Shell launches Unique Initiative for high school students in Kuwait

Kuwait Shell in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Kuwait and the Energy Center for Engineering Consultancy have joined efforts to create the country’s first Pre - Engineering Design Competition.

The initiative echoes the importance of youth development, and their role in the development of the Kuwaiti society, while encouraging students to further pursue a career in the field of Engineering. The new competition supports scientific competitiveness and offers opportunities that will allow students to use their scientific skills. 

The purpose of the competition is to attract public and private high school students across Kuwait, who are interested in engineering. During the competition, participating students will implement scientific and engineering concepts through a creative engineering project.

The theme of this national initiative has been chosen to engineer the catapult design, a subject which has been included in the 2010-2011 curricula of schools’ projects. The principle of the catapult design, which was introduced during war times in the Middle Ages, includes implementation of concepts and theories of speed, strength, energy as well as other engineering basics.

Commenting on the launch of the Pre- Engineering competition by Kuwait Shell and its partners; the company’s chairman, Mr. Ahmed Mouti said: “As a leading company in the field of energy which relies on Engineers, we are pleased to support creative activities that help discover and develop students’ skills, while nurturing the concept of team work in a robust atmosphere setting. It is our honor to collaborate with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education and Energy Center for Engineering Consultancy to launch the first engineering project competition in Kuwait.

We are confident that this initiative will help prepare a generation of creative students interested in pursuing a career in engineering”.

Head of the competition Organizing Committee, Engineer Waleed Khamees said: “The concept behind this competition was initiated by a group of Kuwaiti engineers whose goal is to teach high school students principals of engineering.

Registration for the competition has started and we highly encourage interested students to fill application forms, which are found on www.6aqa.org, and submit their reports to the judging panel to receive an initial approval and start working on their projects. Project evaluation and winners announcement will take place in February 2011.”

The Ministry of Education has included this first Pre-Engineering competition in the 2010/2011 school year plan, reflecting its believe that such activities encourage students to take active interest in science education and motivate them to use creativity and innovation to achieve their goals and dreams.