As part of its long term initiative to support young talents who have innovative IT ideas in the UAE, emaratech collaborated with American University of Sharjah to hold the 10th edition of AUS-emaratech School Computing Competition on April 23. More than 260 students from 33 schools participated in the competitions which ranged from presentations and demonstrations to computer programming and mobile computing.
School students from grades 7 to 12 had the opportunity to present their work in the areas of computer science and engineering at the 10thAUS-emaratech School Computing Competition (AeSCC) held at American University of Sharjah (AUS) on April 23. Organized by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering represented by Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Ali and Dr. Tamer Shanableh, professors of computer science and engineering, along with the AUS Office of Enrollment Management in collaboration with emaratech, the competition aimed at paving the way for school students to excel in advanced sciences and technology.
More than 260 students from 33 schools participated in the competitions which ranged from presentations and demonstrations to computer programming and mobile computing.
Speaking about the importance of this competition, Thani Alzaffin, Director General and Member of the Board of emaratech said: “As a leading online technology solutions and consulting company in the Arab world, we are supporting the vision of the UAE through focusing our innovations on smart cities applications and cyber security among other areas. Our biggest asset to realizing our vision is our people who continuously seek young local talent equipped with the right knowledge and skills in technology and the advanced sciences to join our team. We are very excited to be a part of this initiative in order to directly engage with young students from across the UAE, and promote to them the emerging trends and future careers in technology.”
Professor Kevin Mitchell, Acting Chancellor of AUS, said: “Congratulations to all the students who participated in the competition this year. Many of you will be graduating from school soon and will be looking at universities to take your next step. What distinguishes AUS is its exceptional faculty and the opportunities that it provides its students. The university does its best to ensure that its graduates acquire a broad range of skills that prepare them for success in the future.”
Dr. Naif Darwish, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Acting Dean of Engineering, welcomed the students to AUS and congratulated them on the projects they presented. He informed the audience that the AUS College of Engineering offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate programs which were much sought after by students from across the region.
Dr. Fadi Aloul, Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, also addressed the students, highlighting the richness of the computer science and engineering program at the university which offers the latest courses in virtual reality, cyber security, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, cloud and machine learning. The courses aim to empower and equip the students with skills and knowledge to digitize and innovate in every field.
The event comprised four main tracks accommodating the various participating student classes. Track One involved a presentation competition for students from grades seven to nine that covered the subjects of smart homes, transportation, services, cities, and environment; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications; Internet of Things (IoT) and its applications; cybersecurity and its applications; and virtual reality and its applications. Track Two covered the area of programming for students from grades 10 to 12 where participants were asked to solve programming problems on the day of the competition using programming languages such as Java, C++, Visual basic or Python. Track Three for students from grades 10 to 12 focused on mobile application development. The teams were asked to develop the application prior to the competition and present it to a panel of judges at AUS. And finally, Track Four involved students from grades 10 and 12 focused on web development in areas related to smart cities, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
Ali Shuhaimy, Executive Director of Enrollment Management at AUS, welcomed the participants to campus and briefed them about the opportunities available at AUS and the university’s decision to offer merit-based scholarships to qualified incoming students that amount to between 20 to 50 percent of the tuition.
The event was supported by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs at AUS and sponsored by Dell Technologies. It also included the participation of judges from the computer science and engineering faculty, technical staff, and teaching assistants.
Winners of the hard-fought competitions were announced during an award ceremony held at the conclusion of the event. These were:
Category: Web development (Grades 10-12)
First Place: Al Shola Private School (boys)
Second Place: Ras Al Khaimah American Academy for Girls
Third Place: Dubai International School (Al-Garhoud)
Fourth Place: Liwa International school Al Ain
Category: Application development (Grades 10-12)
First Place: Al Zhour Private School
Second Place: Deira International School
Third Place: Manarat Al Sharjah School (boys)
Fourth Place: Our Own English High School (boys)
Category: Programming (Grades 10-12)
First Place: Sunmarke School
Second Place: Abu Dhabi Indian School
Third Place: Al Mawakeb School- Al Barsha
Fourth Place: Deira International School
Category: Presentations (Grades 7-9)
First Place: Dubai International School
Second Place: Ras Al Khaimah American Academy for Girls
Third Place: Greenwood International School
Fourth Place: Dubai International School
The successful event was also attended by Mark Prosser, Client Solutions Sales Specialist, Dell Technologies; Wesam Omar, Senior Manager—Service Operations, emaratech; senior officials, faculty members and students from AUS, as well as officials and teachers from participating schools.
For more information visit: https://www.emaratech.ae/