Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Fawzia Al Khater, and Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, Executive Chairman of Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), led the closing ceremony of the 11th edition of the National Scientific Research Week (NSRW) titled Promising Researchers for Qatar.
The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and QNRF as well as members of the academic and research community in Qatar.
The NSRW, organised by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and QNRF, is an annual celebration of science that aims to identify, recognise, and develop interest in scientific research, knowledge, and skills of K-12 students from schools across Qatar. During the week, around 300 educators attended workshops which addressed the growing importance of incorporating STEM subjects into school curriculums.
In her speech, Reema Abu Khadija, Director of the Curriculum and Learning Resources Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said that scientific research competition has gained significant momentum, with 138 schools taking part in the scientific research competition, while 114 are competing in applied research.
FameLab Competition Finals / Grand Award Ceremony
The finals of the FameLab competition, organised in collaboration with the British Council, was also held during the closing of NSRW. Participants were given three minutes to present complex scientific concepts to a panel of expert judges and audience members. The top-scoring individual from the adult category will represent Qatar at the Cheltenham Science Festival 2019 together with participants from 25 countries around the world.
Twenty-four projects were presented with special awards by partner organisations of NSRW. Winners of different competitions were also recognised at the Grand Award Ceremony, including Qatar National Scratch Coding Competition, Design for Change Competition, Al Bairaq Competition, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Competition, Scientific Club Competition, Alice Programming Competition, and Qatar’s 4th National Astronomy Olympiad.
Dr Abdullah Al Kamali, Senior Manager for Education Outreach at QNRF, said they received a total of 722 project submissions from preparatory and secondary school students across Qatar this year. He congratulated the winners and encouraged everyone, including the rest of the participants, to further develop their research projects.
QNRF, through its various programmes, supports original, promising research across all levels, and, with our soon to be launched High School Research Experience Program (HSREP), the students will have an incredible opportunity to further advance their research and increase their knowledge and skillset.’
The NSRW aims to provide exceptional local talent exposure on an international stage, enabling participants to share their scientific research projects and develop them further.
During the Grand Award Ceremony, nine individuals were selected as winners of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, to represent Qatar to the 30th International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. Five students were also crowned winners of the National Scientific Research Competition. These winners were selected from a total of 150 project submissions, and will also represent Qatar at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Arizona.
With support of NSRW strategic partner Qatar Science and Technology Park, three students were selected to participate in the London International Youth Science Forum, hosted by the Imperial College and the Royal Geographical Society.
QNRF has also recently launched the High School Research Experience Program (HSREP) to provide support for students at specialised research centres in Qatar under mentorship of university faculty and researchers. The programme aims to equip students with the necessary research skills to help them excel in their university studies, and empower them to become the next generation of leading scientists in Qatar.
For more information about QNRF, visit their website at qnrf.org.
