In 2019, at the age of 16, Greta Thunberg became the youngest person ever to be named TIME's "Person of the Year" for her role in challenging world leaders to take immediate action on climate change. In the hope of inspiring diversity and youth empowerment, last year's TIME has upped the game and announced its first "Kid of Year". The first recipient of this recognition was 15-year-old scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao. Although she is not old enough to drive a car, the teenager has already racked up several notable technological achievements. She has developed a tool for early diagnosis of opioid addiction, has invented a device that can measure the lead content in drinking water and has launched an app that uses artificial intelligence to detect cyberbullying.
The stories of both Greta and Gitanjali remind us something that we already knew – that young people wield tremendous influence in today’s society, and that they are not averse to using that influence to shape a world that matches their visions.
This got me thinking about future generations here in our region and the platforms on which they can rise and shine. While younger people in the Middle East may be more concerned about global issues such as the climate crisis, diseases or cyberbullying, they may not have the opportunity to effectively engage with these issues.
When we established the Advanced Technology Research Council in Abu Dhabi, we wanted to create a vibrant ecosystem that would shape research and development for transformative technology outcomes. A cornerstone of this effort is the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), where we welcome world-renowned scientists and researchers, as well as our nation’s youth to foster and advance their interest and passion in scientific research and innovation.
Technology can help our young people play a role in solving the most pressing problems of our age. What’s more, young people believe that the key to a better tomorrow actually lies within technology. According to recent research from Samsung, 90 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds believe that technology is key to achieving a more inclusive, fair and sustainable society. This could not be more accurate.
Technology has disrupted almost every sector responsible for economic development, and for the future-focused sectors that will drive the economy of tomorrow, we need the future-focused minds of the young. I believe strongly that it is our duty to help future generations grow and develop and, most importantly, pursue their passions. Therefore, we must ensure that we create a talent pool of fresh and creative minds to secure a prosperous future for our nation and the world at large. To achieve this priority, we have begun scouting for UAE national talent.
Flying taxis and ferries could be the norm soon. AFP
Technology can help young people solve the most pressing problems of our age
Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, and Chairman of the Board of Advanced Technology Research Council, has said our progressive NexTech programme has three core initiatives. These are an outreach and engagement drive to inspire our youth, a rigorous talent scouting initiative in which exceptional UAE talent will be fast-tracked or supported into R&D careers, and an empowerment initiative, where selected Emirati talent will be directed to support TII’s proprietary or collaborative research projects.
And while the NexTech programme is endeavouring to incubate UAE national talent with creative and scientific interests, we already have some extraordinary young people from the UAE and beyond engaged in breakthrough research across TII’s seven initial dedicated research centres, which are quantum, autonomous robotics, cryptography, advanced materials, digital security, directed energy and secure systems. Spanning diverse backgrounds and nationalities, our labs are a melting pot of brilliant scientific and research talent, offering the perfect environment for young people to play an active role in innovations that seek to address global issues through R&D.
We are seeking to shape a research ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the UAE that brings together public and private sector stakeholders. TII has partnered with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to establish a collaborative framework to enable joint fundamental and applied research in AI. TII has also signed a research partnership agreement with Virgin Hyperloop to advance the transport and logistics sector of the future. ASPIRE, the project management pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council, has collaborated with the XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion competition to address the food security crisis by encouraging young innovators and scientists to work together. Schemes such as these bolster the local R&D ecosystem.
Young people have been instrumental in raising awareness about climate change. EPA
More recently, as the entity responsible for defining Abu Dhabi’s research strategy across academia and industry, ATRC will support the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s “Operation 300bn”, which aims to boost the country’s industrial sector through projects like the Electromagnetic Compatibility Lab that TII recently unveiled to support our local manufacturing. In addition, the NexTech programme, in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and local universities, conducted an outreach and engagement drive targeting young scientific and advanced technology talent.
As a nation with a relatively young population, the UAE has always placed trust in Emirati youth and their creative ideas. Our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, once said that “a country’s greatest investment lies in building generations of educated and knowledgeable youth”. Our young people are seen as the drivers of the future, catalysts of enterprise and innovation and the pioneers of tomorrow. Their role in the economic development of the country could not be more important.
We are extremely fortunate to live in a country like the UAE, which is so invested in promoting science and young scientists. Two inspiring examples come to mind. The first is Alia Al Mansoori, who, at the age of 16, was appointed a research fellow at NYU Abu Dhabi campus. The second is of young Emirati Adeeb Al Blooshi, who CNN listed as one of the world’s eight most impressive young medical pioneers. I know there are many more out there and this is my invitation to them to come forward and claim their chance to shape history. You might well have an innovative solution to some of our world’s age-old problems.
Faisal Al Bannai is secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council and chief executive of Edge
Tamkeen's offering
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
New UK refugee system
A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Director: Romany Saad Starring: Mirfat Amin, Boumi Fouad and Tariq Al Ibyari
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
