Abu Dhabi: Sixty Emirati students were honoured for their innovations and ideas in Science and Technology at the Think Science Competition Awards ceremony yesterday.
Honouring the winning students was Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Chairman of Emirates Foundation Shaikh Abdullah said he was delighted to see another generation of young scientists being created who will help establish strong foundations for our country’s future efforts.
“The creativity and intelligence of these young scientists is a testament to the accomplishments of UAE as a nation. We are proud of the milestones the country has achieved in encouraging and empowering our young talent in the fields of science and technology,” Shaikh Abdullah said.
He praised the programme’s achievements, saying: “Since its launch in September 2012 the “Think Science” programme has managed to discover the abilities and talents of many distinctive young and creative Emiratis, of whom many will have a promising future in promoting the nation’s drive for progress and development. The programme has been successful in encouraging young people to study science, especially in disciplines that will help the country meet the needs of scientists and specialists, and to contribute to the knowledge-based economy.”
Addressing the winners, Shaikh Abdulla said: “You are the bright future, and we see in you the ability to embody the vision of Shaikh Zayed in being knowledgeable citizens who are able to contribute effectively to the nation’s progress and development.”
The award has nine categories for schools, ranged from electrical engineering to non-conventional energy, industrial and mechanical systems. As for the university, the award has three categories included applied sciences and engineering, energy and environment, and smart and safety systems.
The youth of UAE were provided with a platform designed specifically for them to showcase their intelligence and skills in science and technology. School and university students teamed up to create and design projects that put them in the foreground of science in the UAE during Think Science Fair and Competition. Academic experts in the fields of science and technology from the private sector examined the projects of the students and evaluated them.
Maytha Al Habsi, Chief Programmes Officer at the Emirates Foundation, which organised the event said: “We’re pleased to see an increasing number of young men and women participating in the competition this year, and the improvement in the quality of project entries in terms of ideas and creativity and scientific knowledge and innovation. This batch of young scientists have once again proved that the youth of this country will bring the UAE towards a bright and sustainable future distinguished by innovation and creativity – becoming the first Arab country to achieve second place in the world in the biggest international competition for Science and Engineering (Intel) for this year, confirms the compatibility of our methodology with the highest international standards in this area.”
The second edition of the “Think Science” exhibition held last month attracted the participation of more than 20 government institutions, and more than 550 students from public and private schools and universities from across the UAE, in addition to the 150 teachers and supervisors and staff in educational institutions and many representatives from the private sector.
A notable winner in this year’s competition was in environmental sciences and management, won by high school students Shamma Al Bastaki and Hayaat Alhassan. Their project ‘Grains of Gold’ also landed them in second place at Intel ISEF in Los Angeles, USA.
The students found their inspiration to create this project upon visiting the Middle East’s first soil museum. They came across hydrophobic sand as a way to minimize water waste in soils. Hydrophobic sand as they discovered is regular sand that is chemically manipulated to resist water.
‘Protection Vest’, a project created by Shamsa Al Dhaheri, Ghubaisha Al Ameri, and Maryam Al Jabri, students of United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, took first place in the category of smart and safety systems.
The project is an endeavour to increase child safety in the UAE. It particularly targets toddlers up to the age of two. The vest is creatively designed to sense whenever a child is on the verge of falling or drowning. It also includes a locator for the parents to have the ability to detect the location of their child.
The creative project also took the title of ‘The Best Project’ amongst the university category.
High school students Abhishek Patankar, Mohammad Ishaq Khan, and Daksh Varyani from GEMS Modern Academy took the title of ‘The Best Project’ among the school category with their project ‘Solar-Plastic Fuel’. The project also landed the trio in first place in the category of sustainable energy.
Other winners include:
First place winners from schools-
• Ahmed Abukhousa and Abdulla Albadi, Charging by Sport Shoe in Electrical Engineering.
• Shamma Al Bastaki and Hayaat Alhassan, Grains of Gold in Environmental Sciences and Management.
• Mohammad Abdullah Butt, Mohammad Shamsul Haq, and Mohammed Khani, The Eyewriter in Industrial and Mechanical Systems.
• Sohaib Alterk, Cooling Jacket in Non-Conventional Energy
• Anna Robing, Suheda Yanik, and Noof Riyad, Electreological Resonance Dampening in Physics and Chemistry.
• Manal Makhlouf, Reem Alnaqbi, and Maha Alnaqbi, Magic Hat for Blind People in Safety Systems.
• Ahmed Almansoori and Amar Al Ali, The Glove in Smart Systems.
• Abhishek Patankar, Mohammed Ishaq Khan, and Daksh Varyani, Solar-Plastic Fuel in Sustainable energy.
First place winners from universities-
• Ruqaya Al Noamani, Lydia Lawand and Hamda Almehairbi, Rolling Clamps Transport Device in Applied Sciences and Engineering.
• Aya Al Masri, Palm Trees for Production of a Polymer Nanocomposite in Energy and Environment.
• Shamsa Al Dhaheri, Ghubaisha Al Ameri, and Maryam Al Jabri, Protection Vest in Smart and Safety Systems.
