Qatar University Launches Global Sustainability Space Challenge Competition

Global Sustainability Space Challenge Competition

Qatar University (QU) launched Monday the Global Sustainability Space Challenge Competition, the first one of its kind at the global level, in cooperation with international partners and with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, to synchronize with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, hosted by the State of Qatar.

The competition comes within the framework of the vision of College of Business and Economics at QU and its intention to adopt a broad range of initiatives and steps that much undergird the sustainable works and promote sustainability culture locally and globally.

The competition offers the opportunity for the participation of a bunch of teams from youth who are associated with schools and universities worldwide from 16-26 year old young people to team up from several countries and various disciplines and backgrounds to further explore innovative solutions that essentially remedy one of the exigent challenges that pose a threat to the earth planet, and seeks to achieve an array of UN sustainable development goals 2030 through adaptation of groundbreaking technologies and space exploration as a momentum force in the global dedicated efforts to overcome the challenges facing life sustainability on earth.

The preliminary phases of the competition in Metaverse will be implemented during September 2022 followed by the teams who have been qualified for the final stage in the state of Qatar in mid-October 2022 to further engage in Hackathon phase, since the challenges intend to promote the issue of sustainability regionally and internationally through educating the young generation and build the capacities to achieve sustainable future on earth, in addition to highlighting the methods of capitalizing on the unlimited resources of space and the feasibility of building space economy, as well as conserving the earth.

In his remark during the opening ceremony of the competition, HE QU President Dr. Hassan bin Rashid Al Derham said that the competition comes in recognition of the instrumental role of education and educational institutions in bringing up generations of leaders and officials who are capable of finding out a sustainable and prosperous future in Qatar and better world for all, elucidating that the competition comes within the framework of QU's contribution to achieving sustainable economic and social growth in the state of Qatar; pointing out that QU has adopted several initiatives and vital steps to promote sustainability culture and upgrade the knowledge and improve erudition and capabilities through focusing on the sustainability's relevant topics in the educational curricula, focusing on scientific research and encouraging the practices that primarily achieve resources sustainability and conservation for posterity.

He added that such competition encourages the exploration of innovative solutions that largely remedy one of the exigent challenges threatening sustainability on earth, deeming it as a qualitative and unconventional opportunity that empower young generation to acquire skills of adapting the groundbreaking technology, in addition to identifying the importance of space exploration to overcome sustainability challenges.

HE the QU President pointed out that such global challenge represents a great significance in promoting the state of Qatar's posture on the list of countries that work to disseminate the culture of sustainability and upgrade the knowledge of young generation in a way that space exploration and its sciences contribute to finding out solutions for these challenges, pointing out that the state of Qatar has taken significant and advanced steps in the area of clean energy and sustainability, indicating that the competition and its supporting programs included would highlight what have been accomplished in this field, in addition to promoting the reputation of the state of Qatar regionally and internationally, proclaiming, during his delivered remark, that College of business and Economics intends to establish a laboratory for space sciences innovations to be a core of establishing the pillars of space economy, pointing out that the work on this project would be initiated once the global competition wraps it.

For his part, Vice President for Academic Affairs at QU Dr. Omar Al Ansari said in his statement to QNA that the competition offers a unique and unconventional challenge opportunity for young generation through utilizing the space environment and sciences to attain innovative solutions for the challenges facing sustainability on earth.

For her par, Dean of the College of Business and Economics at QU Dr. Rana Sobh said that the competition, with its entire supporting programs, would essentially highlight the accomplishments of the state of Qatar in this field, in addition to promoting its position regionally and internationally, pointing out that the competition is organized in cooperation with Metavisionaries, European Space Agency, US Blue Origin, LLC and other global partners supported by local entities.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Chief Scientist Dr. James Green, one of the supporters of this competition, indicated that the competition is unique and offers the opportunity for posterity to take the lead and change the world to better prospects, while CEO of Metavisionaries Waseem Ahmed affirmed that the objective of the competition is to inspire young generation and empower them to acquire the abilities to deal with the groundbreaking technology and further explore the space for the sake of more sustainable world for all.

(QNA)