DOHA: Thousands of Qatar’s brightest and best science students from elementary, middle and senior schools are making final preparations ahead of competing in the 2015 Qatar National Robot Olympiad (NRO), taking place today and tomorrow.
More than 1,000 students from over 400 teams representing 250 schools are registered to take part in this unique event, which is set to be the biggest yet in Qatar. The competition represents the culmination of the year-long schools robotics programme, GO ROBOT, part of Maersk Oil Qatar’s ambitious commitment to Qatar to build Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills for generations to come.
Established in 2012, GO ROBOT develops high quality science and engineering graduates to maintain Qatar’s continued growth and development and drive the knowledge-based economy as envisaged by the Qatar National Vision 2030. Organised by the College of the North Atlantic - Qatar, sponsored by Maersk Oil Qatar with the endorsement of the Supreme Education Council and Qatar Petroleum, the innovative education programme supports student engagement and skills in STEM subjects, teacher training and development and promotes the application of technology to enhance the learning environment for students.
The NRO taking place at Doha’s Al Shaqab Equestrian. During the competition, students will be tasked with building and programming LEGO MINDSTORMS robots under strict time limits to complete a set of challenges under the theme of “Robot Explorers.” With the support and guidance of teachers, educators and mentors, participating students have spent the past year training to design and programme the best and fastest robots they can. The NRO will test to the limits their problem solving, engineering and programming skills as well as their teamwork and initiative.
The NRO has grown since the GO ROBOT programme in 2012. Its success reflects Qatar’s progress in supporting and developing STEM skills with participation growing 600 percent in the past four years.
TYhe Peninsula
