Dubai: Eight expat students from UAE have helped build and set up a robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) lab in the Indian state of Kerala.
The aim of the initiative is to empower rural children of India engage in STEM (Science, Technology, Robotics Engineering Arts Mathematics).
The students, trained in coding, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) from Dubai-based Unique World Robotics, decided to take their interest and passion one notch higher.
Bansan Thomas George, Founder & CEO, Unique World Robotics, said the students, with the help of their parents’ financial support built the robotics lab in Thiruvanathapuram. “Students from in and around the area will learn coding, 3D printing, building robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), all for free.”
George said: “The Robotics & Innovation Lab is located at the Mar Thoma Central School in Varkala. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative to empower and engage rural students in STREAM (Science Technology Robotics Engineering Arts Mathematics). We have provided best-in-class trainers and STEM.org accredited programmes which will be accessible not just to the students of MTCS but also to the entire student community in and around Varkala. This will create a significant impact on their lives,” said George, adding that plans are to expand the project to more rural areas.
He said: “The lab will be run by the school. We will have our students visit the lab when they can, like during holidays, to interact with the rural children. We have placed a teacher who will be teaching the students regularly. The entire STEM training is free for the children.”
What the students say
Ten-year-old Sana Kaushik, a grade 8 student of Pristine Private School, Sharjah, said: “My vision is that this initiative should inspire more young minds and this should be a movement to start labs across different countries to ensure that every child gets the privilege of learning these futuristic technologies.
"Robotics has always fascinated me and I look at this as an opportunity for teaching. I love teaching. It makes me happy to be able to teach other children.”
Arush Nagpal, 15, another Dubai student studying in Grade 10 at Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills, Dubai, said: “After being a global winner of the NASA space apps challenge, and reaching the national round in FLL last year, I realised that there are so many curious minds who are deprived of learning opportunities because of financial limitations.
"I felt the need to give back to society and Unique World Robotics provided me the platform to do so through this project.”
Krishanth Sorna Aravintha Losanan, 13, a Grade 9 student of DPS Dubai, said: “I am happy that I could help make a difference to the lives of the students of Mar Thoma Central School, Varkala, by exposing them to STEM at a young age.
"This will truly help in the future of the students - and India. I would like to thank Unique World Robotics for helping us achieve this feat.”
George said that Kerala’s Minister of Finance K N. Balagopal will inaugurate the lab on October 17. “We are so grateful that the government is appreciating the work of our UAE students and their parents.”
