QNRF, TAMUQ join hands to create innovation lab

Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development, and Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq) have signed an agreement to create an innovation laboratory to support outreach and academic enrichment initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for schoolchildren. 

The signatories were Dr. Abdul Sattar al-Taie, executive director of QNRF, and Dr César O. Malavé, dean of Tamuq.

“There are virtually no places where high school students can acquire, enrich and polish their hands-on skills in activities related to STEM,” al-Taie said. “The special STEM lab will bridge this gap and assist students in turning their research outcome and innovative ideas into reality."

Under the agreement, QNRF will provide funding for the lab, called the Innovation Station, which will host equipment and teaching tools for K-12 students to learn by integrating science, mathematics and technology toward real-world problems. The facility also will be a resource for schools and schoolchildren working on STEM-related projects. 

The lab is intended to promote creative applications of engineering and science toward innovative thinking and original design in young students. The facility will become a central part of Tamuq’s STEM outreach programmes.
Dr Malavé noted the importance of inspiring students’ interest in STEM careers at an early age. 
“As engineering educators, we have a unique opportunity to help young people understand ways they can be part of the exciting engineering and science advances that impact the world around us,” Malavé added.