Over 330 take part in FameLab contest

FameLab, one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world, has taken place in Qatar for the second consecutive year.
Initiated by Cheltenham Science Festivals in the UK, FameLab was brought to Qatar by the British Council in partnership with Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and supported by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
FameLab is a competition for scientific communication where the participants present a scientifically proven idea to a general public audience in just three minutes. The judging is based on clarity, scientific content and performance on the stage. Participants are divided into two categories: students and adults, including teachers and researchers.
More than 330 people took part in this year’s FameLab competition and all applicants were trained and prepared for the finals. Six finalists from each category were selected to
participate in the finals.
Participants who made it to the finals received an intensive science communication training delivered by international science communicators from the UK.
The first three places in the student category were won by Maryam Jaber from Al-Resala School, Maryam Nasser from Al-Eman School and Toqa Ahmad Ismail from Al-Eman School,
respectively.
Youmna Hussein Mousa, who bagged the first place in the adult category, will represent Qatar in the international finals at Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. The second and third places were won by Ahmed Shaaban from Al Karana School and Noha Mohsen from Al Kawthar School, respectively.
The national final was held on March 15 in the framework of the Education Conference sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in the presence of the representative of the deputy British ambassador, Peter Chamberlain. An audience of more than 1,500 people attended the finals, and the winners were announced at the end of the
ceremony.
Dr Frank Fitzpatrick, director, British Council Qatar, said: “I am delighted about the overwhelming response that FameLab has had again in Qatar this year, involving more than 330 participants from schools and young researchers.”
Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, executive director, QNRF, said: “We are proud of our partnership with British Council Qatar in organising this international science communication competition for the second consecutive year. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Qatar national winners in both the school student and adult categories.”
Marwa El-Tanbouly, project manager at British Council, and Dr Abdulla al-Kamali, special programme manager at QNRF, also lauded the FameLab initiative.