The finalists will share in a $600,000 seed fund and compete to become the Arab world’s top innovator

Doha, Qatar-Saturday 2 November 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

The stakes were high in the penultimate episode of Stars of Science Season 11, as the final four contestants in Qatar Foundation’s edutainment TV show were determined to earn top marks from the jury in the last elimination round and secure their place in the Grand Final.

In this week’s Prototype Testing episode, there was no margin for error for Nuha Abu Yousef, Abdulrahman Salah Khamis, Youssef El Azouzi, and Husam Sameer as the jury demanded that they met higher standards than ever before. Their products underwent vital user testing to demonstrate that they had addressed consumer needs in their design, the last step before deeming them viable for the market.

“User testing is arguably the most important piece of the puzzle,” said Dr. Khalid Al-Ali, Stars of Science jury member. “Our contestants may have spent weeks pushing their technical expertise to the limit when designing, constructing, and building their prototypes, but all of this work will count for nothing if consumers aren’t able to actually use the product.”

“We want to make sure that the amazing ideas we see on Stars of Science are not only realised, but also have the potential for worldwide impact.”

Nuha confidently assured the jury that the customisation app connected to her Active Lazy Eyelid Sticker – designed to stimulate the eyelid in patients with afflicted facial muscles – would reap successful results by the Grand Final. Accepting the jury’s feedback, Abdulrahman stated that constructive criticism is exactly what he needed in order to properly develop his Interactive Educational Prayer Carpet for the consumer market. Meanwhile, Youssef emphasised that his Flow Modulator Stent would eliminate maintainance costs of current treatments, and save congestive heart failure patients thousands of dollars in the long-term.

In the end, viewers bid farewell to Husam and his Efficient Comfort Concrete Panel. He felt the heat this weekend as his invention struggled to replicate the same impressive results as the week prior. While he had to leave the competition, he was grateful for the chance to turn his idea into a reality and remained committed to developing it further. “For the remaining finalists, I wish them all the best in the Grand Final,” said Hussam. “I encourage all Arab innovators to not forget the child within them and pursue their dreams with optimism.”

Walid Albanna, winner of Stars of Science Season 10, co-hosted the episode alongside longtime host Khalid Al Jumaily and leaped to the defense of the innovators at times throughout their evaluations, sympathizing with them as a former contestant. He also encouraged them to treasure their experience and the people around them. “My greatest memory was mingling with fellow innovators in a unique environment,” said Walid. “I still remember all the moments we had backstage during our time, and I consider them some of my closest friends to date.”

Nuha, Abdulrahman, and Youssef will proceed to the live Grand Final, where they will finalise their products for the market and determine their final share of the $600,000 seed fund. Voters will play a huge role, as they will help determine the winner of Stars of Science Season 11 in the next and concluding episode - and shape the future of innovation in the region. Online voting is now open on www.starsofscience.com and ends on Wednesday November 6th at 3PM QAT/ 12PM GMT.

About Stars of Science

As the premier innovation show in the Arab world, Stars of Science – the edutainment TV initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF) – empowers Arab innovators to develop technological solutions for their communities, benefitting people’s health and lifestyles, and helping to preserve the environment.

Over a nine-week process, the contestants demonstrate the effectiveness of their solutions in a shared innovation space, competing against time with the support of a team of experienced engineers and product developers. An expert panel of jurors assess and eliminate innovators and their projects every week across several prototyping and testing rounds, until only four finalists remain to compete for a share of $600,000 in seed funding. Jury deliberation and online voting from the public determine the rankings.

Stars of Science will air every Friday on Qatar TV and every Saturday on various channels across the region, from September 13, 2019 to November 9, 2019. Please visit the broadcast guide for channels and timings: starsofscience.com

Details on regional broadcasting:

Qatar, Qatar TV: (GMT +3)

Fridays: 10:00 PM

Rerun Saturdays 5:00 PM

Kuwait, Al Rai: (GMT +3)

Saturdays: 9:40 PM

Iraq, Alsumaria: (GMT +3)

Saturdays: 9:30 PM

Jordan, Al Roya: (GMT+3)

Saturdays: 10:00 PM

Lebanon, LBC: (GMT +2)

Saturdays: 7:00 PM

Algeria, Echorouk TV: (GMT+1)

Saturdays: 7:00 PM

Oman, Oman TV: (GMT+4)

Saturdays: 9:00 PM

Al Araby TV: ( GMT)

Saturdays: 6:00 PM

Please visit:

Website - www.starsofscience.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/StarsofScienceTV

Twitter - https://twitter.com/starsofscience

YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/user/Starsofsciencetv

Instagram- starsofsciencetv

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, science and research, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

 QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visit http://www.qf.org.qa

For media inquiries, please contact the following email: pressoffice@qf.org.qa

Contacts

Weber Shandwick

Maram Alibrahim, +97431073584

SOS@webershandwick.com

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