Winners of the Shell’s 2020 NXplorers awards.
Five Qatar students won the Bronze Award for ‘Outstanding NXplorers Student Team’ at the virtual Shell 2020 inaugural NXplorers Recognition Awards ceremony.
The ceremony recognises Shell NXplorers participants enrolled in 2018 to inspire talented young people to be the problemsolvers of today and leaders of tomorrow and build a global NXplorers community. The NXplorers contest received over 150 nominations worldwide, and Qatar students were recognised for being an inspiring example of how to solve real problems despite the pandemic’s challenges.
This year, 566 Grade 7 and 9 students participated in the NXplorers workshops to be shortlisted to 10 selected schools across Qatar. NXplorers training from the United Kingdom was provided to 29 teachers, eight representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and six Qatar Scientific Club members. It resulted in a remarkable 115 creative ideas being proposed by the students, with 85 projects successfully uploaded on the NXplorers Collaboration Space. The NXplorers Collaboration Space is a platform for students participating in the programme from over 17 countries to share their challenges, connect with other teams, and share their solutions.
“We have always been committed to building strategic partnerships with big companies which support STEM education methodology, as we believe that the future requires building and promoting research skills and scientific innovations since this is what the Ministry’s current strategy aims to achieve. The NXplorers programme is an innovative initiative that has provided students and teachers with the necessary tools and techniques to develop their skills for monitoring and solving local and complex issues, such as using seawater to produce more food and make food supply sustainable in Qatar.
“It is amazing to see how students who initially thought of STEM programs as a challenging field which requires a high IQ or exceptional cognitive capabilities could learn and develop new concepts through the year by applying critical thinking principles and developing their skills to solve seemingly complicated issues that the society experiences and faces”, said Fawziya Al Khater, the Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
NXplorers workshops introduce complexity and NXthinking, which helps students explore real-world issues related to water, food, and energy. The students were also empowered with tools used to analyse their chosen issue, explore future scenarios, and brainstorm solutions that could tackle the issue.
“We are living in complex times with varied challenges from climate and sustainability to evolving technologies. The world needs creative thinkers and collaborators. Our responsibility is to help build future leaders who will anticipate, evaluate and create solutions that will make the nation and the world a better place. With NXplorers, we are encouraging the youth to pursue and build on their STEM knowledge and skills to make informed decisions for today and tomorrow,” said Hussain Al Hijji, General Manager External and Government Relations, Qatar Shell.
NXplorers encourages students to appreciate the strong partnership between the educational institutions and industry and links them with exceptional peer leaders, instructors, and industry experts who provide positive role models for STEM. Shell’s NXplorers program currently operates in 17 countries around the world and has benefited over 35,000 students. It is principally focused on addressing issues surrounding food, water, and energy.
