The Microsoft Skills Lab at the King Abdullah II School of Engineering at Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) is preparing to graduate its first batch and receive applications for the second batch as part of a programme that aims to qualify participants for the labour market through internationally accredited training workshops in programming, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, according to a PSUT statement.

PSUT President Mashhoor Al Refai said that the laboratory comes within the directives of HRH Princess Sumaya, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, regarding the necessity of networking with major international institutions and building bridges of cooperation, the statement said.

Refai added that the choice of the Royal Scientific Society as a partner for the programme comes from the complementary nature of the relationship between the university and the society, particularly in the fields of training, projects and scientific research. 

The Dean of the School, Belal Sababha, said that the laboratory aims to build students’ digital and programming capabilities over a period of up to six months via working with experts and specialists to develop basic skills and the ability to design and implement modern software solutions. 

The director of the laboratory, Aws Kanaan, stated that the programme requires participants to work in groups as they implement practical projects under the supervision of specialists from the university, the society and Microsoft. More than 40 students applied for the first session, 15 of whom were selected based on the results of the competitive exam, which students must pass before they are accepted into the programme.

The laboratory is one of 25 similar laboratories in several countries, and PSUT has two training academies, Cisco and Huawei.