Microsoft recently held a special ceremony to celebrate the achievements of 153 engineering students from United Arab Emirates University who participated in a Microsoft-run NASA Summer Camp earlier this year. The camp was designed around today’s digital natives’ ambitious aspirations to empower them with the practical skills and experience needed to make their mark in the global digital economy.
“We owe it to our young people and to ourselves to prepare a future workforce for the difficult challenges they will face,” said Professor James Klausner, Dean of the College of Engineering at United Arab Emirates University.
He added, “This collaboration between UAEU and Microsoft is a modest step forward in our ongoing efforts to facilitate world-class education for all of our students, preparing them to pursue their own goals and contribute to our wise leaders’ economic visions. The NASA Summer Camp represents the pinnacle of ambition for many engineers who aspire to one day play a key role in the advancement of their country.”
The four-week summer camp, which began on July 25 and ended on July 30, was created to educate College of Engineering students for leadership and innovation in the digital age. Electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering were among the specialties of the young engineers, as were aerospace and petroleum chemicals. They were able to gain advanced, future-ready technology skills and achieve Microsoft certifications in Python Programming, Azure Cloud, and Data Science as a result of the program.
“This program was an empowering experience for the leaders of the future, and what better way to reach for the stars than at a NASA-affiliated training event?” said Ahmed Ameen Ashour, Education Director, Microsoft UAE.
He also commented, “As part of our collaboration, Microsoft shared our own cloud-powered Azure Space innovations designed for use on and off-world. Through meeting with space scientists, students were inspired by first-hand accounts of real-world adventures that are likely to have significant impacts on their careers, and hence the future of the nation.”
On September 21, the participants were honored at a virtual graduation ceremony hosted by UAEU. The Dean of the College of Engineering, Professor James Klausner, and Microsoft UAE’s Higher Education Industry Executive, Layali Eid, delivered both keynote remarks.
The students visited with space scientists from the UAE Space Agency and learned about Azure Space, a Microsoft platform that extends the intelligent cloud from its earthly home to the stars. The students also had the opportunity to meet with Microsoft career advisors and IT professionals, who helped them develop softer skills such as teamwork and other interpersonal skills in addition to their technical abilities.
