Experience - Research Intern

Jun 2023 - Jul 2023 · 2 months

LEAP Talent Incubators, founded by Project You, in partnership with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, is a dynamic and transformative journey for ambitious Emirati youth. By providing a comprehensive incubator for talent, LEAP nurtures the next generation of creative professionals, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to thrive in different industries with full confidence.

Sep 2021 - Nov 2021 · 3 months

I participated in the Open-Access Virtual Future Fit Internship Experience Program with the Future of Work Lab. In this 8-week internship, I worked remotely as part of a global multidisciplinary team, researching and co-designing communications, social media, and educational material on the future of work and learning. The objective of the internship was to create new future-forward career advice for the next generation of graduates (17-24 years old). Together as a team we:

• Researched the growing urgent challenges of our times with a "future of work lens".
• Crowdsourced knowledge on the trends of the future of work and learned about the in-demand tech and soft skills and innovation mindsets needed to get hired in companies leading to the future of work in each global challenge area.
• Practiced the new ways of remote working and collaborating with tools like Slack, MIRO, and VIrbella, and looked into the Metaverse and how it will change the way we work and learn.
• Used skills like creativity, time management, entrepreneurial mindsets, active listening, collaboration, adaptability, emotional, social intelligence, and intercultural fluency while working on a team of different nationalities and together creating new knowledge.
• Researched growing career opportunities and discovered the emerging learning and work pathways that will keep us future-fit and continuously employable in this era of AI, automation, and rapid change.
• Our cohort co-designed the Future Fit e-newsletter with cutting-edge career advice for our peers interested in future careers in the growing fields of Health, Education, and Responsible and Ethical Technology.
• We also co-designed with the entire cohort a Future Careers Expedition event that the Future of Work Lab will run in the coming months

Lina played an essential role in researching and curating the content for one of our Future Fit e-newsletters on the future of work & learning. She worked with a team of international peers, showing excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 

She completed the project assigned to her and her team, applying methods for human-centered design and tools for remote co-creation; she did so as a true team player, working with others with enthusiasm and kindness.

Aug 2021 - Sep 2021 · 2 months

The AUA Future of Learning Accelerators is a vision-setting and innovation program of education and Technology where professionals, policymakers, researchers, and high school and university students collaboratively work together to reshape the future of education in the region. 

During the five-week program, five teams go through a series of acceleration milestones and coaching sessions to develop five high-level initiatives that are meant to support the University of the Future's goal to make 100 million students lifelong learners and continuously employable. 

Activities in the Bootcamp were: 

• Think solution from a problem then showcase it to the AUA FLA's.
• Interviewing.
• Brainstorming.
• Develop a scholarship App.

Aug 2021 - Aug 2021 · 1 month

Participated in UAE AI Summer Camp 3.0, a remarkable opportunity to engage in the largest assembly of training, webinars, workshops, and discussions centered around Artificial Intelligence within the Arabic Region.

May 2021 - Oct 2021 · 5 month

• Enrolled in the Pathfinders Program, hosted by the United Arab Emirates University’s Science and Innovation Park (UAEU-SIP), a transformative initiative.
• Engaged in full-time participation with a focus on a blended learning approach, with most sessions requiring on-site attendance at UAEU-SIP.
• Developed a resilient entrepreneurial mindset, equipping me to excel in the fast-paced dynamics of today's society.
• Contributed to the program's core mission of cultivating a cadre of innovators capable of generating employment opportunities, addressing global challenges, and formulating relevant solutions.

I have had the distinct pleasure of being Lina Al Khatib’s manager and mentor during her tenure as a Research Intern at the Science and Innovation Park (SIP) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). For over a year, I observed Lina’s dedication and contribution to our innovation hub, which was a crucial part of the broader educational and entrepreneurial ecosystem we were fostering. 

Lina was not only a contributor but also a keen learner. Her participation in the Pathfinders Program, where she received world-class training to hone 21st-century skills, is a testament to her continuous learning ethos. She carried this learning forward in her responsibilities, which included developing content, supervising, and delivering workshops, besides offering technical support to our technical lead team in product and prototype development for startups and student projects.