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Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business
Yahsat, the UAE-based global satellite operator, is announced as the official sponsor of the 2019 Think Science Fair, held across the seven emirates from February 17 to March 21. The event aims to encourage Emirati youth to pursue an education and career in the fields of science, technology and innovation (STI) in response to the
growing market demands for scientific talent in this space.
Think Science is hosted by the Emirates Foundation under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of Emirates Foundation.
Now in its seventh year, the event provides aspiring Emirati scientists with the opportunity to display their skills and talents in the science, technology and innovation fields. Attendees will also participate in competitions, networking events, and ambassador programs that provide a leg up to a rewarding STI-related career.
Over the last six years, Think Science Fair has welcomed more than 70,000 young Emiratis. The event has so far engaged 3,639 youths through its annual competition, of which 1,100 have
become Think Science Ambassadors. More than 1,340 innovative ideas have also been generated by young participants for the benefit of the community.
Yahsat’s sponsorship of the event reinforces its support of the Ministry of Education’s vision to equip UAE youth with a greater breadth of technical skills, while also furthering the UAE’s space agenda. In its role, Yahsat will host workshops for high school and university students across the emirates that encourage the cultivation of innovative ideas through STI-related activities.
Alongside these activities, a Yahsat kiosk at each venue will enable interested students to discover their future career in the space sector, alongside specific disciplines crucial to the UAE’s future, such as engineering.
“Enabling progress is central to Yahsat’s work, and through the connectivity we provide, we help to unlock the potential of communities by opening a door to knowledge sharing.†commented Muna Almheiri, Chief Human Capital Officer at Yahsat. “Our sponsorship of the Think Science Fair underlines our dedication towards engaging future industry leaders and guide them towards a career that will shape our future.†she added.
The Think Science Fair is another example of Yahsat’s commitment to developing a national cadre of experts by connecting the next generation of professionals with international expertise. To the same end, in 2015, Yahsat partnered with Khalifa University and Northrop Grumman to launch the region’s first multi-disciplinary academic space programme . Then, in 2018, Yahsat unveiled the Yahsat Space Lab, the UAE’s first Space Laboratory for students of Khalifa University. Here, students successfully developed the nation’s first imaging CubeSat, MySat-1, launched to the International Space Station in November 2018.
Within Yahsat itself, engineers have completed a variety of on-job training programmes at leading technology providers in France and the United States. Additionally, employees have gone on to gain international exposure at Yahsat’s many Brazil and Africa outposts, including YahClick (powered by Hughes) sales offices. On the job training has also been provided at Northrop Grumman– another Yahsat partner, alongside the Project Management Office of Al Yah 3, Yahsat’s third satellite.