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Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), College of Science and Engineering (CSE), and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) scholars contributed prominently to the second Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology Conference (GREAT 2018) conducted last week.
Held under the special patronage of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the highly anticipated event was organized by the Mada Assistive Technology Center, a Doha-based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing a gateway between persons with disabilities and the world of information and communication technology.
Hundreds of experts in the field of assistive technology (AT) in addition to end users, educators and entrepreneurs gathered at the panel discussions and workshops to learn more about the four conference focus domains: education, e-learning, independent living and innovation.
The first day of the conference kicked off with a panel discussion on Innovation in Assistive Technology: Challenges and Opportunities. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Dena Al-Thani, assistant professor at CSE, and involved several participants, including Dr. Ahmed K. Elmagarmid, executive director of QCRI; Mr. Mohamed Al Jefairi, an inventor; Dr. Tony Stockman, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London; and Mursi Seraj, a Qatar Academy student. The panelists guided the audience through the foundational concepts of AT innovation today.
Dr. Al-Thani said that: “Presenting our prototype at an occasion with such a varied international audience is a privilege and a testament to the strength of our research potential at CSE. Excellence and innovation continue to be the cornerstones of our daily work and we are proud to see it culminate in a tangible result at GREAT 2018.”
Following the panel discussion, Dr. Elmagarmid emphasized the drive behind QCRI’s engagement at GREAT 2018. He said: “We regard sharing knowledge for the greater benefit of the community as an organizational responsibility. Our participation today is in line with our values to not only conduct research but also actively engage in a constructive exchange of knowledge with fellow researchers from around the globe. Annual platforms such as GREAT are essential to ensuring a steady flow of communication.”
The HBKU Innovation Booth, which was as part of the conference’s Innovation Zone, showcased a locally developed AT prototype titled Visually Impaired Interaction with Search Engine Results Representation, developed by Aboubaker Aqle, PhD student at CSE. This remarkable showcase was further exhibited as part of the Innovation Theater – a platform for focused discussions between subject experts.
The second day of the conference drew the avid participation of Qatar’s pool of scholars and educators with a series of workshops centered at identifying tangible outcomes in the field of AT and accessibility via implementation strategies and the active advancement of research and education.
Dr. Josélia Neves, assistant professor at CHSS, led a workshop on Hamad International Airport (HIA) for All: Access and Way Finding for Passengers with Vision Impairment, alongside CHSS student, Marwa Serry, and CHSS alumna, Sarah Saad. Their research explores the case study of Qatar Airways against the backdrop of accessibility of inflight safety information. It also represents the HBKU scholars’ tireless efforts in meaningfully contributing to the standard of living within Qatar’s society.
Presenting further contributions to national scholarship in the field of AT, Dr. Neves moderated another workshop on Incorporating Enriched Descriptive Guides in Qatar Museums, in which two CHSS students from the Master of Art in Audiovisual Translation (MAAT) program, Maryam Al Maslamani and Ragia Hassan, presented their case study on the usage of enriched subtitling to assist hard-of-hearing students.
Dr. Neves attributed the research development to CHSS’ program design: “We enjoy the freedom to explore and direct our research towards the most pertinent needs of our society. Our MAAT students routinely engage in an outreach program with the local community to be able to translate their academic research into real solutions.”
Shedding light on the nature of serious games and human-computer interaction, Dr. Kamran Khowaja, who is currently conducting his post-doctoral research in at HBKU, organized a workshop titled Serious Game Design Framework for Vocabulary Learning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
GREAT 2018 delivered an engaging and interactive platform for both regional and international scholarship in the field of AT. With innovation intrinsically embedded within the four conference domains, HBKU’s scholarly contribution demonstrated a successful fusion of innovation with real-life solutions addressed towards societal needs and the development of cutting-edge technology.
HBKU’s participation at GREAT 2018 comes as the latest in a series of conferences in which its scholars have actively engaged. As one of HBKU’s founding pillars, innovation drives faculty and researchers alike at HBKU to participate in discussing and developing innovative solutions in response to regional and global challenges. It is this pursuit of progressive development and groundbreaking discovery that motivates HBKU scholars to routinely seek opportunities to engage in an exchange of ideas with other top-tier regional and international experts.