Over 500 students participated in the 2013 Qatar National Robot Olympiad on November 1 and 2 at the Doha Exhibition Center. The event has doubled in size compared to last year, with more than 200 teams represented by schools from across Qatar.
The National Robot Olympiad forms part of the Go Robot schools programme, supported by Maersk Oil Qatar and the College of the North Atlantic – Qatar (CNA-Q) under the patronage of the Supreme Education Council and with the support of Qatar Petroleum. The Go Robot schools programme aims to foster interest and develop skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, helping children engage with complex engineering projects in a fun way.
Teams competed in a range of demanding challenges using Lego MindStorms robots for the chance to represent Qatar at the World Robot Finals in Jakarta, Indonesia. The WRO finals will take place from November 15 to 17. Participants competed in six categories and ten teams were selected to travel to Jakarta.
The Olympiad is the culmination of six months of Go Robot activities. Since April more than 300 teachers have attended intensive robotics training sessions at CNA-Q and hundreds of robotics kits have been donated to schools across Qatar. In total, over 1,500 students have been involved in the programme since it began in 2012.
Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Deputy Managing Director of Maersk Oil in Qatar, said: “The 2013 National Robot Olympiad has been an overwhelming success. Congratulations to the winners and all the students who took part. They overcame many complex challenges which in the years to come will help them and country as a whole. Maersk Oil is delighted that the Olympiad, and the Go Robot programme, has boosted interest in science, technology and engineering. My hope is this will lead to many of the students becoming future leaders in the energy industry
Let me also thank the Supreme Education Council and Qatar Petroleum whose valuable support has helped to triple the number of coaches and schools involved compared to last year.”
Dr Theodore Chiasson, Dean of Information Technology at College of the North Atlantic – Qatar and the World Robot Olympiad representative in Qatar, described how the programme inspires students to excel in science. “The National Robots Olympiad has gone from strength to strength this year, with more schools, students and teachers involved than ever before. The Olympiad and the Go Robot programme continue to stimulate creativity, which is the hook for students to become interested in science and engineering.”
Dr Ken MacLeod, President of College of the North Atlantic – Qatar, said: “CNA-Q is excited to be part of the Go Robot programme, offering courses to teachers and hosting the robotic competitions. Our partnership with Maersk has been enhanced by the endorsement of the Supreme Education Council and Qatar Petroleum, which has helped to grow this programme, allowing us to reach more teachers and more students throughout Qatar.”
“Qatar Petroleum congratulates all the winners of the Qatar National Robot Olympiad 2013, and we wish them all the best when they compete in the World Robot Olympiad 2013 finals in Indonesia two weeks from now. We are truly impressed by the complexity of the robots developed by this year’s participants, and we are confident that their strong interest in robotics would eventually lead to a fruitful career in the field of engineering,” said Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Obaidly, Manager for Public Relations and Communications of QP.
Educational Technology Coordinator at Hayat Universal Bilingual School, Ryan Silverthorne, said: “Having the opportunity to participate in this amazing event, watching the students progress academically and socially, and seeing the pride in their eyes in the accomplishments they’ve made has been more rewarding than I can put into words. I know this will benefit both the students at our school, and also the state of Qatar, for years to come. We are fortunate to have this opportunity and I look forward to continuing in 2014!”
The Go Robot programme, formerly known as the Schools Robotics Programme, supports the Qatar National Vision 2030 and is now in its second year.
The Peninsula
