The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) and Microsoft collaborated to launch the Digital Centre for youth, which provides a platform for students and young people to develop their digital skills and explore new methods of thinking and working.
This initiative is a result of a continuous partnership between NMoQ and Microsoft, indicating both organizations’ dedication to offering progressive ways of experiencing museum offerings and staying current with modern technological developments.
The NMoQ/Microsoft AI Digital Centre has already delivered numerous sessions virtually leading up to its much-anticipated launch. Over the last year, hundreds of students across schools in Doha have participated in engaging virtual sessions on Minecraft Education, Paint 3D, Flipgrid, Hour of Code, MakeCode, Cognitive Solutions, CyberSecurity and more.
Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani, Deputy CEO of Qatar Museums and Director of the National Museum of Qatar, said: “We are delighted to open the Digital Centre for youth, the first of its kind in Qatar Museums. This co-innovation partnership with Microsoft that led to the creation of this Centre reflects our long-term commitment to exploring new ways of engaging with our communities and developing interdisciplinary and creative ways of learning. Such partnerships bring us closer in realizing our vision of being a museum that provides new platforms for creativity and innovation to all.”
The opening of the Digital Centre for youth follows the launch of NMoQ Explorer, a custom-developed solution designed to mirror the immersive interactive approach of the museum, and encourage visitors’ participation and engagement with the Museums’ offerings regardless of their location.
Lana Khalaf, General Manager, Microsoft Qatar stated: “At Microsoft, we recognize that incredible, world-changing innovations often come from students; and it is our responsibility to spark interest in STEM at an early age. We are thrilled to celebrate with the National Museum of Qatar the opening of the Digital Centre and we are proud to partner with them to make their vision a reality, with an innovative highly engaging platform that introduces aspiring young minds to technologies like AI, IoT and gaming so they can learn about Qatar’s social heritage and culture in a fun immersive way while developing the skills of the future.”
With the launch of the Digital Centre for youth, NMoQ is rolling out a series of free creative workshops and field trips for children aged 8–16. Running throughout the summer from June to August, the series will include:
- Sundays: Coding Through Minecraft: Coding is an employable skill that teaches students to improve and refine their critical thinking skills in order to solve problems. Although not all students will become computer programmers by the end of this workshop, participants will acquire an understanding of computer programming that will be important for other activities as well.
- Mondays: Cybersecurity: In this workshop, participants will learn how to keep themselves and their community safe from cyber threats.
- Tuesdays: Design & Engineering: Learn how to create your own games and applications using Microsoft MakeCode, and explore the world of STEM through hands-on projects.
- Wednesdays: Filmmaking: Participants will learn the basics of storytelling, cinematography and editing as they bring their vision to life on the big screen.
- Thursdays: 3D And Virtual Reality: Explore the world with this new course on 3D design. Learn how to create stunning 3D designs and take virtual tours of amazing places from the comfort of your own home.
Discover the best that Doha has to offer as you embark on a sightseeing tour through the Qatari capital and explore the main highlights of the city including the National Museum, Souq Waqif, and Pearl Island. You also get a closer look at Qatar’s history and culture with a visit to the Katara Culture Village.
