In line with its commitment to nurturing future local talent, GE (NYSE:GE),in partnership with non-profit organization, INJAZ UAE,is hosting the ‘STEM for the Next 50’ Innovation Camp for female students from December 5 – 9 at Expo 2020 Dubai. The camp will be driven with the support of over 50 GE volunteers from across the company.
Held in celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, the week-long program aims to promote education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the UAE by encouraging over 250 female participants between the ages of 14 and 16, both UAE nationals and residents, to pursue careers in STEM.
The program will engage students through critical thinking and problem-solving modules to find innovative solutions to challenges around the energy transition.In addition, students will be empowered to expand their horizons through mentorship by senior GE executives who will provide real-world examples, and help students apply various entrepreneurial skills as they focus on solving the proposed challenge.
The students will be divided into groups and will be tasked with submitting an innovative solution to a specific energy transition challenge that will test their skills and abilities. Their solutions will be presented to a panel of judges including senior GE executives from across industries. These entries will be evaluated at the end of the week and one winning team will be given job-shadowing opportunities at GE. All students will also receive a certification of participation.
Dr. Dalya Al Muthanna, President – UAE and Global Chief of Strategy & Operations for GE International Markets, said: “GE’s commitment to developing talent has always been ingrained in its strategy. As a pioneer in corporate leadership development and home to a thousand researchers and innovators changing the technology landscape, we are excited to share some of these learnings to the future female leaders in STEM. Our commitment to the UAE dates back 50 years, and today’s camp is another step to demonstrate our humble support to the nation in its ambitious journey towards its centenary. We admire the UAE’s leadership in its ability to continuously re-invent itself, break boundaries and reach for the stars and as a global company operating with a local mindset, we are proud to be developing some of the future leaders of tomorrow who will make the UAE aspirations a reality.”
Razan Bashiti, CEO – INJAZ UAE, added: “We are pleased to partner with GE to advance two of our biggest priorities – STEM education and recruiting female talent into the workforce of the future. This program will give students the opportunity to use their creativity and innovation to solve real-world problems and thrive in STEM careers.”
GE has built a long-standing partnership with the UAE over the last 50 years and is committed to continuing to help the nation realize its ambitions for the future.Over the years, GE has worked on numerous initiatives to bring STEM to diverse communities in the region and globally.
This includes GE Garages Workshops where primary-aged girls built fully functioning robots using 3D-printed parts they made themselves; supporting and running “Girls Who Code” workshops for middle- and high-school aged girls aimed at closing the gender gap in technology; and most recently,Next Engineers, a global college-readiness program that will provide students ages 13 to 18 with hands-on exposure to engineering concepts and careers and ultimately award scholarships to pursue engineering degrees. By 2030, the program aims to reach more than 85,000 students in approximately 25 cities globally.