The First Regional Contest For Gifted Students In The Field Of Artificial Intelligence And The Internet Of Things

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance, in partnership with Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Giftedness and Creativity, launched the second cycle of the “Future Science Challenge” competition.The competition attracted the participation of 200 gifted students from the UAE and the entire GCC countries who participated to display their creativity and innovation in an engaging virtual environment focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IOT).

Commenting on the contest, Dr. Jamal Al Muhairi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and General Secretary of Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance said that Hamdan Center for Giftedness and Creativity is hosting this competition for a second year in a row after the remarkable success of its first cycle, which saw the blossoming of promising student talents at the level of the GCC countries. He emphasized that the Foundation is keen to organize programs and events that support educational performance development while achieving methodological and organizational harmony to reach and spread the best educational practices, accomplishing the goals of the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may God rest his soul. The Foundation continues to encourage the growth of the talent and innovation at all levels and the most prominent effort was the development and design of contemporary challenges and competitions that adhered to global standards and helped students develop their personalities and teamwork while also advancing science as a whole. The competition also aims to help students transition from passive information consumers to active learners who constantly participate in research and success.

Dr. Al Muhairi added that the ‘Future Science Challenge’ competition is the first virtual contest at the regional level for gifted and distinguished students studying artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Its goals center on encouraging students to learn the fundamentals of these fields by emphasizing interdisciplinary teaching strategies for the gifted and distinguished students studying science and technology  through a virtual platform that enables participating students to share their ideas with their peers and examine the various stages of their growth.

Eligibility Requirements

Nationals of the GCCcountries are eligible to participate in this competition (United Arab Emirates – Kingdom of Bahrain – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Sultanate of Oman – State of Qatar – State of Kuwait). This year’s competition is notable for having two categories: the junior category (10–13 years old) and the professional category (14-17 years old). Each participating team is required to include two or three members in addition to a mentor who is at least 18 years old.

It is noteworthy that the gifted students competing in this challenge are representatives of the Ministries of Education in each of the UAE, Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar in addition to Sultanate of Oman. They also represent Sharjah Education Council,   King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Sabah Al- Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity in the State of Kuwait.

On February 23, 2023, the competition’s results will be revealed after a thorough evaluation process of the projects by elite jury members based on scientific criteria including design proficiency, originality of ideas, programming ability, and presentation and communication skills.

Prizes will be awarded to all winners of “Future Science Challenge Champion”, “Best Designer”, “Best Innovator”, “Best Engineer”, and “Best Presenter” in each of the Junior and Professional categories.