Dubai: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences successfully concluded its ‘Summer Programme for the Gifted 2023’. The programme, hosted at Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Giftedness and Creativity, ran from July 17 to July 27, welcoming 50 exceptionally talented and innovative students aged 9 to 18.
Sulaiman Al-Ansari, executive director of the Foundation, reaffirmed the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to supporting the UAE’s continuous efforts in nurturing and encouraging talented individuals towards greater innovation and creativity. He emphasised that these endeavours align with the Foundation’s core objectives of maintaining a pioneering position in technological and scientific advancements. “By enhancing training programmes and activities, the Foundation aims to contribute to the development of a knowledgeable and scientifically equipped generation,” he said.
Al Ansari expressed his utmost delight at the resounding success of the programme and commended the outstanding performance of the participants, their parents, and all those involved in executing and facilitating the enriching training.
Dr Mariam Al Ghawi, director of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Giftedness and Creativity, highlighted the diverse array of activities and workshops offered during this year’s summer programme for the Gifted. Enriching programmes were tailored to suit various age groups, including specialised workshops on smart systems and “Renewable Energy Experiments,” along with practical hands-on experiences. T
he summer programme for the Gifted took place from July 17 to 23, while the “Innovations in Sustainability Forum” was held from July 24 to 27. The programme also included enriching field trips, such as a visit to the Dubai Future Foundation, where 20 talented students learned about the Foundation’s services and engaged in innovative projects, exploring robotics, self-improvement techniques, and preparing for the future while fostering an environment conducive to creativity and innovation.
Specialised programmes
Dr. Al Ghawi expressed her delight in the programme’s success in achieving its objectives. She stated: “We are always committed to promoting a culture of innovation and creativity in society, supporting and nurturing talented students. This is achieved through a specialised scale to discover gifted students and enriching programmes organised during school vacations. After the discovery process and identifying students’ talents and levels, we organised the summer programme, which included the Robot Mission, Renewable Energy Experiments, and Smart Systems Programme, all specialised programmes in science and engineering that we offer to gifted students based on our accredited standards.”
Furthermore, the organisers of the Summer Programme for the Gifted emphasised its significance in polishing the talents of gifted and innovative students. This was reflected in their interaction with the provided programmes, their enthusiasm in learning new skills, and their eagerness to participate and leave their mark in all practical activities.
Engineer Abdullah Al Safadi commented on the importance of the Renewable Energy Programme, where students explored various renewable energy sources and aimed to identify the most efficient and accessible sources in the region. They learned about energy generation from the sun, wind, and water, and storage techniques. The programme also featured hands-on experiments that integrated various sciences, such as physics, chemistry, and energy. Young researchers explored sustainable energy sources, fostering the importance of renewable energy and sustainability culture among students from a young age.
Eng. Jomana Ghazi, supervising the Smart Systems Programme, explained its goal of introducing students to the significance of smart systems and how to design and programme them using artificial intelligence algorithms. Students subsequently applied their knowledge in creating complete projects that contribute to solving sustainability issues using smart systems.
Understanding smart systems
Engineer Nael Al-Ashi, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence trainer, added, “The ‘Robot Mission’ programme is designed to prepare gifted students in the field of professional robot design and programming. The programme aims to introduce students to smart systems in general, enabling them to design and programme a smart system using Artificial Intelligence. Subsequently, they apply their knowledge in creating a complete project to enhance the sustainability journey through smart systems.”
In the same context, the Innovation Programmes Department presented the “Innovations in Sustainability Forum”, where participants of different age groups were introduced to the fundamentals of digital manufacturing and innovation. This was achieved through two training programmes focusing on innovation and sustainability, involving workshops centered around two sustainability-related projects.
Innovative creations
Engineer Muath Ali, Innovation Programmes trainer, explained the programme, saying, “Participants in the first programme were able to manufacture and programme a solar-powered robotic arm made from eco-friendly materials, designed to assist in plant cultivation. The arm can be controlled through a mobile application, programmed by the students themselves. In the second programme, a three-axis machine was designed and manufactured for autonomous plant cultivation. The forum included various workshops in fields like robotics, programming, 3D printing, electronics, and other areas of digital manufacturing. Through these workshops, students learned essential skills, enabling them to understand robot operation and grasp the concept of sustainability and its practical implementation in daily life.”
The programme
The Summer Programme for the Gifted 2023 also featured guidance and counseling sessions, providing personal and social support to participating students. These dialogues aimed to enlighten them about their capabilities and talents, as well as finding solutions to any challenges they might face on their journey. Additionally, group dialogues and individual sessions were held for parents. The programme benefited from the expertise of a distinguished group of qualified trainers and experts.
