Global Innovation Challenge to be held at 6th Annual Maker Day in February 2017
The event to highlight the use of technology to address the world’s most pressing issues
GEMS Education has partnered with Singularity University on the 6th Annual Maker Day, which will be held on February 4th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis.
Maker Day is a celebration of innovation and creativity that features innovative student projects as well as free workshops on robotics, 3D printing and Arduino program.
This year Maker Day will hold the regional finals for the GEMS Singularity University Global Innovation Challenge. The Global Innovation Challenge invites young innovators from around the globe to use technology to address and even solve the world’s most pressing issues.
Categories include disaster resilience, food scarcity, prosperity, environmental sustainability, healthcare and more. Students are encouraged to create prototypes using future-focused technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, nanotechnology – as well as skills such as data science and coding.
Students from across the region began thinking about their projects during hack-a-thons held during the UAE Week of Innovation. The students used design thinking, a human centred approach to innovation popular with leading technology companies to have better understanding of the challenge categories and the people affected. They were encouraged to think about ways to use technology to generate solutions that can impact large number of people.
GEMS Innovation, Research, and Development Innovation Leader, Christine Nasserghodsi, shared: “During the course of innovation week and this challenge, our students have formulated and executed ideas that can have a positive impact on billions of lives across the globe. While this exposes them to new horizons – in terms of skill and technology, they feel more confident about themselves with the belief that they can change communities and the world beyond. They are empowered problem-solvers and we need them.”
Project prototypes are well underway at some schools and include solutions such as 3D printed pollution eating algae and low-cost pop-up schools for refugee camps and disaster zones. Prizes will be awarded in each category to solutions in both the junior (age 13 and below) and senior (age 14 and above) category. Up to twelve senior projects will be given seed funding and mentorship and select projects will be presented at the annual Singularity Summit in Silicon Valley, California.
– GEMS Education Media
