UTech to host Microsoft Day 2024

University of Technology, Jamaica will host the third annual Microsoft Day technology summit from October 2 to 4 at the University’s Papine campus under the theme “Empower your Future”. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. on day one at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium.

Microsoft Day 2024 aims to provide youth pursuing computer-related studies at the tertiary level with an expertly guided hands-on approach to technology learning and innovation. The event, which, in previous years, was hosted through UTech Ja’s School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT), will see greater institutional collaboration this year with The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona and Northern Caribbean University (NCU) on board.

Pre-registered students from the partnering universities will gain useful insights into Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing services through a series of workshops to be delivered by Microsoft experts. They will benefit from networking opportunities with global IT professionals, learn how to develop winning résumés and how to successfully represent themselves in job interviews for top-tier tech companies.

The participants will also engage in internship-readiness workshops designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to compete effectively in today’s global talent marketplace. This includes optimising their résumé and LinkedIn profiles to best position themselves for future opportunities. One hundred and twenty students will also receive training in Microsoft Azure and present at a certification exam on the final day of the event.The daily workshops and discussion sessions will take place at Lecture Theatres 49 and 50 at the UTech, Ja Papine Campus.

Christopher Reckord, chairman, National Artificial Intelligence Taskforce, will deliver the keynote address at the summit.

The Microsoft Day summit will also feature the second Microsoft Project Blue Mountain (PBM) Hackathon finale in which student teams will pitch their solutions towards addressing global sustainable-development issues. The PBM Hackathon will cover social-, environmental-, and governance-related issues, all with a life science and business approach. It will encourage the application of computer science research and processes in addressing these issues.

HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPOSURE

Dr Kevin Brown, president, University of Technology, Jamaica said: “UTech, Ja is pleased to be collaborating with the global tech firm as venue sponsor for a third consecutive year. We are delighted to be on board for the third staging of Microsoft Day.”

Dr Brown, further asserted that “this hands-on learning exposure will be most rewarding for our students’ and, ultimately, for Jamaica’s development”. He added: “the expanded access which Microsoft has enabled through this partnership will allow for greater expression of creativity among students. It will sharpen their IT skills and equip them to fill vital gaps within the workforce of the digital era”.

Yamile Bustamante Allen, Microsoft country representative for Jamaica, noted, “At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more, so sharing our collective strengths to drive positive change and empower students to thrive in today’s dynamic technology landscape is very aligned to that.” She added that “the collaboration aims to propel the growth of diverse technology exposure across the region by fostering creativity and innovation among students”.

Since its inception in 2022, Microsoft Day has brought together an esteemed cadre of IT professionals who offer valuable knowledge and resources to students interested in computer-related studies and careers. The Microsoft Day initiative remains a well-supported calendar item at UTech each year. Through its various activities, it has helped to boost students’ skills in STEM education and career development and has offered room for collaboration between academics at the institution and industry experts at Microsoft Corporation.