The College of Science and Engineering (CSE), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), collaborated with Siemens Qatar to host a two-day digital skills training workshop for a group of 15 promising students on October 27 and 28. 

The workshop inaugurated CSE and Siemens’ formal collaboration, which was activated in 2020, to give HBKU students access to MindSphere, a practical tool for learning about the Internet of Things (IoT) through the MindSphere Academics Program. Siemens’ cloud-based, open IoT operating system is a training tool that helps develop pilot projects and prototype applications for the industry and the education sector.

CSE faculty members worked with a team from Siemens Qatar to deliver the specialized training within the college’s labs at HBKU in Education City. The hands-on, intensive sessions focused on both theoretical and practical aspects for the students to gain a deeper understanding of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It was an opportunity for students to enhance their technical skills and apply what they learned, with the support and mentorship of Siemens experts.

The MindSphere Academics Program assists institutions to enrich their IoT curriculum and enables students and researchers to solve real-world challenges by developing custom IIoT applications, and then testing and deploying them on the platform.

Commenting after the training, Dr. Saif Al-Kuwari, Assistant Professor at CSE, said: “We strive to enhance the advanced training that we offer through our academic programs at CSE, and we are delighted to collaborate with an industry leader such as Siemens to do so. With access to the MindSphere platform, our young engineers have a unique and valuable chance to learn about cutting-edge IoT and IIoT applications from industry experts. We look forward to working with Siemens to give HBKU students more such opportunities to learn the digital skills they need to make a positive impact in today’s industrialized economy.”

Helmut von Struve, Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Middle East, said: “Our partnership with HBKU reflects our long term commitment to developing exceptional talent in Qatar. Siemens has been a development partner to Qatar for more than 50 years. To continue building the country’s digital economy, it is important for academia and the private sector to work together on building the skills and knowledge that are essential for Qatar’s sustainable economic diversification under the Qatar National Vision 2030.”