18 must-read stories for the weekend

How technology is transforming the Middle East. Which countries are making the most of the “internet of everything”?

China will soon be the world’s biggest source of capital. European innovators are prime targets for investment, prompting predictions of a new brain drain.

Escaping the violence trap. The only strategic solution to regional conflict? Economic cooperation.

How can the Middle East close its education gap? Conflict is keeping kids out of classrooms.

Finland is a world leader in skills and education.  Former Education Minister, Pär Stenbäck, shares three Finnish secrets.

5 ways universities have changed. The 21st century has brought more students and a focus on teaching time at the expense of hard-to-measure qualities like knowledge-sharing.

Fear is the brake on the global economy. Releasing it requires visionary public investment, says one Nobel laureate.

In our podcast this week, Joseph Stiglitz on the policy choices we make and how they affect economic equality.

The challenge of Middle East youth unemployment. A “youth bulge” means more demand for jobs at a time of weak growth. A preview of the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Jordan, which begins today. (Yahoo)

Is technology to blame for youth unemployment? Young people are 17% of the global population but 40% of the unemployed, according to World Economic Forum data. (Politico)

Turkish women fight back against domestic abuse. Cites the Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. (Al Jazeera)

Can macroprudential regulation prevent another financial crisis? Yes, but unless it is co-ordinated and systematic it could do more harm than good. Cites a statement by finance leaders coordinated by the World Economic Forum. (Financial Times)

A Forum for the future. Professor Klaus Schwab talks to Gillian Tett about his vision for the international institution he leads. (Financial Times) [video]

Why is global warming on pause? Scientists think they have an answer.

What causes empires to fall? Ancient history provides surprising geopolitical lessons.

Despite current conflicts, is war really on the wane? Recent optimism looks sadly misplaced.

How do you condense big data? A new mathematical discovery reduces the size of data sets while preserving their mathematical properties.

Everyone wants transparency. But does opacity actually make markets better and fairer?

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Author: Adrian Monck is Managing Director and head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum.

Image: Syrian refugee children join hands as they play at a makeshift school, supported by UNICEF and in cooperation with the Beyond Association, in Zahle in the Bekaa valley October 22, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir