RIYADH: “Never Disconnect,” an online campaign launched by the Misk Foundation, is set to encourage people to continue learning despite the obstacles they face due during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The campaign offers a package of initiatives, programs and challenges to make the most of opportunities, according to the webpage of the campaign.

The campaign includes a set of professional development initiatives made available for all and to specially target fresh graduates as well as Misk Academy graduates, helping them to find job opportunities by conducting a virtual career fair to help them connect with employers and Misk partners.

One of initiatives is the 1Hour Panel Talks that host, virtually, a set of subject-matter experts to discuss topics in digital media, machine learning and leadership during crisis. Misk Academy also provides, through its partnership with Udacity, a set of online courses in technology and digital media.

Hussam Al-Mulem, 26, from Jeddah, said he has benefited from Misk initiatives and programs in the past. “I enrolled in a course of programming on the Udacity platform three years ago with the support of Misk for free; now I can write codes in different programming languages thanks to that course,” he told Arab News. “I believe starting a new campaign during this time, as people have more free time on their hands while staying home, is a smart idea.”

Another pillar of the campaign is art challenges that focus on different subjects such as painting, photography, sculpting, short-movie production and music; by holding weekly competitions for participants across the Kingdom and choosing the best production of art from home, as well as the weekly quiz about the artist of the week as a tribute to artists that have, or have had, an impact on the art sector.

Another initiative is the digital volunteering challenge, where participants can compete in translating content, designing messages that underline social values, and evaluating video games to identify religious or cultural violations.

Norah Al-Dossary, 24, from Riyadh, is looking forward to again joining at least one Misk initiative, she told Arab News. “I got an internship opportunity through Misk and completed an online course in data analysis.” She said that it had benefitted her greatly then, and she was looking forward to more content from Misk during this difficult time.