May 20th, 2015: Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), has taken part in an expert judging panel to help search for the future stars of science in this year’s edition of the Emirates Foundation Think Science competition.
Dr. Mnaouer was invited to join the panel of leading scientists, engineers and professionals in assessing the entries for the nationwide competition, which saw high school and university students, aged between 15 and 24 years, present their science-based innovations across nine competition categories, ranging from mechanical and industrial engineering to energy and transportation.
Think Science was launched by the Youth Development arm of the Emirates Foundation in 2012 to help inspire and encourage UAE youth to embrace careers in science. The initiative aims to identify and nurture science talent through the annual competition, and a parallel scheme that connects Science Ambassadors, to build bridges between society and academia.
Dr. Mnaouer firmly supports the aim to promote the uptake of science among young people to help increase and diversify the UAE’s knowledge base. As an active researcher, with a portfolio that includes $3million in projects funded by the Qatar Foundation, he believes that this kind of competition is important, to help get students involved in exploring the innovative application of emerging technologies at an early age.
Dr. Mnaouer said, “The Think Science initiative is a valuable experience for young people who want to go on to study, research or practice in the field of technology. Not only does it develop their knowledge, skills and understanding, it also prepares them to take on challenges and motivates them to innovate and explore the boundaries of science.”
What’s more, according to Dr. Mnaouer, this year’s competition brought forward some fascinating innovations. “I was particularly impressed by a team of students who had developed an innovative device that could be used by cyclists in alleviating some of the dangers they face on the road,” he said. “The students’ fresh and creative approach to tackling everyday problems is what makes these competitions so interesting and worthwhile”, Dr. Mnaouer concluded.
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