Sunday October 22, 2017 Red Theatre: Students and faculty were introduced to the FIKRA Competition aimed at university students in the UAE and conducted by a team from Etihad Aviation Group (EAG) and Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC). The objective is to encourage innovation across the country by presenting an opportunity for students to find innovative solutions to some real life challenges faced in the travel & aviation industries. Students can showcase their talents & abilities by producing original ideas through creative thinking.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Hamood Salim Ali Al Toqi, Manager of Strategic and Special Projects for Etihad Airways outlined the benefits for students in that they exposed them to a wide range of real life challenges that the industry is currently facing helping them to improve their problem solving skills by thinking innovatively and using creative thinking to find solutions. Students will gain experience in carrying out quality research and practicing reasoning.
They will have an opportunity to interact in a business environment and enhance skills such as, business etiquette, time management, effective communication and professionalism. This is an opportunity to learn how to build a business case with the assistance of a subject matter expert and present it to a panel of senior management members. They will experience constructive feedback from specially appointed mentors and learn what it is like to work under pressure.
There are ten challenge areas covered which will include:
- Engineering- bringing new technology to Maintenance, Repairs & Overhaul, design, safety.
- Technology – Digitization, new platforms, use of robotics, analytics.
- Travel & Tourism- Retaining customers, travel management, airport.
- Cargo- Logistics.
- Operations- Ground Handling, Catering, supply chain.
- Commercial- Marketing & Sales.
- Environment- Sustainability.
- Innovation- out of the box ideas.
Students will be given a full background & overview about the challenge from the concerned department. They will be given relevant facts & figures & be informed what the organization is currently doing about challenge, to avoid replication of ideas & to help them to research efficiently. Also, a lot of company information is available to access online.
After the launch of the Competition submissions will be accepted up until the end of December 2017. These will then be shortlisted and a list of semi-finalists will be announced. An Induction period will follow which will involve weekly mentoring sessions followed by a final presentation to a distinguished judging panel after which the winners will be announced. The final award ceremony will take place on May 6 2018.
The Competition is open to all university students in the UAE Studying any degree type or major at any stage of their qualification with no age limits.