Students’ keen participation in QEERI’s Young Innovator Awards (YIA) heralds enhanced climate sustainability.
The third edition of the YIA organised by Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) saw more than 600 students from schools across the country participate with creative ideas on ways to solve environmental problems in Qatar and the gulf region.
The theme of this year’s competition was “Old problems, new solutions: the next big thing for Energy-Water-Environment nexus?” Due to its crucial nature, this topic gathered a wide variety of schools and students in a bid to find radical solutions.
YIA is one of QEERI’s many strategies to engage the local community and young people to challenge themselves into thinking creatively of methods to improve their environment and the planet as a whole.
The award is part of QEERI’s flagship forum, the International Conference on Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus is Desert Climate 2021. The conference alongside the award has gained distinction and recognition among international and local schools, motivating their students to participate.
Anna Jerry Manathra of the Rajagiri Public School who landed first prize in the Senior Category said “I am proud to have represented my school in this amazing competition and to have won first place for the second year in a row. YIA is definitely a unique learning experience.”
Read also: Qatar ‘most affected’ Arab country by air pollution: report
The YIA2021 judges panel consisted of pioneers in the industry and research field in Qatar, including experts from Texas A&M University in Qatar, Kahramaa-Tarsheed, QEERI, TotalEnergies, and the Ministry of Public Health.
Dr Marc Vermeersch, Executive Director of QEERI, said: “As the leader in Qatar in research, development, and innovation in energy, water, and environment, QEERI sees the promotion of science and the environment among young people as a fundamental component of its mission.”
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