DIAC, Dubai Knowledge Park Promote Innovation Through Education

Dubai’s education communitieshost innovation-themed initiatives throughoutFebruary

To mark the UAE Innovation Month, the academic partners ofDubai Knowledge Park (DKP) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) have organised a line-up of activities and events that promote the understanding of advanced technologies anddiscovery of new concepts amongstudents and universities.

In line with the UAE National Innovation Strategy,the UAE Innovation Month aims to boostthe development of new ideas and innovative capabilities thatreinforcethe country’s status as a global innovation hub.

Mohammad Abdullah, Managing Director of DKP and DIAC, said: “At DIAC and DKP, we strongly believe that excellence in education lays the groundwork for innovation in the UAE. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders. Our missionlies ensuring the highest quality of education, by attracting the best global institutions with world-class faculty to develop our country’s human capital to its full potential.”

He added: “Embracing our leadership's vision for an innovation-led economy is key to nurturing our future generations that will one day make up the UAE's talented workforce. We are delighted to open our campuses to events that celebrate the best of innovative ideas and shapean enabling and creative environment.”

Throughout February, DIAC and DKP partner universities and professional learning institutes are hosting seminars, competitions and other activities to inspire innovation. To acceleratethe adoption and understanding of game-changing technologies,technology-driven laboratories at SP Jain School of Global Management areoffering a series of courses on big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain.

Meanwhile, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus is organising a festival that displaysinnovative student projects involving the extraction of hydrogen from waste water, converting leftover food into nutritional powder and a smart dustbin capable of segregating waste. The prestigious educational institutionisalso holding inter-university student competitions, hackathons and workshops.

Another notable event that exploredfuturistic technology is Heriot-Watt University Dubai’s inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture Series, delivered by globallyrenownedrobotics expert Professor David Lane.The lecture shed light on how artificial intelligence and robotics have the potential to dramatically boostgrowth and productivity at the time of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Furthermore, Amity University Dubai hosted a special session by Professor David Provenzani about the disruptive changes to expect in the coming decades and theirimplications on future careers.Inaddition,the Manipal Centre of Robotics Excellence (MCORE) at Manipal University Dubai is showcasing studentinventions including a chess-playing robot, a remote-controlled robotic arm and an AI-poweredtalking cap.

Apartfrom technology-themed activities, events that inspire creativity and innovation in the fields ofdesign, hospitality and art are also on the agenda. Curtin University Dubai is hosting its inauguralUrban Arts Festival in DIAC that features a contest to discover the next up-and-coming artist.Similarly, the International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) Dubaiis introducing a new way of culinary training–an online course certified by City & Guilds and delivered through the centre’se-learning platform,Fatafeat ICCA Academy Online.

Taking the innovative designs of fashionstudents off campus, ESMOD Dubai and Al Khaznah Tannery have partnered together for a special accessories collection, made from camel leather that has been sustainably-sourced. This collection will be exhibited at the Leatherworld Middle East trade show, slated to run from 27 February to 1 March at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

In addition to celebrating the UAE Innovation Month, DIAC and DKP will hold their respectiveWeeks of WelcomefestivalsthisFebruary. The annual orientation events for students of alluniversities across the two campuses will revolve around innovation, entrepreneurship and the Year of Zayed. The DIAC Week of Welcome will take place from 20 to 22 February, while the DKP event,set tofeatureseveral pavilions dedicated to innovation,a spring bazaar, competitions and other activities, will run from 26 to 28 February.

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