Technology, Innovation Attracts Arab Region Computer Science
Source: Anayat Durrani
Heba Nayef, far right, teamed up with two male students to take first place in the UAE's World Citizenship Competition of the Microsoft Imagine Cup.
Civil war in her home country of Syria didn't stop Heba Nayef from chasing her dreams. Her strong passion for social entrepreneurship and changing the world through technology ultimately forged a path for Nayef to study computer science at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
"Computer science has the capacity to change lives on an even bigger scale rather than just focusing on human ailments," says Nayef, who considered studying medicine.
Nayef was in her second year at Aleppo University in Syria studying computer engineering when the 2013 Aleppo University bombings interrupted her plans. "I wanted to complete my studies in a new environment that had a reputation for providing a top-quality education with strong links to industry," says Nayef of her new school.
She's in the right location. The UAE is positioning itself as "a regional and global hub for innovation and technology," said Sanjay Modi, a managing director of jobs website Monster, in a statement. He said government and private companies are seeking talent and resources to support this vision.
Software, hardware and telecommunications professionals are in high demand in the Middle East in general, with a 78 percent year-over-year increase regionwide, according to a July 2015 report from the Monster Employment Index. Modi cited Gartner Governments, a U.S.-based research and advisory firm focused on technology, which said the Middle East and North Africa region will spend $11.97 billion on information technology products and services in 2015. That's all good news for computer science majors at Arab region universities.
Saudi national Abdulilah Saihati, who is studying computer science at AMA International University in Bahrain, says he chose his school for its faculty and the quality of its computer science program, which is accredited by ABET, a U.S.-based accrediting organization that evaluates postsecondary engineering and computer science programs at colleges and universities around the world. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
"I wanted to study in another place because there are at least five benefits: knowledge, new culture, new companions, learning and enjoyment," says Saihati, who is interested in app development for mobile phones. "Besides, Bahrain is close to home. It is only 45 minutes' drive when the traffic is not congested."
[Explore how to make the most of studying abroad in the Arab region.]
Farhad Oroumchian, acting dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, says a variety of career routes are available to grads, including in software development and analysis, database programming, system architecture and IT consulting.
The university offers a Bachelor of Computer Science, a Bachelor of Computer Science in digital systems security, a Bachelor of Computer Science in multimedia and games development and a Master of Information Technology Management.
University of Wollongong student Nayef says the university has a great support system for computer science students, with professor-mentors who pushed her out of her comfort zone to take part in competitions. Along with two others, she participated in this year's Microsoft Imagine Cup, a global student technology competition, and took first place in the UAE's World Citizenship Competition for the best project. Her team also won first place in the Imagine Cup Pan Arab Semifinals in Bahrain and competed at the World Finals in Seattle.
[Check out how Arab region STEM programs are drawing women.]
"Our invention was a mobile application, VioLens, which enables those who witness domestic violence to be able to confidentially and reliably report incidents to the authorities," says Nayef.
The app, originally called LamApp but since changed to VioLens following the team's Bahrain win, is geared toward the Middle East, where domestic violence remains a taboo subject. The app has received interest from several global charities.
Nourhan Ahmed, an Egyptian computer science major at AMA International University, has long been fascinated by technology. She began reading about the computer science field on the Internet, quickly realizing it was the degree for her.
"I found my passion through coding and software developing," says Ahmed. "I discovered a whole other world where anything is possible."
During her second trimester, Ahmed and three other students entered their gaming app, "The Banana Journey," at the Microsoft Imagine Cup Bahrain National Finals.
"Our game was about a monkey called Nano who was sent to space to look for other planets," says Ahmed. "The user has to control Nano to collect bananas on the planet to get through to the next level and fight other banana aliens."
Ahmed's team didn't go to the next round, but that hasn't discouraged her. They are already planning for next year's competition with their eye on the World Finals "and meeting our role model Bill Gates," she says. Working in the U.S. at Microsoft or in South Korea at Samsung is her dream.
"Creating applications or inventions that can be useful for people and make their life easier is what I want to do with my knowledge of programming and coding," says Ahmed.
University of Wollongong student Nayef wants to help people, too. She says that while the UAE does embrace technology, it is not being used effectively in the Middle East to solve major problems. There are too few "mature initiatives that have tangible results or tech companies that innovate to give solutions to people's lives."
Nayef hopes to start a tech NGO or social enterprise that focuses on technology finding solutions, through mobile applications, automation, computer programs or social networks.
"There is a need for more social entrepreneurship in the Middle East and I think that technology can do much more for people here," says Nayef.
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