Doha: The 2014 Qatar National Robot Olympiad is promising to be the largest yet with over 300 teams registered from elementary, middle and senior schools across Qatar in seven categories. This year’s competition has been officially launched in Doha by a host of dignitaries from the Supreme Education Council (SEC), the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, Qatar Petroleum and Maersk Oil Qatar.
The National Robot Olympiad, on October 24 and 25 at the Ladies Sports Hall in Aspire Zone, is the culmination of the year-long GO ROBOT schools programme that seeks to boost interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, and ultimately increase the number of students who choose science tracks at school or technical and engineering degrees at university.
Dr Ken MacLeod, President of College of the North Atlantic — Qatar, said: “2014 has been a record year for the school robotics programme, GO ROBOT, with more teachers trained in robotics and more robotics kit and games tables donated to schools than ever before, thanks to sponsorship from Maersk Oil Qatar. The National Robot Olympiad, with a record number of participants and a new category in GEN II football, will cap off a momentous year.”
The National Robot Olympiad will see students from elementary, middle and senior schools competing across seven fields in three categories — Open, Regular and, for the first time, Gen II Football.
Sheikh Jassim Al Thani, Head of Qatarisation at Maersk Oil Qatar, said: “We are delighted to sponsor the Qatar National Robot Olympiad, part of the year-long school robotics programme GO ROBOT, for a third consecutive year. Since first producing oil in Qatar twenty years ago with our partners Qatar Petroleum, we have been committed to building skills and leadership capacity in the country. Maersk Oil Qatar supports programmes that make a meaningful difference to the country. With around 875 students registered from over 200 schools for the National Robot Olympiad, on top of the 4000 students who’ve been reached in 2014 by the broader GO ROBOT scheme, there is no doubt this is a quality programme.”
“We are delighted at the SEC to participate in and support the schools robotics programme, GO ROBOT,” said Fawziya Al Khater, Director of the Education Institute, SEC.
The Peninsula
