Five-day program sparked creativity and innovation to solve big challenges in the global energy transition journey

Dubai, UAE: GE (NYSE:GE), in partnership with INJAZ UAE, successfully concluded its ‘STEM for the Next 50’ Innovation Camp last week. Over 200 female students between the ages of 15 and 17 participated in a week-long program in preparation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers that will drive new innovations across various sectors in the UAE.

During the five-day camp, students had the opportunity to interact with industry experts including over 50 GE volunteers, executive speakers, and judges, who provided mentorship with the aim to increase diversity and support future female leadership in STEM fields in the region. The students were from across five schools in the UAE.

As part of the program, participants were divided into groups and tasked with submitting a solution to an energy transition challenge that saw them using their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which are key to the future of innovation. Senior GE executives also demonstrated various entrepreneurial skills that could be applied to help solve the challenge at hand.

Attending the first day of the program, Meghan Gregonis, United States Consul General in Dubai said: “Equal access to economic opportunities for women leads to more inclusive, sustainable growth. Yet women remain dramatically underrepresented in high-growth and influential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. For this reason, the U.S. Mission to the UAE is committed to advancing gender equality and supporting the next generation of female STEM leaders.”

Dr. Dalya Al Muthanna, President – UAE and Global Chief of Strategy & Operations for GE International Markets, said: “Throughout the week-long program with Injaz, we were continuously impressed by these ambitious & intelligent young women who brought great passion, curiosity and high amounts of energy to the decarbonization dialogue and who’s inquisitive minds challenged and probed the discussion. As a global company with a local mindset, we see the next generation of talent playing a crucial role in the UAE’s bright future, and we believe programs such as this one assist in developing the workforce of the future to meet the country’s long-term ambitions.”

Razan Bashiti, CEO, INJAZ UAE, added: “This has been a very inspiring week as we witnessed these bright young students unlock their true potential in the STEM field using creativity and innovation. We are proud to partner with GE through this program and better equip the next generation of talent for the future of work.”

The program took place at Expo 2020 Dubai in celebration of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee and in advance of the World Expo’s Knowledge & Learning Week this week. Each day, one winning team was chosen from among the group. In early 2022, the overall winning team from the week will join GE leaders for a hands-on learning experience at a select GE facility in the UAE.

Through its partnership with INJAZ UAE, GE seeks to empower young students in the STEM field in line with its commitment to developing the workforce of the future. The company regularly invests in similar programs to help bring critical skills to the future of the workplace by encouraging knowledge sharing and providing mentorship opportunities.

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