UAE’s biggest science festival begins today
EVENT FEATURES STUDENT PROJECTS, AWARDS AND FAMILY FAIR
The five-day National Science, Technology and Innovation (NSTI) Festival begins today, to award some of the brightest Emirati students, showcase latest developments in the field, and offer families a carnival atmosphere.
The free-to-enter NSTI Festival will run till Monday at Dubai Festival Arena, near Dubai Festival City. It is organised by the Ministry of Education and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The festival is also being held as part of the ongoing UAE Innovation Month (February).
Yesterday, ministry officials briefed the media about key activities, initiatives and events of the NSTI Festival, which has segments in Conference, Awards, Science Fair, Family Festival, and Industrial Revolution X (IR-X), among others.
More information on the festival is available at www. nstifestival.ae.
Ministers of education, higher education, public education, advanced sciences, artificial intelligence, and culture will be participating, along with some of the leading speakers in the world on technology.
Jameela Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, said the festival “has significant importance as it reiterates the nation’s visions that make innovation the core of its journey towards science and advanced knowledge. The festival demonstrates the aspirations of our government and the vision of our wise leadership that recognises the importance of innovation and shed light on its invaluable contribution in various spheres of life.”
She added: “The NSTI Festival allows students and community members to stay up to date on the latest developments in science, technology, modern techniques, artificial intelligence and the latest trends in advanced educational solutions. It offers a comprehensive agenda with its various events, programmes, competitions, initiatives, sessions and workshops by experts and educational leaders from around the world.”
Providing an overview of the festival, Dr Amnah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary, Activities Sector, and director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department, Ministry of Education, said the festival builds on similar — but smaller — events held in 2016 and 2017. “This year, we have moved to focus on innovation because we want to align with the National Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation,” as well as emphasise “core sciences”, she added.