Sharjah 24 – WAM: A state-of-the-art innovation workspace "The NextGen Centre" was recently inaugurated by Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, and President of Zayed University (ZU), at the university campus in Dubai.
Based on a partnership agreement with many companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and SAP, NextGen Centre, which will be fully operated by the ZU College of Technological Innovation, aims to connect students and faculty with industry leaders to develop new technology innovations, receive free training sessions, and obtain the opportunity to land a future career in a leading high-tech company.
The centre aims to push the university’s main objectives in reaching the UAE’s strategic priorities as well as the 17 United Nations global sustainable development goals.
The university held the hybrid ceremony (on-campus and virtually), which hosted attendees and was attended by Saeed Sultan Al Dhaheri, Board member of the Zayed University Council; Dr. Khalid Mohammed Al Khazraji, Zayed University Vice President; Professor Clayton Mackenzie, ZU Provost, as well as top administrators, faculty members, and students.
Al Kaabi said, "The newly launched centre is a beacon of inspiration that connects the young minds of our academic community with industry leaders and unlocks future possibilities for them. Zayed University acknowledges the need to continuously evolve and embrace the ever-changing conditions of a fast-paced and challenging world."
Dr. Al Khazraji, said, "The ZU students are provided with the opportunity to move forward with their professional and academic development in the field of technology and innovation, and raise their employability value even further. This is a great chance for the university to serve as a crucial enabler to the UAE’s innovation ecosystem. It is committed to serving the innovation sector by extending collaborations and partnerships, through initiatives such as the NextGen Centre where we will be able to see the impact of developing opportunities in technological advancement that directly impact the UAE’s strategic priorities."
The centre opens possibilities for ZU students and faculty to collaborate with industry and government entities to bring "real" challenges in the industry and provide solutions through projects and research.
The university faculty will supervise students’ and research projects that will be running each semester by leveraging the experiences and programmes that will be delivered by the new centre.
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