Free peer-to-peer learning coding school, 42 Abu Dhabi, inaugurated in the UAE

A new coding school 42 Abu Dhabi which is located in Mina Zayed has been inaugurated in the capital of the UAE.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, inaugurated the facility on Sunday which is the first GCC campus of the 42 Network of coding schools.

42 Network of coding schools opened its inaugural campus in Paris in 2013. 42 Abu Dhabi has been established in partnership with Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) under the Ghadan 21 accelerator programme.

42 Abu Dhabi’s tuition-free model is rooted in a peer-to-peer learning methodology that creates flexible learning pathways via a project-based, gamified approach.

Open 24 hours a day, and offering its programmes free of charge, the school aims to cultivate creativity, collaboration and self-discipline by giving students ownership of their learning without classrooms or teachers.

The school has been given initial accreditation by the National Qualification Centre. To date, the 42 Network’s curriculum has equipped more than 12,000 students around the world with digital and business skills.

Candidates interested in applying to 42 Abu Dhabi must be aged 18 and above and require no previous coding experience. Enrolment requires registration and an online pre-selection assessment that evaluates cognitive capacity via logic and memory tests. Successful pre-selection candidates are then invited to the ‘Piscine’, from which candidates will be invited to join the programme.

During his visit to inaugurate the Abu Dhabi facility, Sheikh Khaled also met the school’s management and students of the programme’s inaugural cohort.

During the visit of 42 Abu Dhabi’s purpose-built campus in Mina Zayed, His Highness witnessed the school’s collaborative, peer-to-peer learning methods. pic.twitter.com/2VWbpjGMch

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As part of the selection process for 42 Abu Dhabi’s inaugural cohort, 401 candidates took part in a trio of pre-selection ‘Piscines’ between May and August. A pool of 225 successfully passed the 26-day immersive tests of motivation, endurance, and commitment, and joined 42 Abu Dhabi on September 26, 2021.

UAE nationals comprise 43 per cent of the inaugural cohort. Of the UAE national candidates, almost 70 per cent per cent are women. Expatriate student enrolment stands at 57 per cent. Around 93 per cent of the students live in the UAE. Of the total number of students, 60 per cent are men, and 40 per cent women. More than three quarters are aged 18-30.

“42 Abu Dhabi reflects Abu Dhabi government’s commitment to developing a digitally aware and technology-driven generation of young professionals who are not only technically skilled, but are also pushing the boundaries of digital innovation,” said Hussain Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education who was also present at the inauguration.

In July, the UAE launched a major new programme to develop talent, expertise and innovation in the field of coding in collaboration with top tech firms including Google, Microsoft and Facebook, among others. The  programme aims to train and attract 100,000 coders and establish 1,000 digital companies within five years.

Read: Sheikh Mohammed launches new programme for coders in partnership with top tech giants