Ministry of Education announces first of its kind Industrial Revolution X programme

DUBAI: The UAE Ministry of Education revealed on Saturday its plans to launch the first-of-its-kind programme in the region titled ‘Industrial Revolution X’ (IR-X).

The programme is designed to equip UAE nationals with the knowledge, skills and hands-on expertise required to keep apace with modern technologies and scientific advancements occurring globally.

IR-X will kick off with a ‘Design Thinking’ Workshop at the National Science, Technology and Innovation Festival (NSTI Festival), running in conjunction with UAE innovation month.

NSTI Festival is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and taking place at the Festival Arena in Dubai, from Feb.15-Feb.19.

The vision of the programme is for it to evolve with time and adapt its content to gear UAE nationals for upcoming industrial revolutions, hence the ‘X’ in the name, which represents the future eras.

The IR-X Program is aligned with the UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to boost government performance and to create a highly productive innovative environment by investing in future technologies.

This marks the beginning of the UAE Centennial 2071 phase that will require Emiratis specialized in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop new sectors and create opportunities for the national economy.

IR-X 2018 is implemented in collaboration with renowned partners and Udacity, a pioneer in online education with groundbreaking credential programs headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA to focus on 4IR disciplines that include AI, deep learning, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), self-driving cars, robotics, and blockchain.

Udacity will create a learning programme that invests in the development of high-performing Emirati’s to become world-class specialists in their chosen track and encourages them to apply their leanings into their own working prototypes and research papers that solve real-life problems.

The Ministry is collaborating with local based and international entities to set a strong network of knowledge, incubation and funding partners and have a solid foundation for the programme.

Commenting on the significance of the inaugural IR-X Programme, Hussain Bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education said, "The UAE is the first country in the world to form a specialised Council under the name of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution Council’ to utilise opportunities and tackle challenges presented by the 4IR.

“Our unique IR-X Programme is the only multi-purpose initiative that offers various paths for participants to take and fulfill the future markets requirements from every aspect. As a comprehensive program designed to create world-class specialists equipped with knowledge and expertise in 4IR technologies, the IR-X Program will contribute to positioning the UAE as the world's first open laboratory to test and apply 4IR technologies."

Dr. Ahmad Bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills stated, "With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we seek to elevate individual capabilities and equip students with the right skills, to increase overall competitiveness of the UAE - for the long-term prosperity of our great nation. To augment these efforts, we want to empower our students, by supporting their skills and abilities, throughout the entire educational journey.

“This will pave the way for life-long learning and form the backbone of a thriving innovation ecosystem. As the UAE delivers on its vision to be one of the most innovative nations in the world, programs such as IR-X Program will spur sustainable economic growth and boost our global competitiveness."

With its three core tracks; Entrepreneurship, Research, and Employment, the IR-X Programme will play an integral part in building a knowledge-based economy and a workforce capable of meeting future market requirements.

The Programme encourages UAE nationals to embark on an educational journey that offers various paths to help the UAE promote its competitive edge in a rapidly changing world.

In addition to launching specialised start-ups, the Programme aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry through matching applicants with employment opportunities and promoting research and development (R&D) within academia to increase the number of scientific papers published by UAE nationals.

Each of the tracks will help participants serve a purpose in this revolution. The "Entrepreneurship Track" will support beneficiaries in starting their entrepreneurial ventures, while the "Employment Track" supports applicants in finding employment opportunities suitable for their expertise and skills.

Meanwhile, the "Research Track" provides candidates with the opportunity to submit scientific research papers within 4IR fields in return for postgraduate scholarships in prestigious international institutions.

Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary Activities Sector and Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department at the Ministry of Education explained, "Utilising the advanced technological tools learned at the Programme will help participants develop innovative outcomes to raise efficiency and productivity and convert future challenges to opportunities and achievements.

“Through this Programme, we endeavor to enrich the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in the UAE and focus on future technologies. With Udacity’s deep understanding of the field and its exceptional educational programs, a great deal of knowledge will be transferred to our participants, who we anticipate will become entrepreneurs and tomorrow’s experts in 4IR technologies."

Commenting on their partnership with the UAE Ministry of Education, Udacity Founder and President Sebastian Thrun said, "Udacity is honoured to work on this mission together with the UAE Ministry of Education. This programme will bring the most future-ready technology courses from Silicon Valley tech giants to the UAE. It is a great example of the UAE’s mission to become a leader in innovation and prepare its youth for the job market."

All the Programme tracks will be open to high achieving Emiratis (seniors or recent graduates with a Bachelor, Master or PhD degree) who can register on nstifestival.ae/irx. A panel of experts from the Ministry of Education and its strategic partners will initially screen the submitted applications and only the ones that meet the criteria will be eligible to proceed to the next phase.

The Emirati participants eligible to be part of the IR-X programme will be part of an extensive 12-month journey that will equip them with all the knowledge, skills, expertise, and mindset to succeed in their future endeavors and position the UAE amongst the most advanced technological countries in the world.

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