'Think Science Fair' showcases ground breaking inventions from UAE youth talents

A three-day science exhibition showcasing ground-breaking technological innovations from some of the UAE's brightest young scientific minds will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre next month. The Emirates Foundation's "Think Science Fair", held under the Patronage of H.H Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, is one of the biggest events of its kind in the region attracting thousands of school and university students, parents, academics, investors and private sector representatives. The Fair will exhibit the scientific inventions designed and built by young UAE scientists as part of the Emirates Foundation's "Think Science" Competition alongside a range of interactive, hands-on activities in various fields of engineering, energy, aviation and other technological industries. The exhibition programme includes capacity building workshops, motivational sessions and scientific entertainment focusing on physics and chemistry to develop youth's science skills as well as panel sessions to assist competition entrants upgrade their inventions and transform them into investment projects with a social value. More than 550 youth aged between 15 and 24 from public and private schools and universities have entered the competition under the guidance of 150 teachers and supervisors from educational institutions across the UAE. Their entries will be judged by a high profile jury of 43 experts with PhD degrees in science and technology and 12 arbitrators from the private sector. Winners will be announced at a special award ceremony in Abu Dhabi on May 27th. Maytha Al Habsi, Chief Programmes Officer at the Emirates Foundation, said the "Think Science Fair was part of the Foundation's mission to have a positive and sustainable impact on the lives of Emirati youth." "The competition and fair encourage young Emiratis to take an interest in science and technology and aim to motivate them to continue their studies in areas closely related to the future development requirements of the UAE," Al Habsi noted. The fair, organised in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Educational Council, is part of the Emirates Foundation's continuous efforts to inspire and empower UAE students to innovate in the fields of science and technology, she added. "It is part of the "Think Science" Programme; one of the Foundation's leading initiatives aimed at supporting the nation's young scientific talents; developing and refining their skills and capabilities; fostering an inquiring scientific environment; and creating a new generation of qualified cadres able to respond to the country's demand for science talents" Al Habsi said. Competition participants recently attended workshops organised by the Emirates Foundation in cooperation with mentors from Sharjah University, to further develop their skills and abilities and prepare them for the final stage of this national competition. The workshops included interactive sessions on how to build and present a scientific project proposal as well as familiarising them with the competition's adjudication process. Other initiatives under the umbrella of the "Think Science" programme include "Think Science" Ambassadors, created to inspire and encourage youth to expand their knowledge and further develop analytical-thinking abilities while addressing local and global technological challenges. And "Think Science Connect", an interactive platform connecting youth interested in science with representatives from science-related industries, creating a database of "Emirati science talents" accessible to relevant key stakeholders