FEATURE | women in tech THE AR/VR SPECIALIST June 2019 www.womanthismonth.com 22 Dr Sana Farid is a pioneer ARVR (augmented reality/virtual reality) strategist in the MENA region, and the co-founder and CEO of Munfarid, a MENA-based innovation firm focusing on immersive technologies and the fourth industrial revolution. She’s also a surgeon, qualified from the RCSI Bahrain. Dr Sana is currently serving as copresident for VRARA Association MENA region, the world’s largest community of innovators and experts working on VR/AR and Artificial Intelligence (AI). How did you go from being a qualified general surgeon to the field of VR and AI? Entering a professional career in medicine, I realised that this field requires extensive training, a lot of practise and proficiency to interact with patients. I soon understood that we, as a society on the whole, need to go further than implementing what is already known. The medical profession is life-changing; we welcome our patients and devote our energies to create a healthier society. I wished to discover potential methodologies that seemed promising to improve the training and development. Immersive learning was a technology that instantly interested me. I learned how AR and VR could improve the retention rates, enable better engagement, provide more chances for practice in safe environments. As a medical intern or fresh graduate, immersive environments increase confidence by [allowing] working in the virtual field with virtual bodies. I kept researching, in a quest for more pragmatic solutions, interrogating the scope of XR [cross reality]. It turned out, that it could reduce the nervousness of confronting real patients, an inevitable phase during the training. Through my experience of the field, I yearn to enhance the training system, education and practices in XR. What is the idea behind Munfarid, and how long did it take to reach where you are now? Munfarid is a notion of dedicated endeavor, passion to empower and disrupt through intelligence. Technology has brought us closer and helped us perform tedious tasks smoothly. The idea behind Munfarid was to reach even beyond physical limitations; to make learning more productive. Learning is precisely empowering and igniting others to reach and help more people. Munfarid envisions to prepare tomorrow’s generation to be work-ready, enabling them to reach the developing nations and rise as a community. We take pride in running the biggest immersive learning programme across the region. ARVR has been instrumental in advancing the educational and medical field and has helped bring a positive change in the lives of many. In our journey, we work closely with several governments to strategise innovation programmes and conduct multiple impact programmes in developing countries catering to the most sensitive issues such as infant resuscitation and nonformal education. We look forward to helping as many people as possible, empowering them to live the life of their dreams. What do you see as the future of this and any coming technology in both education and the realm of wider daily life? Industrial revolutions revamp the way things work. With the inception of immersive technologies aiding the fourth industrial revolution, today, healthcare professionals are able to help patients with better treatment outcomes during painful and/or anxious situations. This approach enables them to improve the overall patient experience and better quality of life. In the education sector, immersive learning tools are proven to increase engagement to 100 per cent, improve knowledge retention to 90 per cent and results to 86 per cent, ARVR has enabled learners to bring lessons to life and learn-by-doing. As a woman, did you face any genderspecific challenges? On the contrary, being a woman is a privilege in our country. The government has initiated several programmes to increase women‘s economic participation through small businesses. The Bahrain Development Bank offers both microcredit and larger loans, with 73 per cent of beneficiaries being women. In the educational sector, Bahraini women constituted 72 per cent of students enrolled at the Arabian Gulf University and 67 per cent of those enrolled at the University of Bahrain; the two largest post-secondary education institutions in Bahrain. Bahrain has an excellent ecosystem for startups. We have substantial government support, significant events and meet-ups happening everywhere. In fact, leading organisations such as Tamkeen provide assistance and training to private-sector businesses and individuals. In addition we have an active Economic Development Board that encourages investment in Bahrain, thus extending support, collaboration and growth opportunities for innovative ideas. Such initiatives help us grow the businesses, boost entrepreneurs’ morale and encourage them to ideate creatively. This is In line with HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa’s vision, we —the Bahraini women— are proud to lead on many fronts, both explored and unexplored.
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