Bahrain – The University of Bahrain (UoB) has recently launched an exciting project in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Microsoft with a singular objective of producing a high number of female programmers. The scheme called “Forsati for her” was launched at UoB with all stakeholders and students in attendance.
The scheme is aimed at creating 3,000 female programmers from all subject areas with a target of 30 going on to set up their own technology-led businesses.
Professor Riyad Hamzah, President of UoB said “The road to becoming an innovation economy starts with having a skilled human capital. Therefore, when we developed our transformation plan in 2016 we included the following key themes:
- Making STEM education more attractive
- Improving access to technology education
- Widening active participation in digital literacy
- Playing an active part in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and finally
- Increased partnership working.”
The digital economy requires talent and infrastructure, hence the university’s shared target with UNDP is to have 3,000 female students undergo this programme. By doing so, these digitally empowered individuals will then be able to act as the backbone of Bahrain’s emerging digital economy and growing entrepreneurship ecosystem.