About
30 school students from across Qatar designed and coded mobile
applications as part of a week-long academic enrichment workshop on
cybersecurity organised by Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq).
During
App Camp: Cybersecurity Challenge, students worked in teams to design
and develop an iOS app. They learned how to code, prototype, test and
refine their ideas along the way. Apps developed by the students
included a phone-theft app, an app that helps students make choices that
will decide their futures, an app that lets users borrow specific items
from others in the community and an app for delivering coffee and
recycling the materials used.
Najah Alnounou was part of the team
developing a phone-security app called Stranger Danger. When installed
on an iPhone, the app can detect if the person holding the phone is the
owner. If the wrong password is entered, the app takes a photo of the
holder’s face and sounds an alarm to notify others in the area of the
theft.
Alanounou said she enjoyed the programming aspect of the camp.
“It’s all about logic. Once you understand, you’re ready to create
anything. That’s what coding is!”
Participant Mohab Amgad said, “In
this workshop I have learned to program in a new language, with a goal
to create a new app that involves cyber security with the purpose to
help others.”
Dr Mohamed Gharib, facilitator for App Camp, said the
programme was designed to help students understand fundamentals of
programming while highlighting the critical role of cybersecurity in
Qatar’s sustained development.
“Through this experience, App Camp
participants are learning that anyone can become a programmer,” he said.
“These students have applied their creativity and determination towards
impressive app projects that they should be proud of.”
Maha
al-Sulaiti said she applied for the programme to gain experience in
programming, and Maha al-Suffar agreed, saying: “I have learned a lot
about computer programming and because of the App Camp programme, my
team and I are going to create the first coffee app that delivers and
recycles in Qatar.”
Ghalya Abdulrahman and Noor Abdulrazzaq, part of
the coffee-app team, said: “Being the first young Qatari girls
programming our personal project on coffee transport application – in
addition to collaborating with the recycling company – has never made us
feel this proud of ourselves, as we are not only contributing to the
community and environment but to Qatar.”
Dr Cesar O Malave, dean of
Tamuq said outreach programmes such as App Camp help young students
understand the importance of engineering in Qatar and worldwide. “The
students have seen how engineering can help solve problems people face
every day, and I hope they have learned a lot and enjoyed their time
with us. Each of our App Camp programmers and inventors has the
potential to be an engineering leader in Qatar.”
App Camp was presented by Tamuq and sponsored by Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd.
School students from across Qatar visited Tamuq’s supercomputing facilities as part of the App Camp: Cybersecurity Challenge.