SULTANATE TO SOAR ON 100 IDEAS
Hundred innovative ideas were selected at the tech competition, a part of National Youth Programme for Skills Development (NYPSD), which concluded at a ceremony presided over by Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal al Busaidy, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. This competition, in cooperation with Google, is the largest gathering of ideas and the first of its kind in the Sultanate.
Around 1,000 Omani youths participated in the first phase held in collaboration with Udacity international platform, in digital marketing, data science and software. The participants at the programme presented ideas for technology-based projects that can be turned into feasible ventures. The programme received more than 600 ideas for future emerging projects. Out of 600 ideas, 100 were selected by a jury of 70 Omani and international technical experts.
NYPSD was organised by the Diwan of the Royal Court with the blessings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos who gives priority to youth in development.
The event included a video presentation summarising the most important events and activities of the competition. This was followed by a preview of the National Youth Programme for Skills Development by Qais bin Rashid al Tuba, the programme’s supervisor, who welcomed the guests and gave a brief summary of the two phases of the competition. Hilal bin Muzaffar al Riyami, a member of the advisory committee of the programme, reviewed some of the participants’ experiences.
The two-day Oman Youth Technical Ideas Race kicked off on Friday with several intensive training sessions by Google experts and global speakers. One of the most important of these sessions was the analysis of the problems facing digital users, and solutions to facilitate the user experience.
Other sessions discussed leadership, emerging global trends in technology, the role of technology in the lives of people and communities.
At the concluding session on Saturday, more than 600 participants presented their ideas before the jury. In the first round of deliberations, 200 ideas were selected from the presentations of 600 participants. In the finals, 100 ideas were shortlisted, which will take part in the second phase of the National Youth Programme for Skills Development.
Over the course of two days, Dr Ali bin Qasim al Lawati, Adviser of Studies and Research at the Diwan of the Royal Court, and Head of NYPSD, was briefed on many experiences and ideas through his interaction with young participants.