Held at Dubai Women's College

May 7, 2011, Dubai, UAE -- Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of Higher Colleges of Technology Dubai Women's College conducted recently "TechnoGirls 2011".

The keynote speaker for the event was Sheikh Sultan Saoud Al-Qassemi, founder of Barjeel Art Foundation who educated the students about how social media can drive social responsibility and engaged them with various issues of social media and its impact on the UAE society.

The one-day event included also showcasing future technologies and conducting 18 technical workshops. A panel discussion was also held about 'Future Trends in ICT' to enhance student awareness on new technologies and its impact on our daily lives. 

Organised for the third consecutive year by Dubai Women's College, TechnoGirls was held this year in partnership with major IT companies like HP and Intel and took place at the DWC campus with around 450 students participating from 14 Emirati school-girls.

From his part, Dr. Howard Reed, Director of Dubai Women's College said that the number of women working and studying ICT (Information and Communications Technology) around the world is surprising low, especially considering that they are so talented in this field.  "The TechnoGirls event is giving high school girls the opportunity to experience new IT products from industry experts and faculty at DWC.  Hopefully this will encourage more of them to consider ICT related studies," he added.

With the aim of increasing girl's engagement with technology and exposing them to the various career opportunities available in the high-tech industry, TechnoGirls is a program that targets youth and provides them with the opportunity of learning about careers in technology and also connecting them with other school girls in a practical hands-on environment. Throughout the event, DWC engaged its participants with thought provoking exercises which assisted them in managing their lives and careers using technologies of the future.

Dr. Behjat Al Yousef, Associate Director of Dubai Women's College mentioned that the aim of the event is to reach out to high school girls who are one of our target populations in our efforts to increase female participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs.  "By hosting an event such as Technogirls, we aim to empower students to build successful careers for themselves and educate them on technology. Technogirls is an example of our strong partnership with Intel and HP and we look forward to a continuous long-term association with them to inspire more females in the region to join a science and technology career force," she added.

Sam Al Schamma, Regional Manager, Intel said, "TechnoGirls 2011 was once again a refreshing experience for all of us. These types of events are necessary to motive and encourage our youth to look beyond the norm and explore new areas in IT and Technology as they start thinking about their future education.  We were impressed with the excellent organization and moderation of the event as well as the topics discussed, but most rewarding was the interaction we got with the students and the energy levels they exhibited."

Exclusive sessions were held for teachers on WIMBA, a 21st century teaching tool to create virtual learning environments to enhance student learning. Jyothi Ganglani, DWC IT Faculty said, "TechnoGirls is a unique program because our students engage directly with the high school students and open their minds to how technology can empower them to play a leading role in the future of this country. We are very privileged to have the support of technology giants like HP and Intel. They bring their global expertise and in-depth knowledge to help us shape the content and impact of this program".

"It's always a great event when you interact with inspired , passionate , motivated high school students who are eager to know every detail on the new and future technologies and that was exactly the case at the TechnoGirls 2011 at DWC," Sherifa Al Hady, Channel Manager, HP pointed out.

-Ends-

About Dubai Women's College
Dubai Women's College (DWC), with more than 2,200 students, is part of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). The HCT is one of the leading higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates with 16 campuses located throughout the country delivering a wide range of quality programs to over 16,500 students.  DWC was established in 1989 and offers Bachelor and Diploma degrees in Business, Information Technology, Education, Health Sciences, and Applied Communications.  Today, DWC is the quality provider of top-quality National women graduates in Dubai.  DWC's mission is to provide a learning environment for young women to "Practice the Future" by developing confidence, professional excellence and an ethical commitment to leadership roles in a rapidly developing local economy.

For more information, please contact
Dubai Women's College/Higher Colleges of Technology
Tel: 04-208-9269                
Email: abrar.mikkawi@hct.ac.ae

© Press Release 2011