A large number of students from different local secondary schools took part in the Symposium on Research and Innovation organized by Qatar University’s (QU) Al-Bairaq program. The symposium, which sees students form teams to present their projects in front of a panel of experts and judges, is part of Al-Bairaq’s “I am a Researcher” track, one of the most promising of four tracks by the program and now on its 17th cycle.
The cycle started in September 2019 and continued to November 2019, under the supervision of Al-Bairaq’s team and a group of prominent professors in QU’s advanced laboratories. The students competed in teams, with each team focusing on a separate scientific research. The work conducted as part of this symposium also helped students practice educational practices in scientific research, hone their problem solving and presentation skills as well as developed other academic and scientific skills.
President of Al Bairaq Program and Head of Communication and Outreach at QU, Dr. Noora Jabor Al-Thani chose the team names under the theme ‘Qatar stadiums for 2022 FIFA World Cup.’ She commented on the symposium saying, “Following the conclusion of this cycle, I see the fruitful outcomes and the success of the participating students who contribute to spreading a culture of creativity and excellence, achieving prosperity and driving development for the State of Qatar.”
One of the teams, called ‘Lusail Stadium’ representing Qatar School of Banking worked on a research that focused on the manufacturing of a new polymer filter to separate carbon dioxide from other air gases entitled "Manufacturing and Testing of the Efficiency of a Filter to Absorb Carbon Dioxide from the Air.” Another ambitious group called ‘Al Rayyan Stadium’ from Doha Independent Secondary School for Boys conducted a research called “Fabrication of a Coat of Nanocomposite Compounds to Protect Against Metal Corrosion,” expecting to benefit Qatar’s economy.
The ‘Al Wakrah Stadium’ team from Al-Arqam Academy for Girls worked to create a research that aims to preserve amounts of water used in agriculture and minimize the wastes called "Fabrication of Hydrogel Sensors for use in Agricultural Applications." Another group from the same academy called ‘Khalifa Stadium’ worked on "The Manufacture of an Envelope of Nanocomposite Materials to Separate Oil from Water,” targeting an important environmental issue which ensures the protection of the marine environment in Qatar from the mixing of factory oils with water.
The ‘Education City Stadium’ team from Al Maha Academy also participated with a research entitled “A New Application of Pyrovskite,” which is currently used in solar cells with the objective of using Pyrovskite in a different application to improve memory capacity and increase storage efficiency and speed.
Al-Bairaq helps high school students acquire research values, skills, and ethics; as well as develop self-reliance, self-confidence, and expanded visions of their own roles in the scientific community. The program transforms education by providing professional-level experiences for students and invests in their personal development, the economic development of Qatar, and global needs for new scientists and a scientifically literate population.