JEDDAH: In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) has inaugurated the qualifying program for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024.
The program, held at the Mishkat Interactive Center in King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy in Riyadh, seeks to identify and prepare 35 outstanding individuals from a pool of 45 talented participants. The selected students are poised to represent the Kingdom at the prestigious Regeneron ISEF 2024 in Los Angeles in May.
Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering. They will not only compete for ISEF awards, but also participate in international innovation exhibitions, such as ITEX in Malaysia and TISF in Taiwan.
As part of the program, mentors will review the students’ projects, developing work plans to strengthen and enhance each project before the final submission deadline to ISEF.
Workshops on presentation skills, project display, and understanding the judging mechanism at ISEF are also included in the agenda for participants.
Additionally, the Scientific Ethics Committee will have a crucial role in reviewing specific forms related to scientific ethics followed during experiments for each project. Statistical analysis of selected projects will be conducted to ensure accuracy, with specialists overseeing the development plans for each student.
Toward the end of the workshop, an independent judging committee will make the crucial decision of selecting candidates to join the Saudi science and engineering team. These chosen individuals will then proudly represent the Kingdom at ISEF 2024, competing for its coveted awards.
Mawhiba emphasized the success of previous efforts in fostering a culture of scientific research and innovation in education. This has led to the Kingdom achieving commendable global positions in international participation.
Earlier this month, Mawhiba hosted the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, Ibdaa 2024, to select students for the Regeneron ISEF 2024 event.
Mawhiba said that the number of students participated in this year’s Ibdaa 2024 has surged by 40 percent, reaching 210,000 compared to 146,000 students last year, who submitted projects in 21 scientific fields.
The foundation selected 180 projects from a pool of 210,000 submissions
The projects included 30 in the energy sector, 26 in materials science, 24 in chemistry, 17 in environmental engineering, 11 in biomedicine and health sciences, and nine in plant sciences.
The Ibdaa 2024 Olympiad aims to discover and support Saudi Arabia’s talented students, fostering their skills and advancing scientific projects.
The annual event provides an innovative environment for collaboration between educational supervisors, education departments and researchers, with a goal to support students.
Mawhiba prepares 35 young innovators for global science fair
https://arab.news/4u7g9
Mawhiba prepares 35 young innovators for global science fair
- Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering
- Mawhiba said that the selected students will join more than 1,800 peers worldwide specializing in science and engineering
KAUST authors new study on land degradation
- Saudi university’s blueprint also sets out to improve food security, social stability, biodiversity
- Research recommends restoring degraded land through sustainable management practices
RIYADH: A recent study by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology designed a new blueprint to reduce the impact of land degradation worldwide.
The Saudi university is aiming to reverse the growing threat of land degradation, and improve food and water security, social stability, and biodiversity.
The study was published in the international multidisciplinary science journal Nature, and puts forward a number of solutions to reverse the trajectory of land degradation by 2050.
One of the recommended methods involves increasing production and consumption of seafood in order to reduce the pressure that agriculture places on land.
Another is to lower food waste by 75 percent — with the study noting that one-third of food produced is wasted at a cost of more than $1 trillion annually.
Finally, the study suggests restoring 50 percent of degraded land through sustainable management practices.
KAUST reported that food production is using up to 34 percent of the planet’s ice-free land, a number that could increase to 42 percent by 2050 if current situation continues.
Scientists proposed revising economic incentives, increasing food donations, and promoting smaller restaurant portions to preserve up to 13.4 million sq. km of land.
“Saudi Arabia is already doing a lot in improving food waste and looking at land restoration, but can still benefit a lot from this if policymakers implement a few of these key recommendations,” Fernando Maestre, professor of environmental science and engineering at KAUST, told Arab News.
“These include promoting smaller restaurant meals, requiring supermarkets and hotels to donate or discount near-expiry food, requiring companies to publish waste-reduction plans, investing in cold-chain and community redistribution, and expanding sustainable seafood/seaweed options that deliver nutrition with very low land and water use.
“Cutting food waste with measures like these would ease pressure on the Kingdom’s scarce water resources and cut emissions, while improving food security and saving money,” Maestre added.
The study also emphasized the importance of sustainable seafood production, elaborating on how specific aquaculture policies could have the potential to lower the pressure on land resources and help reduce deforestation.
“By transforming food systems, restoring degraded land, harnessing the potential of sustainable seafood, and fostering cooperation across nations and sectors, we can ‘bend the curve’ and reverse land degradation,” Maestre said.
The study was carried out in collaboration with Aeon Collective and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
KSrelief provides critical relief to displaced, flood-stricken communities
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency, KSrelief, has continued its humanitarian projects in Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Pakistan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In Syria, the agency distributed 349 food parcels to displaced people in Daraa, while in Sudan it delivered 830 parcels to residents of Karari.
In Pakistan, KSrelief distributed 2,680 food parcels to communities affected by flooding, benefiting more than 16,000 people.
Meanwhile in Yemen, the agency continued its water supply and sanitation project in Hodeidah, pumping 1.5 million liters of water into the community. It also carried out 49 waste removal operations in camps for displaced people, benefiting 16,170 individuals.
Charitable group Ensan’s schoolbag project targets 16k children
- Ensan has allocated over SR3.2 million ($853,000) for the project, with each bag costing SR200
RIYADH: The Charitable Society for Orphan Care, Ensan, will provide bags this year for 16,007 students at 22 schools in the Riyadh governorate.
Ensan has allocated over SR3.2 million ($853,000) for the project, with each bag costing SR200, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The money for the bags and stationary needs will be deposited into the bank accounts of parents and guardians.
Ensan has other projects to help children including providing tutors, and transport to and from school. The organization also assists in getting young people scholarships, and admission to universities, colleges and specialized institutes.
Ensan has called on the public to assist with funding for their projects via the platform https://ensan.sa/ar/shop/170.
Saudi Broadcasting Authority CEO honored
- Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi presented with the Princess Sita bint Abdulaziz Foundation for Excellence in Social Work
RIYADH: Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi, CEO of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and president of the Saudi Media Forum, was recently honored with the 2025 Gratitude Award for Inspiring Leaders.
Presented by the Princess Sita bint Abdulaziz Foundation for Excellence in Social Work, the award celebrates those whose vision and dedication have had a profound impact on their communities.
Commenting on the honor, Al-Harthi stated: “Giving is an intrinsic part of the Saudi identity, deeply rooted in a generous homeland and inspiring leadership.
“I am one of this nation’s people striving to serve it with all we have. We will continue to work tirelessly for as long as we live because our country deserves nothing less.
“Each of us has unique tools within our fields that must be dedicated to serving the nation, society, and humanity.”
Al-Harthi has built a distinguished career across print, broadcast, and digital media, earning both regional and international awards in recognition of his creativity and achievements in the media landscape.
He has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives and launched major media projects, held leadership roles in prominent local and global media organizations, and contributed to organizing events and festivals that have significantly elevated the status of Saudi media both regionally and internationally.
The award underscores Al-Harthi’s dedication to serving society and inspiring a new generation of media professionals.
Saudi crown prince and Korean president discuss cooperation
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed ties between Riyadh and Seoul during a phone call with South Korea’s President Lee Jae-Myung on Wednesday.
During the call, they discussed “opportunities for cooperation in several fields” to achieve common interests and strengthen ties between the two nations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
