as a conduit for public workforce development schemes [10].

Public Access to University Resources

ASU extends certain university resources to the public to ensure that community members can benefit from its facilities and knowledge infrastructure. In particular, the University Library and its information services are made accessible beyond the student body. The library holds over 32,000 books and numerous digital databases, and ASU acknowledges the importance of public access to library resources as part of its lifelong learning mandate [12]. To facilitate this, the University has provided community users with a designated login (username and password) to access its digital library portal, which includes academic databases and e-books in both Arabic and English [12]. This initiative allows any interested member of the public to conduct research or self-education using ASU’s subscribed resources remotely, free of charge. Additionally, ASU’s library portal offers a “research room” feature that external users can utilize to engage in academic work collaboratively [12]. By opening its library digitally and on-campus (upon request) to non-students, ASU helps disseminate knowledge widely – enabling educators, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners in the community to access up-to-date information and study space. This open library policy aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and contributes indirectly to poverty alleviation by equipping citizens with information and research tools needed for personal development or business planning [12].

Other campus facilities are also leveraged for community benefit. ASU’s auditorium and seminar halls frequently host public events such as conferences, community workshops, and cultural programs. For example, the university’s auditorium was used to host the Global Entrepreneurship Week seminar in 2020, which was open to Bahraini youth and entrepreneurs nationwide [3]. ASU often waives fees or provides in-kind support for such community-oriented events, under its social responsibility agenda. Similarly, the Business Incubation Centre’s co-working spaces and meeting rooms are available to student entrepreneurs and their teams (including alumni or partners from outside) to develop their projects. While the incubator’s primary users are ASU students, the outcomes of its start-ups benefit the wider local community through services and job creation. Many student-founded companies incubated at ASU go on to serve the Bahraini market and employ local staff, thus multiplying the impact of the university’s resources. In fields like engineering and science, ASU has also partnered with external organizations to allow use of its laboratories and equipment for community projects or school initiatives (often under faculty supervision). Such access is usually arranged via formal requests or MoUs and can be either free (if it’s an educational non-profit project) or charged at cost-recovery for extensive industrial use. In all cases, administration of public access is handled through the relevant university directorate (e.g. Library and Information Services for library access, or Admin Affairs for venue bookings), ensuring that external usage aligns with university policies and capacity.

Institutional Partnerships and Financial Support

ASU’s community entrepreneurship and training activities are strengthened by strategic partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and industry, which often provide financial support or expertise. Chief among these is the collaboration with Tamkeen (the Labour Fund). Tamkeen has co-sponsored multiple ASU initiatives – from the entrepreneurship funding seminar [3] to student startup competitions – as part of its mandate to foster private sector growth. While Tamkeen’s support is often in-kind (e.g. helping organize events, providing expert speakers, or offering its programs to ASU participants), it also administers grant programs that ASU students and community trainees can directly benefit from. For instance, Tamkeen’s startup grant schemes and training subsidies can fund business prototype development or cover a percentage of course tuition for Bahrainis attending ASU’s continuing education courses. The partnership between ASU and Tamkeen is formalized through coordination in events like Global Entrepreneurship Week, where Tamkeen plays a “great role…organizing and coordinating” the activities and ASU provides the platform to reach youth entrepreneurs [3]. This synergy amplifies the impact of both institutions’ resources to fight poverty via entrepreneurship.

Other notable partnerships include those with the Ministry of Industry & Commerce (MOIC) and the Ministry of Labour. ASU works with the MOIC to promote small business development – exemplified by the MOIC-led lecture at ASU on starting a business (covering commercial registration, licensing, etc.) [6]. ASU’s incubator itself aligns with national efforts (the MOIC’s business incubator licensing regime) to grow Bahrain’s startup ecosystem. The Ministry of Labour, as seen in the Career Day events, partners with ASU to channel national employment programs and on-the-job training opportunities to ASU students and alumni [10]. This includes introducing Tamkeen-supported schemes like internships and apprenticeship programs. Additionally, ASU has signed agreements with industry bodies such as the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) to collaborate on training students in fields that have labor market demand (e.g. a recent MoU with BAB focuses on developing banking and finance skills for young Bahrainis, ensuring ASU’s programs lead to employable graduates).

Financially, ASU itself invests significant resources in these community engagement programs. The university allocates part of its budget to operating the Business Incubation Centre (staffing, seed funding for student projects, etc.) and to hosting public events. While exact budget figures are internal, ASU’s leadership emphasizes that “everything we do is driven by our strategy and we have a yearly operational plan with budgeting” for such initiatives [13]. External funding supplements this internal budget: for example, corporate sponsors and government funds often cover event costs or provide prize money for competitions. Ebdaa Bank, a microfinance institution, collaborates with ASU by offering small business loans to qualifying entrepreneurs emerging from the university – a form of financial support highlighted during the funding seminar [3]. Similarly, ASU has facilitated connections to crowdfunding and angel investment (through platforms like Zoomal and Tenmou) so that entrepreneurs can obtain seed capital [3]. For skills training, ASU has partnered with banks to ease financial barriers for students: Al Baraka Islamic Bank and Kuwait Finance House both signed agreements to provide affordable education financing to ASU students in recent years [8]. By enabling more students to complete university or training programs through low-interest loans, these partnerships indirectly support SDG 1 by improving students’ future earning potential.

In summary, ASU’s alliances with national bodies like Tamkeen, relevant ministries, non-profits like INJAZ, and industry groups are instrumental in delivering and funding its community programs. These partnerships bring in expert knowledge, widen the reach of programs, and often provide financial incentives (grants, subsidies, awards) that encourage participation. ASU’s approach serves as a model of how a university can act as a hub linking various stakeholders – government, private sector, and civil society – to collaboratively tackle unemployment and promote entrepreneurship as pathways out of poverty.

Conclusion

Through a combination of incubation services, entrepreneurship education, career development programs, and open access to resources, Applied Science University Bahrain actively empowers both its students and the surrounding community to start sustainable businesses and improve their livelihoods. Its free workshops, mentoring events, and library access ensure that knowledge and opportunities are available to all, including those who may not be enrolled at the university. At the same time, its structured training courses and industry partnerships (some offered on a paid or subsidized basis) provide advanced skill-building and real financial support where needed. This dual strategy of community engagement – lowering barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs and raising the skill level of the workforce – directly addresses the targets of SDG 1.4 by giving people, especially youth and the underemployed, access to the tools and services necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency [3] [1]. ASU’s evidence-based approach, documented in institutional records and partnerships, showcases the impactful role a higher education institution can play in poverty alleviation through education and enterprise. By investing in human capital and fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem, ASU continues to assist countless individuals in launching careers and ventures that sustain themselves, their families, and contribute to Bahrain’s inclusive economic growth.

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