Having hosted aspiring young computer engineers and cyber technology enthusiasts for their one-week winter program at the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) concluded its computer engineering winter camp Innovate.Create with a special awards ceremony on Thursday, February 1. Focused on one of the most consequential fields of modern times, the program saw the participation of 24 high school juniors and seniors from various schools in Qatar.

Participants learned about the development and significance of computer engineering as a field; underwent crash courses in cybersecurity and robotics; and engaged in group work on practical engineering projects and application development, working effectively with graduate students and faculty from the Information and Computing Technology division at HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering.

As the world rapidly evolves, knowledge of basic computing and cyber technology concepts becomes imperative for today’s youth. Dr. Mounir Hamdi, dean of CSE, said: “At HBKU, we believe that the successes we will achieve tomorrow will depend on our ability to embrace the fast pace of technological development today. Through the Innovate.Create program, we have worked with high school students who were evidently interested in exploring the computer engineering field. The program was a great introduction to the myriad opportunities that may be available to students through HBKU’s Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering program, as they work to enhance their critical thinking skills and learn the foundations of computer technology.” 

Innovate.Create provided participants with hands-on experience across three core program areas. In the first session of the program, which focused on robotics training, students worked on the basic hardware used in the construction, operation and use of robots. On the third day of the program, students explored various computer security issues; how they started; the different security protocols; and how security systems work. On days four and five, participants covered the foundation of programming, mobile application design, and mobile application development.

Nour Elhouda Tabet, a program instructor and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity student at HBKU’s College of Science and Engineering, said: “Our main objective was to provide students with a full experience in the field of security and mobile application development in a manner that was at once interactive, fun and informative. Throughout my interactions with our students, I sensed the great engagement and the energy that they expressed – and this was particularly rewarding.” 

In addition to the awards ceremony that recognized the efforts of outstanding students, all participants were issued a certificate of completion upon their successful conclusion of the Innovate.Create program.