UAE: Students explore basic applied technologies in smart mobility competition – News

Activities designed to help teens develop technical and soft skills

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High school students in Abu Dhabi participated in a smart mobile app competition to help them explore basic app techniques, giving them the opportunity to create their own mobile apps using drag-and-drop programming blocks.

Khalifa University of Technology has organised the Smart Mobile Application Competition (SMAC) 2022 for students in grades 9, 10 and 11.

The eight-day competition, which concluded on August 16, was themed “The Next Fifty Years of Education.”

During the competition, students must tackle any challenges related to the current UAE 2022 theme – the “Year of Excellence”.

The application must meet and look forward to the UAE’s “determination, creativity and skills” for the next 50 years, with a focus on education, trade, production and culture. Participants need to describe how the application relates to a topic that covers STEM education, such as media learning, educational tools, or educational services.

Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Services, Khalifa University, said: “Promoting innovation and building digital skills are key areas of focus for the Khalifa University Smart Mobile App Competition 2022.

“This competition trains, equips and guides young people to create applications themed around future education. We believe that more students will have the opportunity to participate in this competition and be prepared for future research and innovation.”

In order to participate, students should have attended all courses in the four-day short course. A team of two students is required to submit only one project, while the theme and related details are announced on August 12. An online live project presentation was held on Tuesday.

The jury will evaluate entries based on originality and value of the idea (30%), implementation and functionality (40%), application quality (20%) and cultural focus (10%).

SMAC 2022 is designed to help expand students’ intellectual curiosity while helping them develop technical and soft skills through presentation, problem solving, teamwork, communication, social skills, coordination and time management. It also aims to raise awareness of computer science, coding, and engineering in today’s world.