DOHA: The finalists for Qatar Foundation’s (QF) ‘edutainment reality’ programme Stars of Science were selected in an exhilarating episode on MBC4 that saw the last two candidates advance to the final round.
In a resounding win, Rania Bou Jaoudeh of Lebanon impressed the jury to claim a spot.
Qatari candidate Mohammed Al Housani also advanced, surpassing Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Alsulaim to join Thiab Al Doussary and Sultan Al Sobhi as the season’s four finalists who will compete for $600,000 in prize money on November 15.
Stars of Science, in its sixth season, pits innovators against each other in a competition to turn their ideas into reality.
Twelve candidates aged 18-30 come to Doha where they are mentored by world-class engineering and design experts at Qatar Science and Technology Park. The innovators’ resilience, ingenuity and teamwork are tested in challenges throughout the show as they develop inventions from concept to commercialisation with the goal of winning funding for their projects.
In the final design episode, Rania, Mohammed and Khaled were tasked with building upon their success in the engineering stage by improving the designs of their projects.
They crafted bespoke designs to make their projects more attractive, marketable and practical.
The jury focused on industrial design, challenging the candidates to use art and science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics and functionality of their projects.
“Designers, innovators and scientists come up with new technologies, materials and paradigms that rejuvenate the fabric of mankind,” said VIP juror James Law, Founder of the architectural firm James Law Cybertecture International.
“A great designer takes a theory and finds a road to a practical reality. However, that is just the beginning. If you want to make something special, you have to discover the magic behind it.”
Season 6 of Stars of Science will culminate in a live final hosted by Khaled Al Jumaily. The final, in which voting from the public and jury deliberations will determine the outcome, will be shown on November 15 at 8:00 KSA time on MBC4.The Peninsula
