Doha, 25 March, 2015: The winners of the inaugural Qatar Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Fair (Qatar STEAM) are set to represent Qatar at the renowned Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in Pittsburgh, USA, in May.
Having been chosen from among the brightest young minds as the overall winners of the first nationwide science and research competition yesterday, eight students were awarded with Grand Awards.
The competition was held in full support of Qatar Foundation’s mission to build and develop capacity for creativity and critical thinking through research in education and science.
The top prize in the Grand Awards went to Ghanim AlMansouri and Hussam AitelQadi for their research project entitled “Innovative Game Software for Improving the English Language Skills of Non-Native Speakers”.
Qatar STEAM was organised by Qatar Foundation Research & Development (QF R&D), Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of QF R&D, and the Supreme Education Council (SEC). The nationwide competition saw more than 160 students from 40 schools participate in the two-day fair held at the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha.
Overall winner, 16-year-old Hassam Aitelqadi said that they were delighted to win Qatar STEAM. “This competition allowed us to be more creative and focussed on team work, which gave us the ability to win the competition. Winning Qatar STEAM is about us starting our journey into Science and Technology. This is our biggest achievement, so far, and we hope one day to successfully develop something that will help the world in some way.”
Their entertaining computer game is aimed at anyone in High School who wants to learn English.
Qatar STEAM saw students at the middle and secondary schools level present more than 80 research projects to a panel of judges for a chance to win awards in seven different scientific categories.  
Established in direct support of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV2030), and the Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS), Qatar STEAM aims to facilitate an environment in which the nation’s young scientists can thrive through early research.
 “The success of the first Qatar STEAM Fair and the number of participants indicate a growing interest in scientific research among the country’s youth. I would also like to extend my sincere congratulations to the winners, and all the student participants, who have gained invaluable research experience through this contest. The skills the students have gained from their participation in Qatar STEAM will not only help their overall academic development, but also enable them to conduct sound research at later stages in their growth and development,” said Dr Dirar Khoury, Executive Director of Research Coordination and Special Initiatives, and Acting Executive Director of Education, Training and Development at QF R&D.
By investing in cutting-edge research to support the development of a local and regional scientific ecosystem, QNRF, a member of QF R&D, supports Qatar Foundation in its mission to build Qatar’s research and innovation capacity that will support its transformation into a global research hub.
 “Qatar STEAM enables middle and secondary school students to nurture their inquisitive minds through the development of critical thinking skills, which complements Qatar National Research Fund’s mission to support scientific research of direct relevance to the QNRS. Therefore, it is a delight to see such interest in research at the school level, since it is these participants, and the rest of their peers, who will go on to contribute to the development of a sustainable knowledge-based economy as envisaged in the QNV2030,” said Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Taie, Executive Director of QNRF.   
As the national body responsible for the development and advancement of Qatar’s education sector, the SEC meets the needs of the nation’s leadership by nurturing human capital and competency in various fields, a mission closely aligned with the QNV2030.
“The Supreme Education Council sought to support and nurture creativity and innovation through Qatar STEAM, which is a unique opportunity in which secondary school students were able to conduct meaningful scientific research, that will not only contribute to their overall academic development, but also to their future impact on Qatar’s development,” said Dr. Asma Al Mohannadi, Head of Scientific Research Team, SEC.
During the ceremony, prizes were given out in seven scientific and research categories. The overall winners were given prizes in the Grand Awards category, and the winners from this category go on to represent Qatar and compete for more than US$5 million in the USA in May.