Recoding Talent Creation: The 42 Abu Dhabi Experiment
- By CDOTrends editors
- September 02, 2020
Imagine coding classes with no tuition fees, teachers, or physical classes. It is called 42 Network.
The coding school network aims to disrupt the way we learn coding by making it more accessible to everyone. Instead of rigorous classes and teachers, it adopts a project-based, problem-based, and peer-to-peer learning methodology. It is one that is endorsed by global tech luminaries, including the chief executive officers of Snapchat, Twitter, Periscope, and Airbnb.
“The 42 Network aims to contribute to the development of an open and ethical world, without discrimination and without boundaries in terms of generation, culture, or geography. As a pioneer of digital schools, we are moving ahead with the 42 Network while staying true to our DNA and the values we promote, without compromising on the excellence of education,” said Sophie Viger, chief executive officer of 42 Network.
Abu Dhabi is the network’s latest frontier. “In Abu Dhabi, we have found the perfect partner to expand our mission and values to a new world of coders across the Arabian Gulf,” added Viger.
U.A.E.’s capital will open the first GCC campus of 42 Network early next year. Called 42 Abu Dhabi, it is an initiative of Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi’s three-year government accelerator program for fast-tracking the emirate’s economic transformation. Talent is a crucial focus of the initiative.
“By making coding and code-thinking accessible to people of all levels and abilities, 42 Abu Dhabi embodies the emirate’s vision for a tech-enabled business ecosystem and contributes to our leaders’ vision to build a secure and confident society that is competitive, sustainable and open,” said Her Excellency Sara Musallam, chairman of ADEK.
The purpose-built 42 Abu Dhabi campus, situated at the heart of the UAE capital, will feature tuition-free gamified learning. UAE hopes that the school’s fully-trained coding cohorts will significantly expand the ecosystem of skilled practitioners to propel private and public sector development
“This school will upskill our local and regional talent pool and provide a huge boost to partners in every professional sector who need tech talent to meet the demands of digitization today and in the future,” said Majid Al Shamsi, director of higher education business development at ADEK and project lead on 42 Abu Dhabi.
Photo credit: iStockphoto/shironosov