SALALAH, MARCH 3 - Innovative minds got a boost from different quarters in terms of encouragement, assessment and standby assurance of financial help during the second edition of Salalah Innovation Exhibition on Sunday. More than 30 students’ projects got special display during the exhibition, which was organised by newly formed committee of innovative minds called Fingerprint with co-operation from the National Youth Committee and The Scientific Research Council. The young minds got encouragement with the attendance of Dr Rasheed bin Al Safi al Huraibi, Chairman of the Tender Board. While corporate participants assessed students’ projects, representatives of public sector bodies like Al Rafd Fund and Riada explained to the students the procedure to get their future projects converted into SMEs and how to get them funded by the respective bodies.
On display were 15 projects from Dhofar University, 10 from Salalah College of Technology and seven from Salalah College of Applied Sciences. Besides them were projects from Caledonian College of Engineering, some school students and local entrepreneurs. Most of the participating students found the exhibition a platform to showcase their talent and their ability to hit the job market with innovative ideas or with their own entrepreneurial projects.
Azza Eid bait Ghawith, student from Dhofar University’s Computer and Communication Engineering Department, sounded her resolve to do “something as a first woman from Dhofar in the field of innovation”. She is doing a joint project titled ‘Metallic scrap collection robot’ with Atsaloom al Amri of the same department.
Adil Dashisha, Head of Career Guidance Department at CAS Salalah, appreciated the idea of organising such events, which work as catalysts for innovative works among students and colleges.
“I am proud to see how young minds are working. This is a platform also to learn from others’ experiences not only for the students but also for the staff members of the institutions participating in the exhibition,” he said. Said bin Salem al Harizi, chairman of the organising committee of the Fingerprint Exhibition, said the event was successful in giving the right message to students and institutions for engaging themselves more and more in research and practical aspects of education.
“The scientific projects and youth initiatives are living examples of their talent and ability to do scientific research. The success of such meetings depends greatly on the synergy of efforts and the spirit of teamwork among all sectors in order to promote young people and their ideas. Youth innovations are the mirrors that reflect the paths of scientific research and cognitive training in educational institutions in particular,” said Al Harizi.
Omar al Shahri, Vice-Chairman of the Fingerprint Exhibition Committee, delivered the keynote speech in which he stressed on inculcating the habit of innovation in the young minds.
“We have taken some initial steps with the hope that it becomes a movement and all the stakeholders understand the value of research,” he said.
The event also had a workshop in which topics like ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘thinking design’ and ‘how to protect your creativity’ were discussed.
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