(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has held a "Coding is Cool" workshop for 98 students from eight independent and private schools in Qatar to encourage interest in the field of computer science.
The event, held at the Qatar National Convention Centre and on the sidelines of QCRI's annual meeting with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (CSAIL), was part of a secondary school student outreach initiative.
Aimed at inspiring students to explore computer science as potential careers and develop their interest in real-world applications, the event supported QF's mission to build capacity in science and research in Qatar from a young age as part of a commitment towards realising Qatar National Vision 2030, according to a statement.
Dr Eman Fituri, director, Educational Initiatives at QCRI, said: "By organising our first 'Coding is Cool' workshop, we hope to inspire and educate young people about the importance of being able to code by demonstrating some of the technologies that are being developed at QCRI, and also by giving them hands-on experience with the power of code that works at the back end of those demonstrations."
Professor Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, was the keynote speaker.
The event featured two presentations by Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMUQ) alumnus Hanan Alshikhabobakr, a 2013 Google scholarship recipient and founder of Qatar Robotics Institute for Development; and Ahmad al-Salama, who works at GE.
Highlights of the event included demonstration sessions, where students were given the opportunity to meet and interact with researchers, ask questions and gather first-hand knowledge of the latest technological innovations made possible by programming.
The demos showcased current research under way at QCRI, including a Braille keyboard € an application for smartphones that helps the visually impaired type quickly and efficiently; a Kinect-based programme for exercise for the elderly based on fitness level; a state-of-the-art automated transcription system for Modern Standard Arabic (QCRI Advanced Transcription System); and the MicroMappers platform for rapidly assessing humanitarian disaster damage and the resulting needs, and advanced 3D video applications.
Students were also able to see a live demonstration of cube robots and printable robots developed at CSAIL.
One of the students said, "I liked the little robot squares that could hook onto each other."
The event was part of a number of youth outreach programmes organised by QCRI. It recently held a student-focused hands-on workshop in machine learning and data analytics in co-ordination with Boeing Company and CMUQ.
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