Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), has concluded its Summer Internship Program that was held from May 15 to July 7. The program attracted 51 undergraduate students representing HBKU, Qatar University, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Northwestern University in Qatar, the University of Doha for Science and Technology, and Princeton University.

Working alongside HBKU’s world-class scientists and software engineers on QCRI’s research projects, the intensive internship program provided the interns with practical experience over a range of topics. They also gained insights on how to contribute to research and scientific processes, testing of new technology, data analysis, and other important topics. During their time at QCRI, the interns were able to choose their area of focus from the fields of Arabic Language Technologies, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Social Computing, and Software Engineering. 

In addition, they engaged in a number of activities, including a weekly lunch-and-learn session, a team building activity titled “Adventure Rooms: Escape the Cabinets”, and a women empowerment session featuring a talk by Engineer Wafa Waheeda. The activities were topped off by a coding competition which was open to the interns and their mentors. First-place winners were Omar Elshenhaby and Youssef Elshahawy from Qatar University.

“Our Summer Internship Program provides work experience and real-life lessons to students from various universities. Over eight weeks, we equipped the interns with soft and technical skills, so they can be ready for the job market. It was their chance to put their skills and education into practice, and we feel proud to see them develop as professionals,” said Dr. Eman Fituri, Director of Educational Initiatives, QCRI.

The summer internship closing ceremony will be held in September to celebrate the accomplishments of the interns. They will present their work in a poster session which will be evaluated by a judging panel consisting of experts from industry and academia. 

QCRI focuses on tackling large-scale computing challenges that address national priorities for growth and development.