For the means of promoting a culture of science and math in Egyptian schools, the Egyptian Science and Engineering Fair kicked off activities today under patronage of Egypt's Ministry of Education. The fair, which aims to inspire and motivate the next generation of innovators, will be organized by Science Age Society, with participation of Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Intel Corporation. Science Age Society and Intel Corporation also announced that the first ever 'Intel Science Competition - Arab World' (ISC-AW) will be held in Egypt to host the brightest students from 10 Arab countries at Bibliotheca Alexandrina from December 7-9, 2010.
Egyptian Science and Engineering Fair
Twelve local science fairs are expected to be held across Egypt and will be concluded by three main finals in Alexandria, Cairo and Upper Egypt in March 2011, where the best projects will be selected for nomination to participate at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) to be held in Los Angeles, California, United States of America in May 8-13, 2011.
The Egyptian Science & Engineering Fair in Egypt started in 2005 with a single fair, and since then has developed to have two fairs for science and technology organized on a national level in 2009, one was held in Cairo at the American University in Cairo and the other one was in Alexandria organized by the Library of Alexandria. Two projects were awarded second and third places in a special prize category of the international competition in 2009. In 2010, ten local fairs were organized in various provinces, with final selections made in the two main fairs in Cairo organized by the Arab Science and Technology Foundation and Alexandria organized by the Library of Alexandria, where the six projects that won first place in those fairs were nominated to represent Egypt in the international competition.
Commenting on the event, Dr. Ahmed Toubal, Deputy Minister of Education for Technology Affairs, said: "Egypt is particularly concerned with the dissemination of a culture of science and technology in teachers' circles and at schools, among students, as these are our future scientists, whose efforts will bring about a scientific and economic renaissance." He added that the fair is "organized under the auspicious patronage and support of the Minister of Education, Dr. Ahmed Zaki Badr, who is keen on encouraging Egyptian students to take part in international competitions to further enhance their research and analytical skills for the 21st century."
Eng. Hoda El Mikati, Director of the Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, said: "The Library has been organizing this competition on the local level since 2007. Teams that won in the local competitions managed to secure many awards and acknowledgments when they represented Egypt in the international competitions in the United States. The Library has trained a broad base of volunteers across various sectors, including teachers, professors, businessmen, industrialists and scientists of all ages and professions, who play a vital role in organizing the competition, providing technical and moral support for contenders, and arbitrating in their areas of specialization based on international standards." She concluded: "The Library believes in the importance of building the Egyptian knowledge society, knowing that economic progress and prosperity depend on the human wealth rather than financial resources."
First ever Intel Science Competition – Arab World
Announced to be held Dec 7-9, 2010 at Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Intel Science Competition – Arab World is a pan-Arab competition organized by Intel Corporation and Science Age Society in cooperation with the Arab League for the first time this year with the aim of encouraging intermediate and secondary level students of the age group 14-18 to gain interest in scientific research and conduct research projects based on the methodology and tenets of scientific research. More than 120 participants from 10 Arab countries are scheduled to participate in the Intel Science Competition - Arab World (ISC-AW) from accross Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia und the United Arab Emirates, where they will showcase their distinguished projects in various scientific and social specializations to compete for financial awards totaling $20,000 and scholarships from top Arab universities.
Eng. Taha Khalifa, Intel Egypt Country Manager, said: "We, at Intel, believe that youth are the hope and promise for taking up future challenges, and thus it's imperative that they enhance their knowledge in basic sciences." He added: "Based on this understanding, we have worked with Science Age Society and the auspicious patronage of the Arab League to put all efforts towards the launch of the Intel Science Competition - Arab World, for the purpose of inspiring innovation and creativity among students in the Arab region."
Prof. Essam Sharaf, Chairman of Science Age Society and former minister of transportation, said: "We, at the Science Age Society, are concerned with the promotion of a culture of scientific research, as well as the training of teachers and students in all Egyptian schools on the ethics and methodologies of scientific research, which will definitely have a great impact on the ethical and scientific levels of participating students. The launch of this program is in harmony with President Mubarak's initiative to make the current decade, extending from 2007 to 2016, a decade for science and technology." He added: "Our strategic partnership with Intel to organize an Intel Science Competition for the first time in the Arab world comes in realization of our belief that putting focus on students' innovative skills has become a basic need in our region. The fair will attract the best young minds from all corners of our Arab world, providing a suitable environment in support of our innovative youth."
This initiative is part of Intel's commitment to support sustained economic growth in the Arab region by fostering local innovation and research capacity. In collaboration with governments and educators, Intel is helping to transform education, expanding local research initiatives, and applying state-of-the-art technologies to increase local talent and enable countries to compete in the global economy.
