Doha, Qatar – Computers are everywhere – in cars, planes, phones, and even on space shuttles. Behind these computers are computer scientists, who explore the design and innovation of computing and what computers can do. Since technology and technologically-related industries are the main drivers of growth in a knowledge-based economy, establishing an expert talent bench of computer scientist practitioners is necessary for Qatar to compete in the 21st century marketplace. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar‘s outreach and expertise in this field is a key element in encouraging Qatar‘s youth to not only enter this field and embrace Qatar‘s National Vision 2030, but also to be a part of the field’s exciting creations. As part of this outreach, Carnegie Mellon held its sixth annual CS4Qatar workshop for high school students on Saturday, aiming to inspire Qatar‘s youth to become creators of innovations that will change the world. “Before I joined Carnegie Mellon, I came to CS4Qatar and it was one of the reasons that I applied to the computer science major here. The event is really useful, as these are the basics that you learn when you first come to CMU-Q,” said Saira Batool, a computer science undergraduate. Ninety high school students from 22 schools around the country participated. The workshop aims to debase many of the misconceptions surrounding the practice of computer science by exposing students to the basics of technology through both programming and robotics. As part of the workshop, students were briefed on how robots can be used in fun and exciting ways by Takeo Kanade, a professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, and one of the world’s foremost researchers in computer vision. “CS4Qatar enables participants to come to Carnegie Mellon and get a chance to interact with our faculty and students using cutting edge technology. They are able to see the amazing things that are done in computer science and how Carnegie Mellon is at the forefront of technology and innovation,” said Damian Dourado, manager for pre-college programs and director of community outreach. CS4Qatar is a series of computer science workshops for secondary school students and their teachers. The programs are developed by the computer science faculty at Carnegie Mellon and are designed for students in Qatar who want to broaden their horizons in the ever-expanding and broad-reaching field of computer science. Source - QatarChronicle

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