In line with Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) commitment to enabling excellence in STEM education and fostering innovation among students and the wider community, ADU’s College of Engineering concluded its third annual STEM Programming Competition in November 2023. The competition witnessed the participation of over 830 school students from 68 schools, divided into more than 140 teams. The event took place at ADU’s main campus, Al Ain campus, and virtually, where 20 teams were awarded trophies and monetary prizes.
Through the event, ADU aimed to promote community awareness around coding and programming as tools to solve sustainability issues and enable programming skills in real-world science and engineering scenarios, aligning with the broader vision of a prosperous and knowledge-driven future for the UAE.
During the competition, students had the opportunity to showcase their programming skills in ten different real-world sustainability challenges, tackling topics such as waste management, solar energy estimation and carbon footprint calculation based on transportation choices, to the attendees and jury members.
Students adeptly developed programs to categorize waste items into recyclables, organic waste, and non-recyclables, showcasing the role of technology in sustainable waste management. Furthermore, students demonstrated analytical capabilities in the Fault Classification challenge, categorizing severity levels of faults within solar panels based on connected groups of faulty cells.
Dr. Hamdi Sheibani, Dean of the College of Engineering at Abu Dhabi University (ADU), said: “We are once again proud to witness a great turnout from talented students in ADU’s third Annual STEM Competition, where we witnessed remarkable sustainable solutions aligned with the ambition of achieving the UAE Net Zero 2050 goals. At ADU, we empower our students and community by offering them high-quality programs and tools that establish the groundwork for a sustainable future for the next generations. These competitions not only serve as a platform to raise awareness about coding and programming but also provide school students invaluable real-life experiences, while utilizing these tools to build a better future.”
Dr. Mohammed Ghazal, Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at ADU and Chair of the Organizing Committee, said: “We are delighted by the innovative solutions showcased during this year’s STEM competition, where students presented their capabilities in solving real-world sustainability problems. At ADU, we are honored to empower future engineers to become active contributors to global sustainability objectives. At ADU, we are committed to investing in scientific research opportunities that foster innovation and prepare our students for the rapidly changing market.”
The competition aimed at equipping Cycle 2 and 3 students with the needed skillsets in the field of coding to succeed in a rapidly evolving technological landscape with a focus on sustainable solutions.