Dubai - MENA Herald: Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has today (Tuesday, November 24, 2015) unveiled a mobile app that brings the capabilities of the university’s ‘Smart Campus’ virtual campus to smart phone users. The app can run on Android- and iOS-supported devices and is designed to be fully compatible with wearable technologies. H.E. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chairman of the Coordination Council of Higher Education, personally launched the app and saw its first notifications on a smart watch during the Higher Education and Research Policies Forum hosted by HBMSU.
The app launch aptly coincides with the first UAE Innovation Week taking place from November 22 to 28, 2015, in line with the directives of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to mark 2015 as the “Year of Innovation.” The special week-long nationwide event was launched by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and serves as a definitive platform and destination for innovation and innovators in the region.
The HBMSU Smart Campus app uses various key features of smart devices such as location services, notifications, and camera functions. Capitalizing on the growing popularity of wearable technologies, the app has been developed for smooth integration with popular smart watches such as the Apple Watch, the Motorola Smartwatch and Samsung Gear. It is one of a series of initiatives under HBMSU’s Smart Campus program which was launched in 2014 with the goal of using advanced online technologies to make essential university services accessible over smart phones and tablets.
Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, said that the new app will strengthen the university’s efforts to establish a genuine virtual campus. He added that wearable technology has huge potential in the region and that the university is considering the addition of courses on the field.
Dr. Al Awar said: “Wearable technologies are booming in the West and are quickly moving to our region. Our tech-savvy leaners welcome such technologies and are very excited over the benefits of integrating our Smart Campus capabilities with the functionalities of smart watches and other wearable devices. We are honored that H.E. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan himself inaugurated our new app and sampled its unique features on a smart watch. This is an important step in support of our ongoing efforts to enhance our virtual university and also reflects HBMSU’s full support for the UAE’s Innovation Strategy.”
The HBMSU Smart Campus is a virtual campus that provides an electronic one-stop-shop for the needs of learners, faculty, and administrative personnel such as access to academic records, learner registration, and submission of proposals and suggestions. It seamlessly integrates various applications and systems to ensure a hassle-free and enjoyable user experience. The Smart Campus plays a central role in HBMSU’s agenda of promoting ‘smart learning’ through the use and integration of modern technologies. The university is planning more projects to enhance the adoption and implementation of the smart platform.