AUS industrial engineering boot camp offers hands-on experience to high school students on AI and Machine Learning

High school students considering a career in industrial engineering enjoyed hands-on experience through the Industrial Engineering Boot Camp held recently at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). The camp, which attracted 49 students from 12 schools across UAE, comes as part of a series of boot camps offered by the AUS College of Engineering to help high school students discover the many career opportunities available to them with an engineering degree from AUS. 

Throughout the day, students were divided into two groups during which they gained insights into various areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, supply chain, and smart manufacturing. They also participated in engaging, team-based competitions to take their learning to the next level. 

“Industrial engineering is a rapidly growing field, and the boot camp provided students with a distinctive opportunity to explore and experience potential career pathways. Students were able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the skills and challenges associated with industrial engineering, as well as the role of an industrial engineer in today’s revolutionary world,” said Dr. Abdulrahim Shamayleh, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering.

In the Facility design session, students learned about the production line concept during an activity that required them to produce the maximum number of wall-mounted coat hangers possible within 30 minutes. Their task also required them to determine the number of production stations required to produce the hangers and designate the part of the production process that would take place at each station. This session ended with introducing students to the practical side of parts production using height gauges, sheet cutters, drills and bending machines.

Student Bushra Sadeddin from Al Mawakeb School-Al Garhoud said: “The boot camp was very beneficial as it introduced me to the industrial engineering major and what it offers. Attending the boot camp encouraged me to embark on my industrial engineering education at AUS after graduation.” 

With the growth of the artificial intelligence field, students were keen to learn about how AI is used in industrial engineering. Using the Google Teachable Machines techniques, the students built image classification models, which make it fast and easy to create machine learning models for projects and to train a computer to recognize images, sounds and poses, and then export the model for sites, apps and other platforms. They were also tasked to build an x-ray machine prototype where they were introduced to the benefits of using AI to identify health concerns much quicker, employing AI tools to analyze scans and promote early intervention. 

During the Inventory Management session, they were introduced to the concepts of waste minimization and cost reduction while enhancing customers’ experience. Toward the end of the camp, students competed in groups on interactive games to reach the optimum value they could with the available materials without restocking.

”AUS is committed to providing a dynamic learning environment, and this boot camp offered a fully immersive experience for students. With our expertise, extensive resources and modern facilities, we look forward to introducing high schoolers to the fascinating realm of industrial engineering,” Dr. Shamayleh said.

AUS engineering alumni are widely recognized across all engineering majors, being named top choice for employers in the UAE, according to QS World University Subject Rankings (2022).

Industrial engineering is considered one of the fastest-growing professions in the world. AUS offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering known for its application-oriented and industry-driven curriculum. The Department of Industrial Engineering at AUS is committed to promoting and maintaining excellence in teaching and learning to equip students with strong core competencies in industrial engineering and empower them with the skills required for successful professional careers. For more information about the Department of Industrial Engineering and what it offers, visit www.aus.edu/cen/bsie.