As part of its vision to bolster Qatar University's (QU) initiative of cultivating an innovative student atmosphere, ensuring student success, and empowering them to acquire crucial attributes and skills for societal impact, the Young Scientists Center (YSC) at QU, in partnership with the Office of Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (VPRGS), has facilitated collaboration between university and high school students in the National Science-Research Promotion Program (NSPP). This program embodies the center's commitment to encourage a culture of scientific research, which contributes to developing students' research skills and enhancing their scientific abilities.
During the evaluation, six university students presented and showcased research posters of their distinguished research projects, encompassing a wide range of scientific topics. Student Dalal Abdulrahman Al-Ansari presented “Development of Two Low-Glycemic Index Cookies to Alleviate Anemia and Vitamin D Deficiency,” under the supervision of Prof. Reema Tayyem, Department of Human Nutrition.
Abdulla Nassir Fakhro, under the supervision of Dr. Amith Khandakar from the Department of Electrical Engineering, presented a scientific poster for his project titled “Designing Spherical Solar PV to Trap More Energy.”
Student Amira Mohammed presented a project titled “Dapagliflozin in Cardiac inflammation: Exploring a New Therapeutic Approach” under the supervision of Dr. Zaid Hussein Hasan Almaayah, College of Pharmacy.
Additionally, student Aisha Abdulrashid Sufi presented a poster titled “Zebrafish as Animal Model for Testing Industrial Water” under the supervision of Dr. Maha Al-Asmakh, Biomedical Science Department.
Student Zubaida Osman presented a poster titled “Evaluation of Rhizobacteria Isolated from Limonium axillare Rhizosphere to Enhance the Growth of Arugula,” under the supervision of Prof. Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Student Haseeb Tariq also presented a scientific poster titled “Blue Energy Generation using Water Salinity Gradient in Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination Plant,” under the supervision of Dr. Dong Suk Han from the Center for Advanced Materials.
The students were evaluated in the first phase of judging during their research journey in the program based on their adherence to the required regulations and their interaction with high school students in conducting research. As a second phase of evaluation, a specialized judging committee comprising distinguished professors with extensive experience in various scientific fields was formed. The committee included Dr. Marwa Mohamed Said Mo El-Azazy, Associate Professor in Analytical Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Junaid Qadir, Professor of Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, and Dr. Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin, Associate Research Professor at the Biomedical Research Center. The committee carefully evaluated all submitted projects to select the student who would win the Best Research Poster Presentation Award in the undergraduate student category. The winner will receive a cash prize of 10,000 Qatari Riyals to participate in an international scientific conference.
Prof. Noora Jabor Al-Thani, YSC Director, expressed her pride in the distinguished research posters presented by the students, praising the precision in presenting details and the innovative methodologies followed in presenting the stages and steps of the research. The students demonstrated a deep understanding of their research topics by discussing and analyzing the results in a scientifically precise manner, indicating their academic excellence and promising scientific future.
Prof. Noora Al-Thani also emphasized that this achievement demonstrates the center's ongoing efforts to establish an ideal environment for university students to collaborate with school students, develop their research skills, and unleash their scientific creativity. This preparation will effectively equip them to compete at both local and international levels.