National Programme For Coders Trains University Students On Programming And AI Skills In Collaboration With Facebook

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 04th Aug, 2021) The National Programme for Coders and Facebook announced today the launch of the "Facebook AI Camp", available for the first time in the middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The camp, slated to be held between 15th and 26th August, 2021, will equip students with a variety of digital skills and train them in programming languages. The initiative is in line with national efforts to empower programmers and involve them in the UAE’s digital transformation.

Following the launch of the programme under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the Facebook AI Camp will provide university students passionate about artificial intelligence (AI) the opportunity to equip themselves with valuable skills and insights for an AI-driven future, strengthening the UAE’s position in the field of programming.

The camp will train 50 hand-picked university students on topics that are at the core of AI, from the fundamentals to advanced state-of-the-art technology. The camp is open to students in their last year of university, in AI-relevant fields and with a background in Python and Mathematics. Students can apply to participate in the "Facebook Al" camp via the website.

Commenting on the launch, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said, "The UAE government supports the creation of integrated digital societies that support the growing role of programming applications in various aspects of life, work and all vital sectors. Empowering youth with digital skills that enable them to innovate and create new solutions to turn challenges into future opportunities will be a key milestone to achieve that.

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Al Olama added, "The collaboration with Facebook to host the AI Camp comes in light of the UAE’s Government’s eagerness to enhance cooperation between government entities and major global technology companies to equip youth with the relevant cognitive skills in the fields of Artificial intelligence and programming by involving them in the design process and paving the way to the future, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai."

As part of the programme, the selected students will gain access to a variety of offerings and unique activities including training workshops, knowledge sessions, a roundtable led by Al Olama, the Facebook MENA leadership team, and connecting with Facebook AI researchers from across the globe and specialist AI experts and recruiters. Attendees will also receive an invitation to attend the Facebook PyTorch Developer Day.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with The National Programme for Coders to support the establishment of a vibrant AI ecosystem in the UAE. By leveraging our expertise in developing and deploying AI to connect, protect and empower, we believe the Facebook AI Camp will provide students passionate about the field with a robust programme that will instil key capabilities to leverage new and progressive AI technologies," said Azzam Alameddin, Public Policy Director, MENA and Turkey at Facebook.

The programme also provides entrepreneurs and start-ups with the opportunity to support the digital transformation process across key sectors, and cooperate with the government and private sectors in the UAE and abroad to implement promising ideas and turn them into well-rounded projects.