The 2015 Qatar Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Fair (Qatar STEAM Fair) winners represented Qatar at the sixth Intel International Science Competition Arab World in Alexandria, Egypt.
The four-day competition brought together 130 students from 11 Arab countries to the competition. Hussam Aitel Qadi, who won the top prize at Qatar STEAM for his research project, ‘Innovative Game Software for Improving the English Language Skills of Non-Native Speakers’, was among eight students who represented Qatar in the fair.
Qadi said, “My participation at the Intel Arab fair was really eye-opening. It was incredible to be introduced to the amount of innovative research being conducted in the Arab world. Participating in the competition taught me how crucial research is in improving the lives of people and society as a whole.”
In May 2015, five winning teams from Qatar STEAM joined more than 1,700 high school students from over 70 countries at the Intel ISEF in Pittsburgh, USA. The event brought together the world’s top young scientific minds including Qatari students who submitted their research projects to doctoral level scientists for review, showcasing their innovative.
“Prestigious regional and international scientific
competitions such as Intel Arab and Intel ISEF are geared towards creating excitement in science and a culture of research among the nation’s youth, while offering them the opportunity to showcase their talent on a global stage,” said Dr Dirar Khoury, executive director of Research Co-ordination and Special Initiatives and acting executive director of Education, Training and Development at Qatar Foundation Research and
Development (QF R&D).
Qatar STEAM is gearing up for the second edition of its annual competition as the deadline for the submission of this year’s research abstracts falls on February 11. The second edition of the annual competition will take place from March 8 to 10. So far, 220 research plans have been submitted to the judging panel, more than double, compared with the 80 abstract submissions received last year.
The nationwide competition will see students from secondary schools compete for awards in numerous scientific categories. The competition encourages creativity with scientific inquiry and enables students to develop a wide range of skills to succeed in science. Winners of Qatar STEAM Fair will get the chance to represent Qatar at the 2016 edition of Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May in the United States and in the prestigious Intel Arab Fair held in December.