Awarded Paper Demonstrates Key Role of Data Mining to Uncover Job Market Trends in the Region
A paper written by two Khalifa University graduates, Dr. Abdulla Al Shimmari, PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering, and Dr. Armin Alibasic, PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering, was recognized by the Federal Authority of Human Resources (FAHR) with the H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Award for Best Research in Human Resources – 2019. The award is given to academic research papers related to human resource capital in the UAE that provide innovative suggestions and initiatives that can be adopted and applied in the country.
Dr. Al Shimmari and Dr. Alibasic’s paper, titled “Analyzing the UAE and GCC Job Market Reliability for a Transition from an Oil/Gas-based Energy Economy toward a Renewable Energy Economy,” aims to provide guidance for decision makers, employers, managers, and firms to utilize a standardized dataset of skills and attributes of different occupations to help them access information related to requirements and needs of emerging job markets. The paper was based on the research project “The Economic Impact of Advanced Technology and Automation on the Oil and Gas Sector”, which was conducted collaboratively with MIT.
“This paper’s findings demonstrate the general usefulness and applicability of data mining methods through the utilization of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to uncover job market trends in UAE and GCC energy industries, identifying occupational gaps in terms of supply (syllabuses provided by universities) and demand (jobs available in the market measured through the online job postings),” Dr. Al Shimmari explained.
Although the UAE is setting clear renewable energy-related visions, policies, and regulations to ensure that the country’s transition away from a hydrocarbon-based energy system is smooth, readiness of the UAE’s labor force for the transition is an open question.
“This research contributes toward the enrichment of HR strategy, specifically here in the UAE, through the application of data science methods that enable decisions to be driven from data insights rather than assumptions,” commented Dr. Alibasic.
Both former Khalifa University students are honored to receive such a prestigious award and are proud of what they have achieved.
“It is proof of the high-quality work that is conducted at Khalifa University under the supervision of our valuable professors,” Dr. Alibasic said.
“I would like to acknowledge the incredible efforts and guidance provided by our research team, especially Dr. Mohammed Atif Omar, Department Head of Engineering Systems and Management. I would also like to acknowledge the great collaboration work which has been done with the research team at MIT,” noted Dr. Al Shimmari.
Dr. Al Shimmari and Dr. Alibasic are continuing their work in data science and machine learning models. They are also working closely with authorities to ensure that the benefits of the research will be applied in the UAE’s human capital development.
Ara Cruz
Creative Writer
24 September 2020
