Zayed University has launched a number of new programmes and laboratories to meet the growing interest in data science and artificial intelligence
In 2015, when Dr Feras Al-Obeidat joined Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, the College of Technological Innovation (CTI) at the university did not offer any courses linked to data science or analytics. Since then, the discipline has burgeoned as the institution pushes to keep up with the government’s artificial intelligence strategy, which is part of the UAE Centennial 2071 plan. This strategy hinges on the country’s use of data science, from increasing government efficiency to bolstering education. “The UAE is moving in the direction of data science and artificial intelligence,” says Dr Al-Obeidat. “The idea at Zayed University is to serve the market and to prepare graduates to work as leaders in those areas in academia, government or industry.”
The field of data science is broad, encompassing skills such as mathematics, statistics and programming. With that in mind, CTI now offers multiple courses in data science, analytics and artificial intelligence. To continue its lead in this area, CTI will soon launch a newly approved Master of Science degree in information systems management, which offers courses on digital transformation, data science, data analytics and artificial intelligence. Additionally, two new data science and analytics laboratories will open soon. “These labs are developed to serve the university, industry and the country,” Dr Al-Obeidat says.
The new CTI NextGen Center is a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to develop new technologies related to applied artificial intelligence and data science, in order to help realise the UAE’s 2071 vision. With the aim of making the latest technology available to its students and faculty, Zayed University has memoranda of understanding with industry leaders including IBM, SAP, Oracle, Cisco and Microsoft.
Five more data science experts have recently joined the college and are engaged in a range of research projects alongside their teaching. One such project uses social media to detect food-borne diseases and outbreaks. The Middle East and North Africa region struggles with food-borne diseases, mainly because of water scarcity and a reliance on food imports. The project has developed predictive models that characterise and detect outbreaks through ambient tracking and by monitoring Facebook and Twitter feeds. “The idea is to advance research on food-borne illnesses from non-traditional sources and improve decision-makers’ ability to address the cause of outbreaks,” Dr Al-Obeidat says.
Another project targets small and medium-sized enterprises by scanning and collecting customers’ comments about a company’s products and services. “This project aims to use data analytics to improve buyer-seller relationships,” Dr Al-Obeidat says. Using this data, companies can understand where they are succeeding and where they are falling short.
Recently, a group of CTI faculty led more than 30 local and international interdisciplinary collaborators in responding to a proposal from the Virtual Research Institute at the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge to develop “smart and optimised indoor farming as an ecosystem for holistic and sustainable food security in Abu Dhabi and the UAE”.
Prior to his time at Zayed University, Dr Al-Obeidat held research positions at the National Research Council of Canada, the University of New Brunswick and IBM Canada. He was drawn to Zayed University because of its multicultural approach, where English and Arabic are used side by side. In fact, one of the university’s data science projects is embracing this diversity, investigating how to mine Arabic text.
The study of data science and analytics at Zayed University has advanced significantly since Dr Al-Obeidat joined the university. He will now coordinate its new master’s programme while working alongside CTI faculty as the department strives to meet the country’s demand for data science and artificial intelligence.
Find out more about Zayed University.
