The National Science, Technology and Innovation Festival begins today at the Dubai Festival Arena, as part of the UAE Innovation Month.
The festival has been organised by the Ministry of Education and features a variety of initiatives that will last from 15th to 19th February.
This year’s festival will include several activities and programmes that reflect the growing importance of the role of science and technology in promoting the development of innovation-based education.
Jameela Al Muheiri, Minister of State for Public Education, stressed that the festival’s significance is increasing in light of the national directives to make innovation the cornerstone of the journey based on advanced knowledge and science.
She further highlighted that the festival has become a major event that adds to educational skills and expertise in line with the importance of the current phase and the prospects of future comprehensive development and the industrial revolution.
Dr. Amena Al Shamsi, Assistant Under-Secretary at the Sector of Activities and Director of the Innovation and Leadership Administration at the Ministry of Education, stated that they reviewed 937 requests this year, with 618 coming from the science exhibition and 319 from the “Fikrati” competition.
Fikrati, meaning my idea, encourages young elementary students (Kindergarten up to grade 5) to present their innovative ideas with confidence to qualified specialists in a friendly competitive environment. The competition will also attract bright, young students curious about the sciences, innovative ideas and help them with their personal development.
According to the assessment by the requests committee, 100 approved projects designed by 233 students will be displayed in the science exhibition, while that Fekrati competition will include 77 innovative ideas from elementary students, she added.
During the festival, Industrial Revolution X (IR-X), a multi-purpose program designed to equip UAE nationals with the knowledge, skills and hands-on expertise required to keep apace with new technologies and scientific advancements globally, will also be launched. It will focus on 4IR disciplines that include AI, deep learning, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), self-driving cars, robotics and blockchain.
Consisting of three core tracks: Entrepreneurship, Research, and Employment, IR-X plays an integral role in building a knowledge-based economy and a workforce capable of meeting future market requirements. All tracks are open to high achieving Emiratis in their senior year or recent graduates with a Bachelor, Master or PhD degree.
