The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has virtually granted certificates to 100 graduates of the 4th ‘Emirati Programmer’ course using the blockchain technology.

 

This was a move in line with the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 that was launched to boost the country’s position as a global hub for advanced technologies. 

 

The completion of the 4th edition of the ‘Emirati Programmer’ brings the total number of the participants graduating under the programme to 400, paving the way for more talented Emiratis to excel in the fields of coding, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. 

 

The ceremony was  held  under the patronage of Lt Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chairman of Police and General Security in Dubai, Chairman of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University’s Board of Governors (BOG), and Chairman of the Emirates Talent Association, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) and Emirates Talent Association. 

 

The programme’s fourth commencement ceremony is another addition to its achievements in empowering and enabling UAE nationals to fully harness the power of technologies as a means to reshape the country’s future. 

 

The celebration was held virtually via the Zoom platform. 

During the event, the graduates also demonstrated their exceptional skills in the areas of programming language, computational thinking, interactive game and application development, and database and networking.

 

The first-of-its-kind programme demonstrates HBMSU’s firm commitment to empowering the national talents and equipping them with the skills required to shape the UAE’s future. 

 

Held under the theme ‘Towards Advanced Tech Skills,’ the recently concluded virtual graduation ceremony, which attracted wide participants, emphasised the importance of investing in the skills of Emiratis, considered to be one of the main growth drivers and a catalyst for a more innovative environment, as the UAE continues to transition to a knowledge-based economy. 

 

Investing in the country’s human capital is critical to the fulfillment of the objectives of UAE Vision 2021 as well.

 

“We are pleased to witness the graduation of another group of young talented Emiratis who, during the programme, have been equipped with the necessary tools to make them a coding, AI and cybersecurity experts. Their skills are the key to their success in a world characterised by rapid technological advancements,” said Lt Gen Tamim, adding: “The ‘Emirati Programmer’ is vital to preparing the country’s future technology pioneers. On its fourth edition, the programme has succeeded in creating an environment that stimulates creativity, excellence and innovation, as well as in transforming our national talents into innovative leaders who can help build a brighter tomorrow for the UAE in the next 50 years. This is in line with the directive of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who said, ‘We are one team working in one spirit. We are fully optimistic that we have a promising future ahead.’”

 

Lt Gen Tamim added: “The ‘Emirati Programmer’ initiative continues to play its pivotal role in preparing our nationals to be globally competitive and the best representative of the UAE in prominent local and international forums. It lays a solid foundation for our talents to harness advanced technologies by learning about programming techniques, the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) and their significance across various fields. By doing so, we can transform the country into a global hub for the future industry.”

 

He concluded: “Giving the certificates to the young talented Emirati graduates via blockchain technology reaffirms our commitment to supporting the increased adoption of advanced technologies in the country in line with its ambitious development process and the goals of the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021. The continuous success of the national programme encourages us to continue investing in human minds, who attract the attention of our wise leadership that believes in the role of the youth, our country’s real wealth, in the UAE’s advancement.”

 

Dr Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, HBMSU and Deputy Chairman of the Emirates Talent Association, said: “The ‘Emirati Programmer’ helps lay a solid ground for more substantial investments in the skills of the future, while building a generation armed with knowledge, experience and competence who can effectively deal with programming languages. Enriching this skill, which is of great importance in today’s digital age, is in line with the wise directive of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU, to nurture the talents of the UAE’s brilliant minds as the country’s real wealth. We take pride in the achievements of our outstanding citizens in various vital fields locally and globally.”

 

Al Awar added: “We are also proud of the fruitful cooperation between the Emirates Talent Association and HBMSU. Our collaboration reflects our shared goals of accelerating the UAE’s entry to a new era by actively contributing to the country’s development plan for the next 50 years and establishing a solid foundation for a stronger global leadership under the guidance of our wise leaders. We extend our congratulations to the 4 th batch of graduates who are globally competitive and highly qualified to lead the path towards a new phase of knowledge creation and technological innovation. They are well positioned to elevate the UAE’s global leadership and status. At HBMSU, we remain fully committed to leveraging our smart learning and lifelong learning approach to create an educational system that nurtures the talents and abilities of individuals in line with the rapid changes. This commitment is aligned with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, to provide new generations with a new learning system that will help shape their thoughts, equip them with modern skills according to the needs of the future, and allow them to be an active participant in the country’s comprehensive and sustainable development.”

 

“The ‘Emirati Programmer’ programme will continue to train a new generation of talented programmers by teaching them about the fundamentals of programming, robotics, game development, AI and the IoT. By doing so, it enables the UAE nationals, who are the builders of the country’s future, to enhance their capabilities, develop their intellect and promote their innovative spirit,” Al Awar concluded.

 

During the programme, the participants aged 7-10 learned about the Ozobot robot and how it can be programmed to perform tasks properly. They also had the opportunity to learn about the coding for Kudo and recognise the different components of Kano computer kit. Those aged 11-14 were evaluated based on the more advanced skills they learned and the projects they built based on their own exceptional ideas. They can now develop games, build their characters and design and write codes for mobile applications using the ‘MIT App Inventor’ platform. They were also praised for their active participation that had a positive impact on the training programme.

 

At the start of the programme’s 4th edition, the participants underwent a series of physical

workshops and direct training, but a virtual learning was later adopted to ensure their safety and health amid the rapid spread of the pandemic.

 

The graduation ceremony also saw the recognition of the winners of the ‘Games Development’ – (Kudo) category of the Hackathon Competition. Omar Abdul Rahman Khalid from the age group 7-10 was the gold medalist in the ‘Kano Computer Kit’ category. Under the ‘MIT App Inventor’ category, Nasser Ismail Al-Zarouni from the age group 11-15 won the gold medal. The silver medal was awarded to Fawaghi Abdullah Saeed Al Saadi from the age group 7-10 and Manaa Majdi Manaa from the age group 11-15. Abdullah Khalid Abdullah Bouchama from the age group 7-10 was awarded the bronze medal and Khalid Jamal Ahmed Issa Al Thani from the age group 11-15 was awarded the bronze medal.

 

The ‘Emirati Programmer’ has now a total of 400 participants who have learned about programming, coding, AI and cyber security. The innovative programme is based on HBMSU’s blended learning model, which consists of a self-learning phase (the awareness), the traditional direct training phase (the application) and support and virtual directing phase (advising). The ‘Emirati Programmer’ trains talented individuals aged 7 to 15 in computer language programming by teaching them how to design games and digital and electronic applications and use the “Cloud Campus” platform. The programme is part of the university’s pioneering steps to develop and nurture the innovative skills, curiosity and knowledge of the learners to encourage the optimum use of available advanced technologies.-- Tradearabia News Service