42 Abu Dhabi coding school to amplify educational aims of UAE capital

• Abu Dhabi becomes part of growing global 42 Network of over 20 non-profit, tuition-free, ‘peer-to-peer’ learning methodology schools

• UAE capital to open first GCC campus of coding and computer programming 42 Network in February 2021, as part of Ghadan 21
 
• Purpose-built 42 Abu Dhabi campus in Mina Zayed warehouses district to accommodate up to 750 students per annum

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has announced the UAE capital will open the first GCC campus of the 42 Network of coding and computer programming schools early next year.

A major enabler in Abu Dhabi’s strategic vision to create a diverse and inclusive education infrastructure that empowers and enables a future-ready workforce, 42 Abu Dhabi will welcome students in February 2021.

The new campus is an initiative of Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi’s three-year government accelerators programme that aims to fast-track the emirate’s economic transformation through investments in the economy, knowledge, and community to support business, innovation, and people.

A coding school built on the philosophy that everyone deserves the opportunity to explore their talent, the purpose-built 42 Abu Dhabi campus will offer a revolutionary approach to divergent and gamified learning in the heart of the UAE capital’s Mina Zayed warehouses district. 42 Abu Dhabi will follow the tuition fees-free model of coding and programming education pioneered by French billionaire Xavier Niel, who founded the Network’s inaugural campus in Paris, École 42, in 2013. Since 2013, 20 42 Network of schools have been established, including in Jakarta, Tokyo and Seoul.

42 Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the GCC, will eventually accommodate up to 750 students per annum once it is fully operational.

“Establishing 42 Abu Dhabi underlines our commitment to provide next-generation education pathways to strategically upskill and nurture a future-ready workforce on a local and regional level,” said HE Sara Musallam, Chairman, ADEK.

“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.”
 
Operating a project-based, problem-based and peer-to-peer learning methodology endorsed by tech luminaries such as Evan Spiegel, Co-Founder & CEO of Snapchat, Jack Dorsey, Co-Founder & CEO of Twitter, Keyvon Beykpour, Co-Founder & CEO of Periscope, and Brian Chesky, Co-Founder & CEO of Airbnb amongst others, 42 Abu Dhabi students will learn at their own pace and develop through collaboration and creativity.

“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. 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,” said Sophie Viger, CEO, 42 Network.

The school’s coding cohorts will expand the ecosystem of skilled practitioners to propel private and public sector development, since 42 Abu Dhabi students will learn to master soft skills, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, as well as how to work in teams according to Majid Al Shamsi, Director of Higher Education Business Development at ADEK and Project Lead on42 Abu Dhabi.

“No previous coding experience is required of 42 Abu Dhabi students, however students must be curious, committed, proactive, and creative, and must possess an innate ability to adapt and collaborate. 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 digitisation today and in the future,” said Al Shamsi.

Candidates interested in applying to 42 Abu Dhabi, must be aged 18 and above. They can register for an online pre-selection assessment which evaluates cognitive capacity via logic and memory tests. Successful pre-selection candidates are then invited to The Piscine, a month-long programme testing motivation, endurance, and commitment. Successful candidates will be invited to join the inaugural cohort of 42 Abu Dhabi after all The Piscine assessments are completed.