Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Abu Dhabi University (ADU) launched the 11th Undergraduate Research and Innovation Competition (URIC) on Thursday on the university's main campus.
URIC stands as the largest undergraduate research event in the GCC and MENA region. Aligned with their aim of fostering creativity and critical thinking, URIC introduced a dedicated Innovation Competition track, sponsored by RTX.
Industry professionals assessed students' insights for their commercial potential and viability for establishing successful businesses.
Each year, university students have the opportunity to showcase their research projects across 28 different disciplines, encompassing engineering, business, education, the arts and social sciences, as well as the natural and health sciences, during the competition.
Nearly 600 submissions were received this year from 77 universities in over 10 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, and Kuwait as well as Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, India, North Macedonia, and the US.
Furthermore, this year's URIC drew together almost 800 participants-including students, judges, mentors, and VIP guests-on-campus and 400 virtually. At the opening ceremony, ADU Chancellor, Professor Ghassan Aouad, welcomed the 11th annual competition, which aims to promote research, innovation, and critical thinking among students, aiming to inspire GCC and MENA region universities to integrate scientific research into undergraduate education.
Prof. Ghassan further expressed gratitude to participants, ADU faculty, staff, and partner RTX for their dedication, and support in showcasing exceptional projects.
Fahad Al Mheiri, Managing Director of Raytheon Emirates, an RTX business, expressed his excitement to Aletihad about the partnership.
"Such opportunities are immensely important in today's world. Students having the opportunity to come out and be judged as they would be in the real world is a huge challenge," he said.
Emphasising the importance of this competition, Al Mheiri stated: "Based on my experience and what I see in my real work, real life today, it is really about having cross-disciplinary capability in the teams. And I think the innovation piece that was introduced into the competition this year is immensely important and a great opportunity for students from different disciplines to be working together towards a project."
Professor Montasir Qasymeh, Associate Provost for Research, Innovation, and Academic Development at ADU, expressed gratitude for the participation of thousands of students and 85 experts, highlighting the significance of their engagement in the event.
"Having the ideas transformed into industry is very important. This is exactly what this event is all about. It is technology transfer; it is idea transfer," he said.
One of the groups, composed of Emirati students Fatima Alsenani, Mariam Alhefeiti, Nayfa Alshamsi, Mariyam Albloushi, and Ghalia Alblooshi from the United Arab Emirates University, shared the details of their project with Aletihad. They present a project titled "Empowering Mobility Smart Bed" for fully paralysed patients and their caregivers.
It sheds light on patients who are often overlooked. Technology will undoubtedly transform the daily lives of paralyzed patients who require this care, the team said.
Shnyar Abdulsalam, an Iraqi student from the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, emphasised the significance of her participation in the competition as it demonstrates the dedication to pushing the boundaries of innovation.
"I am here to present my presentation, which explores the synergies between software engineering and artificial intelligence through in-depth analysis."
Furthermore, Mohammed Zaki, Yousef Abuzour, and Mohammed Al Nahari, a group from Abu Dhabi University's Al Ain Campus studying electrical engineering, spoke to Aletihad about their participation in the event.
Their project titled SmartEcoB, is an intelligent and sustainable robot designed for efficient monitoring of the marine environment.
Given the significant threats facing the marine environment, such as pollution, climate change, and overexploitation, their project aims to address these challenges with innovative solutions.
