Microsoft Qatar, Tamuq sign MoU

Microsoft Qatar and Texas A&M University (Tamuq) at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner, have signed a memorandum of understanding to empower students and provide them with the tools and experiences necessary to drive innovation and succeed in the workforce.

Lana Khalaf, Microsoft country manager, joined Tamuq dean, Dr César Octavio Malavé to sign the agreement at an on-campus ceremony.In the current fourth industrial revolution, students need digital skills to thrive in an increasingly digital economy, the partners said. Institutions of higher education must keep up with these changing environments to ensure graduates have the talent and training to drive economic growth as soon as they begin their careers. Under the new agreement, Tamuq will leverage Microsoft tools to achieve their common goal of empowering students to gain the future-ready skills to increase their competitiveness and enhance their employability in a digitally driven job market. “Our partnership with Texas A&M at Qatar comes in line with our commitment to provide higher education institutions in Qatar with the resources and tools needed to build the next-generation workforce,” Khalaf said.Tamuq has identified several activities to pilot these in the 2021-22 academic year: Microsoft Learn - which provides self-paced, digital learning resources to build skills and a foundational understanding of technology - complements classroom learning and study materials to best prepare students for in-demand jobs. Students may also join the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Community, which will help students learn and lead by giving them access to free tools, events and activities and unlock exclusive benefits through learning. Through Microsoft Azure for Students, students can gain hands-on experience with Microsoft technologies to start building apps, explore artificial intelligence and make the most of big data. aculty and teaching staff at Tamuq will also have access to Azure Development Tools for Teaching, which provides access to tools commonly used in STEM programmes, as well as opportunities to participate in the Microsoft Learn for Educators Institution Programme, which gives eligible educators access to additional teaching and learning benefits.“Texas A&M at Qatar is proud to partner with our friends Microsoft Qatar as we work together to educate engineering leaders in Qatar,” Dr Malavé said.