Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development's (QF) 'edutainment reality' TV programme on MBC4 that encourages science, technology and innovation, has shortlisted the region's most promising Arab innovators for its seventh season. 

 

Over the first three episodes, hundreds of talented students, entrepreneurs, and professionals between the ages of 18 and 30 bravely presented their ideas to experienced jurors at castings across the Arab world, said a statement.

 

The panel of jurors - whose permanent members are professor Fouad Mrad, executive director of the United Nations ESCWA Regional Center for Technology in Amman, Jordan; and Youssif Abdulrahman Saleh, general manager at the Qatar Shell Research and Technology Centre (QSRTC) - evaluated each idea in terms of its scientific sophistication and originality, market outlook, and feasibility. 

 

Only applicants whose ideas met the highest standards in each category were shortlisted, it said.

 

Serving as a tool to unlock human potential in the next generation of aspiring young science and technology innovators, and in-line with QF's mission of fostering a culture of quality and excellence, the seventh season of Stars of Science will feature some of the most diverse and potentially impactful ideas to date.

 

Several of the shortlisted projects aim to foster a more sustainable planet by saving water and using solar energy, said the statement.

 

Others leverage smart technology to monitor and improve health, train athletes, or enhance the quality of life for the physically disabled. 

 

A number of the ideas advance the fields of photography, communication, nutrition, computing,  and on-the-job safety and efficiency.

 

The upcoming Majlis episode will capture the nerve-racking moments in which the jury decides the fate of the shortlisted applicants - only 12 of which will be invited to travel to the Stars of Science laboratories at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation. 

 

Once in Doha, candidates will work with mentors to refine their ideas and build prototypes of their inventions. In prime time episodes, viewers will see the number of candidates steadily decrease to a group of four finalists, who will share $600,000 in prize money, it said.

 

"Stars of Science empowers and facilitates the development of the most novel ideas suggested by the creative young minds in the Arab world. They get the opportunity to turn their dreams into real inventions, ones that can have a positive impact on society," noted professor Mrad. 

 

"The quality of ideas submitted by these shortlisted applicants is proof of the high level of ingenuity the youth of this region possess," he said.

 

In addition to casting in Egypt at the Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC), further locations for casting included GE Aviation in Qatar, the National School of Engineers of Sousse in Tunisia, the American University in Dubai, UAE, and the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.

 

At each casting, the two permanent jurors were joined by a local professionals.

 

Meanwhile, Khalid Al Jumaily, who has taken viewers through many thrilling moments of previous seasons, has returned to host this seventh edition. 

 

Over the course of ten prime time episodes, 12 innovators will compete against each other as they turn their ideas into working prototypes. 

 

Their full journey will be chronicled through daily episodes starting on October 10.

 

The season will culminate in a live final, where jurors and viewers will select which candidates will share the $600,000 prize money. - TradeArabia News Service