QU celebrates YSC success of bagging gold medal in the Annual iCan 2020

Qatar University’s (QU) Center Young Scientists Center (YSC) celebrated its first success at the level of international student competitions since its inauguration at the beginning of this year. On October 7, the celebration took place with the honoring of Qatar University President Dr. Hassan Al-Derham and Dr. Maryam Al-Maadeed, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and a number of attendees of the university professors and organizers.
This honor came after the Young Scientists Center and a group of students affiliated with the center won in the annual the fifth Invention and Innovation Competition iCan 2020 competition organized by Toronto International Society for Innovation and Advanced Skills in Canada.
This competition is concerned with instilling a culture of innovation and invention, and practically applying skills in society, especially among the youth. It also aims to provide a platform for all young inventors to display and share their creativity and solutions to problems in several specialized fields and to increase their self-confidence. The win was achieved among 608 projects submitted by 61 countries.
The center won a gold medal and a special award for its innovative learning methods that it follows in all its STEM programs and initiatives in attracting youth to science, encourage them to research and innovate, and provide an ideal environment that allows students to think creatively. The two students, Rawda Al-Kuwari (College of Health Sciences) and Hessa Al-Kuwari (College of Engineering) formerly participated in "I am a Researcher" program won a gold medal in the category of construction and building and a special award for scientific research entitled (ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete) to improve the properties of concrete and make it more sustainable.
The honorary ceremony began with a speech from the Director of the center, Dr. Noora Jaber Al-Thani, who expressed her pride in the great achievement of the center and the students at the international level, which strengthens the name of Qatar University as a pioneer in education innovative locally and internationally.
Dr. Noora also emphasized the center's interest in supporting Qatari students and integrating them into the research environment that stimulates them to innovate. The center will also continue to provide the latest scientific and academic methods for its students to achieve excellence in various scientific and research fields. During the ceremony, the honored students presented their winning project, presenting its great importance and benefits.
Then Dr. Hassan Al Derham, President of Qatar University, honored the winning students with the gold medals. Dr. Noora Al-Thani was also honored for her tremendous efforts that she exerts as a community service that the center provides to all Qatari students at all academic levels to make them pioneers in the country's development and the realization of Qatar 2030 vision.
Qatar University Young Scientists Center is an extension and expansion of the Al-Bairaq Program, which was established in 2010 as the first educational initiative in Qatar that aims to upgrade Qatari youth, refine their skills and make them competitors for their peers from around the world. So far, more than 7263 students from primary, preparatory and high school have participated in its various STEM programs fields who have come up with more than 900 innovative project ideas. The center received a lot of support from entities that believe in the importance of its outputs and great impact on the Qatari society. The partners of the center are UNESCO-Doha Office and the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, and sponsored by the Ras Laffan Community Outreach Program.