SHARJAH, (Pakistan Point News - 05th Oct, 2019) The University of Sharjah, UOS, and the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SCCI, have announced an increase in the financial value of the 4th edition of the Sharjah Chamber’s Award for Innovators from AED500,00 to AED100,000.
This was stated came during a press conference held recently to announce the launch of the 4th edition of the Sharjah Chamber’s Award for Innovators, which is sponsored by the SCCI and organised by the University of Sharjah.
The press conference also introduced a new category of the award dedicated to academic research, in addition to extending the scope of the award to cover all innovators from different universities in the country and grade 12 students in the Emirate of Sharjah.
These amendments aim to make the award a scientific umbrella for innovation and creativity, building competent national capabilities and motivating students from all age groups to create pioneering and actionable projects.
Held at the university, the press conference was attended by Dr. Humaid Mjol Al Nuaimi, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, SCCI’s Chairman, in the presence of a number of college deans and members of the SCCI’s board of directors, in addition to a number of local media representatives.
In his remarks, Dr. Humaid Mjol Al Nuaimi said, "Our partnership with the SCCI is a solid one and constitutes a successful model for constructive and fruitful cooperation between various parties to serve the interests of Sharjah and its citizens."
The Sharjah Chamber’s Award for Innovators is an integral part of the International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship which has been organised by the university for the past four years.
This initiative reflects the wise directives and vision of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the University of Sharjah, Al Nuaimi asserted.
This vision was included in the strategic five-year plan of the university (2019 – 2024) to further encourage the innovation and creativity among the university students in various academic specialities.
Al Nuaimi pointed out that the International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship is an initiative in line with the country trends in terms of making innovation a general curriculum in education and business.
"This forum contributes to introducing the best approved international practices in the academic and professional innovation, and acquainting students with the importance of entrepreneurship as a career option different from the conventional jobs," he elaborated.
"This year’s edition is witnessing the doubling of the financial value of the award to AED100,000. This reflects the SCCI’s keenness on building a generation capable of conducting research and development, through the various award categories which cover different domains," Al Nuaimi added.
Abdullah Sultan Al Owais thanked the university, praising its outstanding organisation of the event over the past years.
Prof. Mohammad S. Obaidat, Dean of the College of Computing and Informatics, shed light on the role of the College of Computing and Informatics in serving the community, which aims to introduce a range of modern programmes in line with global trends in digital transformation. This includes cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, and IT applications.
Prof. Philip Molino, Dean, College of Business Administration, University of Sharjah, added, "Such activities aim to develop innovation and creativity among all students and encourage innovators by introducing them to businessmen and certified arbitrators, in addition to paving the way for them to showcase their projects in several exhibitions, both inside and outside the country."
Dr. Amal Ibrahim Al Ali, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 4th International Forum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, made a presentation on the award categories and how to apply for the competition through a link on the university website, where students provide a summary of their creative ideas to be evaluated.
She added, "In case the idea is accepted, the student will join the competition, which will be an educational journey through which he will study the principles of design thinking through several guiding sessions ahead of the announcement of the final results."
Al Ali also mentioned some of the suggested topics, which included massive data, e-marketing, sustainability, and Artificial Intelligence.
