Under the slogan “Artificial Intelligence for a Sustainable Future”, the “Information Technology Marathon 2023” activities were launched in its thirteenth edition, at the College of Information Technology at the United Arab Emirates University, with wide participation from 120 schools, and 300 male and female students from various schools in the country with the presence of Professor Dr. Ahmed Murad - Associate Vice President for Scientific Research, Dr. Fikri Kharbash - Acting Dean of the College of Information Technology, Dr. Fadi Al-Najjar - Chairman of the Organizing Committee, from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, and Engineer Muhammad Banat, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee and General Supervisor of the Exhibition, Faculty members and college students on campus.

The Information Technology Marathon 2023 (IT23) at UAEU aims to spread awareness about the strategic importance of information technology in the United Arab Emirates, inspiring students to think about the fields of computing and information technology as options for their university studies, and to introduce them to the study programs available and offered by the College of Information Technology and the attractive and innovative environment that the university provides for students. The marathon also contributes to creating a thinking, creative, and innovative generation by encouraging and supporting young talents in the field of information technology. The IT marathon is a great opportunity for students to benefit from their experiences and showcase their achievements, creativity, and various projects in information technology in front of their peers, university students, academics, and industry experts.

Professor Dr. Ahmed Murad - Associate Vice President for Scientific Research explained, “Today we come together in the Information Technology Marathon, under the slogan “Artificial Intelligence for a Sustainable Future,” to reflect our serious commitment at UAEU to contribute to climate change efforts and keep pace with the UAE’s declaration of 2023 as the Year of Sustainability Under the slogan “Today for Tomorrow” as the country is hosting UN climate conference COP28. Also, we highly consider the importance of artificial intelligence as an important educational tool to facilitate the educational process and our way of life for the better. We use it as a tool to achieve a sustainable future that enhances the capabilities of the nation’s youth, through artificial intelligence tools in a way that contributes to development, and to prepare qualified national cadres for the knowledge economy, and to keep pace with the era of digital transformation, and you are the future generation and the one who will lead sustainable development in this country, and in any academic institution or governmental or private entity that you will work with, so you are required to be equipped with the required skills that will help you in leadership and excellence in your schools and your university and professional careers within the national system to achieve an important goal, which is sustainability through government work.”

Professor Dr. Ahmed Murad - Associate Vice President for Scientific Research pointed out: “With the acceleration of developments in the fields of information technologies and artificial intelligence, we are required as an academic institution to use these technologies as part of our academic curriculum, and we are working through the College of Information Technology at UAEU to continuously develop our educational curricula and reflecting the great progress in science and knowledge, which is considered among the best academic curricula in the world. We encourage you to consider these curricula and choose the UAEU to be your next future station in higher education and scientific research. Since its establishment in 1976, the UAEU has been racing against time to achieve “The vision of our wise leadership is to provide high-quality university education, which is reflected in the outcomes and align them with national trends. We work together with our strategic partners, the Ministry of Education and schools to achieve this vision, and we look forward to seeing your innovative and creative projects today in the fields of artificial intelligence for a sustainable future.”

For his part, Dr. Fikri Kharbash, Acting Dean of the College of Information Technology, explained: “Organizing this marathon under the slogan “Artificial Intelligence for a Sustainable Future” emphasizes the importance of students’ participation in building their future and employing technology to serve society and combat climate change, as climate change is one of the emerging issues that significantly hinder growth and global prosperity in the long term, because this phenomenon is closely linked to food, water and health security, as well as energy security. We believe that technology plays a pivotal role in achieving sustainability goals and promoting sustainable economic development.

While Dr. Fadi Al-Najjar - Chairman of the Marathon Organizing Committee, pointed out that the IT23 includes many accompanying activities and events, including the “Information Technology Exhibition,” which provides the opportunity for school students to present their innovative projects on the topic of “Artificial Intelligence for a Sustainable Future” and the “Information Technology Programming” competition, in addition to providing a unique opportunity to showcase the programming skills of school students with disabilities.

Engineer Mohammad Banat, Vice Chairman of the Marathon Organizing Committee, spoke about the importance of this event, which is considered a major scientific forum in which school students, accompanied by their teachers, meet with university students and university professors, and many windows are opened for interaction and knowledge exchange in an atmosphere of challenge and competition, and here the desired goal is achieved which is to focus on the importance of artificial intelligence and its positive role in providing sustainability solutions. Indeed, many pioneering projects and ideas were presented that reflected school students’ awareness of the importance of artificial intelligence in our current era.

28 schools participate in the "Information Technology Exhibition", and 49 schools from various schools in the country participate in the "Information Technology Programming" competition, and three distinguished centers for people of determination, in the field of programming and design, which are: Madinat Zayed Center for Care and Rehabilitation, Ghayathi Center for Care and Rehabilitation, and Al Ain Center for Care and Rehabilitation.

In conjunction with the IT Marathon, the “IT Expo” is a technology forum designed for school students (grades 6-12) from various regions across the UAE, to showcase their research and theories on artificial intelligence in sustainability, to their peers, university students and academics. Students are strongly encouraged to consider the quality and complexity of their projects, which cover a wide range of relevant fields and topics, such as: smart homes, smart city, smart school, smart energy management technology, smart technologies for precision agriculture, carbon footprint reduction, renewable energy forecasting, green supply chain, and green building design.

In conjunction with the IT23, two basic workshops were held specifically designed for the teacher sectors. The workshops aim to provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills in the areas of computer science research and cybersecurity in the educational field. The first workshop was titled “Enhancing students’ and teachers’ cybersecurity awareness during crises” presented by Dr. Saed Al-Rubai - from the Department of Information Systems and Security, which is about enhancing the awareness of cybersecurity among students and teachers in the current digital age by highlighting the importance of cyber threats. While the second workshop was entitled “Integrating ChatGPT into modern education: effects, benefits, and challenges” presented by Dr. Raafat Daamsa - from the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the role of ChatGPT in education, balancing its potential advantages against challenges, envisioning a future in which artificial intelligence and teachers collaborate seamlessly for the benefit of students and enhancing the educational experience, and the multifaceted role of ChatGPT in Classrooms, virtual learning environments, and self-education in the age of artificial intelligence.

The results of the marathon competitions for schools were as follows: In first place for the information technology presentation section was the Applied Technology High School team from Sharjah, second place was given to Baniyas City School in Abu Dhabi, and third place was taken by the Indian School in Al Ain.

In the programming challenge, the Future International School in Al Ain won first place, the second place was won by Al Madar International School in Al Ain, and the third place was won by the Applied Technology High School from Sharjah.

People of Determination also distinguished themselves in this year’s IT23 in the competitions in the category: Software and Design, where the student Amal Salem Al Ameri, from Al Madar School, won first place for designing the “Project: Cleaning Robot,” while first place in 3D design was won by the student Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad Al-Dahhak Al-Mansouri, from Zed City Center for People of Determination, for his innovative project in “Designing and printing a splint for fractures using 3D technology”.

The second place in the marathon competitions for people of determination was won by the two students: Abdullah Hameed Ali Satyun Al-Dara’i and the student Saif Ali Al-Dara’i, from Al-Quwa School, for the “Lego Prosthetic Arm Project”, while the third place was won by a project to serve humanitarian work presented by the students Adnan Atheer and Hassan Ishaq, from the Ghayathi Center for People of Determination. The third place was also granted by Khaled Mansour Al Balushi and Fares Nasser Mabkhout, for the project “Creating a 3D Sustainable Environment” from the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination in Al Ain.