#UAE #talent - Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has launched the R&D Talent Enablement Programme to help grow the country’s research and development workforce. It brings together 11 initiatives across six stages, from school programmes to scholarships and internships. A national database, the Talent Observatory, will track promising students and expects more than 20,000 records by 2030. The launch of the new programme took place at the National Festival of Science, Technology and Innovation (NSTI) in Al Ain this week.
SO WHAT? - Many talent programmes run to cover a particular stage of an individuals education or career. ATRC is trying to join them up, and to follow individual students from school all the way into their first research jobs. The Talent Observatory is the new imitative introduced by the Council. If it works, support will be available to students at each stage, rather than after they’ve already dropped out of the pipeline. Tracking 20,000 potential researchers from school age is ambitious, but the UAE’s national education and career programmes often make good on such targets.
KEY POINTS:
Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) launched the R&D Talent Enablement Programme during the National Festival of Science, Technology and Innovation in Al Ain this week. The festival is jointly organised by ATRC and the UAE Ministry of Education.
The programme is aimed at students, graduates and early-career researchers. It links education, training, mentorship, competitions and research careers into clearer pathways towards research and innovation jobs.
D Talent Enablement Programme comprises 11 initiatives spanning six stages of a participant’s educational and professional development. ATRC’s aim is to accelerate growth of the UAE’s R&D workforce.
The Talent Observatory is a national database that identifies and tracks the UAE’s most promising R&D talent. ATRC expects to collect more than 20,000 records through it by 2030.
As students take part in challenges, training and assessments, the Talent Observatory gives ATRC and its affiliated organisations insight into their interests and emerging strengths. ATRC will then offer tailored support through each participant’s education and early career.
The ATRC School Program is a year-long initiative giving schools a foundational introduction to advanced technology. Community hubs offer children and young people hands-on exposure to research and development.
Students who show potential can access assessments, competitions and upskilling opportunities in physical AI and space exploration. These are designed to build their capabilities in those fields.
Later in their formal education, participants become eligible for scholarships, internships and industrial training placements in the UAE and abroad.
The programme builds on ATRC’s STEM programmes, which have reached more than 50,000 students across the Emirates. The NSTI Festival runs from 10 to 13 November at the ADNEC Centre in Al Ain.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: ATRC
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