Texas A&M University at Qatar hosted 35 high school students from around Qatar for the 10-day Future Engineers STEM program designed to foster and encourage students’ passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

This year’s Future Engineers program, “RoboChallenge: Engineering Energy Sustainability,” led high school students rising into grades 10, 11 and 12 through a focused engineering project. The theme was selected based on the challenges engineers face in the real world, according to Dr. Mohamed Gharib, who led the program alongside STEM experts Benjamin Cieslinski and Tala Katbeh.

“Future Engineers is intended to let participants learn an introduction to renewable energy, the fundamentals of robotics, 3D CAD design and basic programming,” Gharib said. “The students came in expecting lots of hands-on work — and lots of fun! This program equips students with the necessary STEM tools and inspires them to release their imaginations to develop real advances in robotics engineering.”

Gharib said the students participating in this program learned several different things, from renewable energy sources to robotics to mechanical designs, programming and radio-controlled systems. The students competed in teams to design, build, program and test their robots. In the final stage of the camp, students presented their designs to a panel of robotics experts.

Majid ElKhalifa, one of the participating students, said, “Despite having some experience in the field of robotics, I learned a vast amount of knowledge about the topic, especially regarding motors and the different types of brackets that hold the robot together.”

In addition to technical knowledge and skills, Future Engineers also taught participants the importance of teamwork and the value of collaboration, said Habiba Abdelhafez, who said her team overcame several technical challenges while building the robot by working as a team “and taking into consideration other people’s opinions.”

Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd. (Oxy Qatar) sponsored the Future Engineers program presented by Texas A&M at Qatar. Oxy Qatar has joined Texas A&M at Qatar’s efforts to attract young Qataris to STEM fields, which are critical to the success of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Andrew H. Kershaw, President and General Manager of Oxy Qatar, said, "The enthusiasm and knowledge of the students is impressive and exciting to see. These young people are incredibly talented. If they are the future of engineering then the future of our industry looks very bright indeed.

"Oxy strives to be a Partner of Choice everywhere we operate by investing time and resources in outreach initiatives and in STEM programs such as these and by increasing awareness of its importance in our local communities," he adds.

Texas A&M at Qatar not only provides the top engineering education in the region but also remains a significant contributor to developing the youth of this country that is essential to the growth of the State of Qatar, said Texas A&M at Qatar dean Dr. César Octavio Malavé.

“Engineering is all around us,” Malavé said. “Engineers have propelled Qatar to where it is today and engineers are needed to continue this growth and development. Each of these students has the potential to be a future engineering leader in Qatar, and I hope they choose to continue expanding their knowledge in this field.”

-Ends-

Brief: Texas A&M University at Qatar hosted 35 high school students from around Qatar for the 10-day Future Engineers STEM program designed to foster and encourage students’ passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) presented in partnership with Oxy Qatar. This year’s program, “RoboChallenge: Engineering Energy Sustainability,” led high school students through a focused engineering project based on challenges engineers face in the real world. Students learned about renewable energy sources, robotics and mechanical designs, programming and radio-controlled systems, and competed in teams to design, build, program and test their robots.

Nesrine Kourani 
Account Manager, Qatar 
Mobile: +974 33960998, Tel: +974 44361499
Website: www.actionprgroup.com 
Address: Al Sadd Str., Bldg 44, Floor 1, Office 107

© Press Release 2019

Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.

The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.