UoB to empower 3,000 women students to launch 30 startups

Manama : Aimed at educating 3,000 female programmers with a target of setting up tech businesses by thirty among them, the University of Bahrain has launched the ‘Forsati for her’ project in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Microsoft, Think Smart and Tamkeen.

“The road to becoming more than a knowledge economy but an innovation economy starts with having skilled human capital,” UoB President Prof Riyad Hamzah said at the launch of the programme yesterday.

The project is part of UoB’s five-year Transformation Plan developed in 2016, aimed at making science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education attractive, improving access to technology education, widening active participation in digital literacy, playing an active part in the entrepreneurship ecosystem and increased partnership working.

“With the launch of FINTECH Bay and the Startup Bahrain initiative, it is good timing that we are able to support a project designed to develop highly skilled female programmers,’’ said the President.

“The digital economy requires talent and infrastructure; here at UOB we have the talent.” He added

 “The 3,000 digitally empowered female students will provide the backbone for Bahrain’s emerging digital economy and growing entrepreneurship ecosystem,” said Prof Riyad Hamzah.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Amin El Sharkawi and Economic Development Board Managing Director Simon Galpin attended the event.