Doha: The Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) has launched the second edition of its Young Innovator Awards Competition. Open to Qatar’s national and international schools, the competition raises awareness of climate change’s impact while inspiring participants to adopt sustainable practices in their everyday lives.
Developed with QEERI’s commitment to supporting Qatar’s efforts to address its grand challenges in mind, the competition poses the question: “How can you mitigate climate change challenges and promote sustainability in your home and surroundings?” Possible exploration topics include rising sea levels, water scarcity, sustainable energy, pollution, degradation of infrastructure, and natural disasters.
In keeping with last year’s activities, QEERI’s second Young Innovator Awards Competition is divided into age groups. Junior level participants aged between 6 and 9 years will be tasked with drawing their solutions for more sustainable living. For their part, intermediate category contestants (10-13 years) will submit research posters, with the senior category (14-17 years) providing a research abstract and undertaking project presentations. The intermediate and senior-level competitions begin with a preliminary round, with five teams qualifying for a final round of presentations and question and answer sessions.
“The interest we received from schools last year was overwhelming, and we saw immense creativity and scientific thinking in the entries we received, even from the young students. We hope this competition will encourage students to learn more about climate change, understand what role they can play, and deliver innovative solutions for a global challenge,” said Dilraz Kunnummal, PR, Communications & Outreach Specialist and Competition Coordinator.
QEERI Executive Director Dr. Marc Vermeersch, said: “We believe that children are indeed the future. Today’s children will be change-makers driving research, development, and innovation to create a more sustainable world. QEERI sees the promotion of science and research among young people as a fundamental component of our mission and believes that youth have a crucial role to play in bringing about sustainable positive change.” Rules, guidelines, and registration forms are available on the QEERI website. The registrations will open on October 8, and the deadline for registration is October 31, with the finals expected to be held on December 8.
