DUBAI // Imagine if pupils could go on field trips to Antarctica, the Gaza Strip or, better yet, Mars. Sound far-fetched? It’s not, according to local 3D film consultant Clyde DeSouza.
The self-described “tech evangelist” said that thanks to evolving three-dimensional virtual reality technology, which is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, it won’t be long before school pupils are enabled to enter computer-simulated, immersive learning environments without ever leaving their classrooms.
“We are at the cusp of it exploding into education,” said Mr DeSouza, 44, who is the author of Think in 3D and works as a stereoscopic film consultant in the Middle East and Asia.
To prove his point, Mr DeSouza will allow anyone to try on his Oculus Rift goggles — a virtual reality headset developed by a company of the same name that was recently purchased by Facebook for $2 billion. The consumer version of the goggles are not yet available, but Mr DeSouza purchased the developer’s version from the company’s website for about Dh1,300.
“Once you put this on, it really does surround you,” Mr DeSouza said of the virtual world experienced through the Oculus Rift visor. “It’s like you’re in there.”
As part of his demonstration, he immerses users inside a 2D valley of Mars, an interactive scene he said he created using images provided by Nasa and a program called Unity, which allows developers to build interactive games and other 2D and 3D content. When the user puts on the goggles, they can experience a 360-degree view of the Martian valley as seen from the point of view of the rover.
In another of his virtual reality scenarios, Mr DeSouza offers users the chance to come face-to-face with an animated, 3D version of a Deinonychus dinosaur.
In yet another scenario he created for a Kuwait oil and gas company, the user is faced with a dangerous leak at an oil refinery. This virtual reality environment was created as a means to train workers in the case of an emergency.
“Sometimes you can’t go to a particular location — I can’t take my class to a field trip to Gaza, but I can actually immerse them in the place through virtual reality,” said Mr DeSouza. “It’s the next best thing to being there.”
Mr DeSouza said he has met with a group of private school principals and the former chief technology officer of one of the country’s largest private school operators to convince them to start virtual reality labs here.
“My idea is to actually build these kinds of labs where teachers and students can easily put together content,” said Mr DeSouza. “Kids, once they are 13 or 14, they are genius programmers themselves anyway, they can probably use the game engine better than I can.”
Because there is a shortage of content, Mr DeSouza said companies are willing to offers equipment for free in return for data. He learnt this after establishing a 3D lab at twofour54.
“After I put it together I wrote to people at Sony and Panasonic, they dumped equipment there,” said Mr DeSouza. “They were like, ‘Please, take it.’ It’s good for them. … It’s no cost, literally, to schools. You just have to have a space and laptops and machines you already have.”
In exchange for the free cameras, scanners or editing software, the schools would likely be asked to provide usage data to the companies, Mr DeSouza said.
Herve Marchet, an education and technology consultant and former Apple executive who has introduced Mr DeSouza to local educators, said immersive education is the way of the future.
“It’s part of the kids’ lives now — all of this virtual reality, all of the gaming technology and the world of technology — so it’s very important for them to understand and use it and to find ways to develop it,” said Mr Marchet. “They can experience things that maybe they would never see. So, let’s say that they go and visit pyramids, they don’t need to travel, and we know at this time there is difficulty to travel, it’s not very safe in some countries. They can go inside the pyramid and experience the pyramids. It’s going to be much more engaging in terms of learning outputs, it would be much stronger if they were only looking at a book or an image on the computer. I think the impact of the learning, it’s very important because their engagement is key.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
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if you go
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
England 12-man squad for second Test
v West Indies which starts Thursday: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jack Leach
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