QU-YSC students carrying out a research project in one of the Center’s laboratories.
Doha: The Qatar University Young Scientists Center (QU-YSC) aligns its vision with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), particularly human development.
The QU-YSC is dedicated to transforming the youth into resilient, intentional, critical, and engaged people. The Center serves as a bridge for programmes that enable a seamless transition from high school to the university through various platforms to encourage learning and scientific research success.
“Our centre has strengthened its foundation by aligning its vision and mission with one of the four pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030 — human development to sustain a prosperous society,” said Dr. Noora Al Thani, Director of the Center. The four central contexts of the QNV 2030 include economic development, social development, human development, and environmental development. The human development pillar covers improved education and health care and increased cultural awareness and employment opportunities for nationals. Emphasis is placed on the youth population in this regard.
“The primary goal of our Center is to nurture an arête generation excelling in its competencies and cultivate the essential elements that lead to a sustainable knowledge-based economy. This is achieved through our successful leaps in diverse, sustainable research fields and youth training programmes,” Dr. Noora told The Peninsula.
The Center first began as a programme but has grown into a hub for research and science through several initiatives.
“For the past decade, we have been on the field initiating diverse STEAM programmes for students aged between 8 to 17, like ‘I am a researcher,’ ‘I am discovering Materials,’ ‘Science in sport’ and ‘Problem-solving’. Students are very excited as they invent ideas and build different products during our various workshops,” Dr. Noora said.
“In I am a researcher programme, the Grade 12 students participate in university research projects, which is a completely novel experience for them. Unlike schools, we construct workshops by performing scientific studies on their likes, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, thereby addressing different scientific learning deficiencies and challenges. The students very much appreciate this fundamental step as it upgrades their capacity with the constant innovation in learning programmes and preparing them to face challenges on a global reach.”
According to Dr. Noora, the Center has raised kids from primary schools who have been consistent with its programmes and have laid a strong foundation for the upcoming students.
The Center has enrolled 7,422 students with almost 1,848 innovations already. The students have also bagged 43 awards individually, while the Center has been recognised with eight honours — the 2015 WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education) Awards counting as their most important.
