“Talk about the all nighters,” joked Ahmed Nasralla, Class of 2021, referring to the infamous Design and Innovation course he took in January 2018, a requirement for the Engineering majors of NYUAD.

The description on Albert for the class presents it as a collaboration between professors Matthew Karau and Felix Hardmood Beck, one that “fully immerses [the students] in a process of rapidly acquiring new skills in service of developing innovative concepts and prototypes that respond to challenging design prompts. Traditional professional boundaries are blurred, and students are encouraged to broaden their views on what will be the relevant responsibilities and compelling opportunities for engineers in the 21st century.”

Qutaiba Al-Nuaimy, Class of 2021, wrote that the class “is a program that successfully encapsulates the spirit and philosophy of the Engineering Design Studio, promoting the core values and principles of progressive engineering.”

The class had a few intense mini projects spread throughout the two weeks, culminating in a final project which they had to create from scratch based on a theme given to them. This January, the theme was Connected Futures – Designs that Unite Us, with a focus on improving the lives of those that live and visit the UAE. The year 2018 was declared as the Year of Zayed by the UAE government which set particular visions and initiatives to be met by the government and by residents by the end of the year. Some student projects were based on Year of Zayed visions.

Final projects included apps and other demonstrable products that lived up to the legacy of the class. Examples include the Language Drop, which allows easy access to online educational audio content for laborers in different languages. Another project, In(cube)ation, was created with the focus on the UAE’s goal to achieve a knowledge-based economy by connecting entrepreneurs with resources available in the country. Yet another project tackled vitamin D deficiency, a health challenge experienced by 90 percent of UAE’s population, by employing ultraviolet light to ensure people receive healthy amounts of the vitamin.

A few projects reflected the UAE’s increasing focus on the environment. ShowerSmart is a smart shower head that controls water usage based on relevant findings. Another project, GreenThumb Initiative, is an educational pod for children themed around plants. Although there were many challenges throughout the course, such as struggling with ideas, learning new skills and pulling all-nighters, most students agreed that it was a memorable experience with lots of bonding.

Matthew Jagdeo, Class of 2021, noted that although it was demanding, it was fun.

“We got the chance to do some really cool things with tech that [were] relatively new to me and make ideas into real things. We also learned important skills of sketching that were really interesting. Building the final project was an immersive experience that enabled us to use interesting tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters and computer aided design,” he elaborated.

Shantanu Jain, Class of 2021, added that learning skills “on the fly” was in fact literal as “our group broke the [rules of the] brief of the [final] project a little bit and made an app, and yet none of us knew how to make one. We learned on the fly and came up with a presentable prototype in less than 48 hours while simultaneously polishing up our old projects.”

Umang Mishra, Class of 2021, shared that his most memorable moment was when the entire class, including teaching assistants and professors, stayed awake until the projects reached completion.

“It was the first in the series of all-nighters that were to follow, but seeing the dedication of everyone … to finish the task at hand and solve problems together really motivated me throughout the rest of the course. Next morning, 9 a.m., everyone had a working prototype and we all knew how much effort was put into these,” he explained.

“We would work through the morning with KFC and chai at like 2 a.m., and there’s this great atmosphere where everyone is tired but determined to get their project done alongside, for some reason, a lot of Disney music playing in the background,” added Shantanu Jain, Class of 2021.

Overall, the students think it was a unique experience that can never be forgotten and agree that the skills they gained will be useful for their future work inside the classroom or beyond.