NEWS
Launch of the First Space Science Hackathon in Bahrain and GCC
Launch of the
First Space Science Hackathon in Bahrain and GCC
In Emphasis of National Priorities in
Scientific Research and In the Fulfillment of Several Goals
Work on the first hackathon in the Kingdom of Bahrain and
the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) begun on Friday morning (18
October 2019) at the University of Bahrain (UOB), which is set up by the
National Space Science Agency (NSSA) in cooperation with “Clever
Play”, which is licensed by the American space agency (NASA) in the field
of space, and it shall be held over the 18th and 19th of
October 2019.
On this occasion, the Minister of Transportation and
Communications and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NSSA His Excellency
Eng. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed stated that “ This event comes within the Agency’s
keenness to implement the directions of the wise leadership, recalling what was
stated in the lofty speech of His Majesty the King during the opening of the
second session of the National Council in its fifth version, and the directions
of His Majesty to work on developing a national plan for the digital economy.
Such events have a great impact on qualifying national competencies and
providing them with skills and knowledge to keep pace with the rapid changes in
the world of technology and the requirements of the labor market and preparing them
for the future. in addition to the fact that the event focuses on advanced
technologies, what distinguishes it is that it is world-class, with more than
235 parties from around the world participating in its implementation, and more
than 18,000 participants.
For his part, the President of UOB Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamzah
stated that the University prioritizes sustainable development goals of the
Kingdom of Bahrain 2030 vision and is working with partners in various fields
to achieve the highest levels of quality and efficiency in the field of
educational curriculum development and scientific research.
Also, Prof. Hamzah praised the cooperation with NSSA,
pointing out that the memorandum of understanding that was concluded earlier
between NSSA and UOB included cooperation in supporting space science at the
national level, as the cooperation contributed to achieving mutual benefit to meet national needs in
support of the sustainable development goals.
On his part, the CEO of NSSA, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Asiri,
said that the participation in this event came out of the Agency’s keenness to
achieve its strategic objectives of spreading the technical culture of space
science in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and to support this sector at the national
level through the development of research activities for students majoring in different
sciences, in preparation for creating joint cooperation with academic
institutions and higher education institutions to integrate space sciences into
educational curricula and research projects, with the Agency’s keenness to
follow up, evaluate and develop science to ensure the highest levels of quality
and efficiency in line with its vision and mission to advance this sector in
preparation for global competition .
The founding member of “Clever Play”, Shaikha
Latifa Al Khalifa, confirmed that this event comes within the program of the
national initiative recently launched by the company under the title “STEM
BAHRAIN”, which aims to establish a multi-disciplinary educational system
based on the best scientific and technological approaches that stimulate
innovation.
Moreover, the representatives of NSSA and “Clever Play”
thanked UOB, Batelco, and Bahrain National Gas Company (Banagas) in
appreciation of their unlimited support for the space sector and their
contribution to support this event.
Sustainable Development Goals
4 Quality Education
8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
17 Establishing partnerships to achieve the goals
Key Words
University of Bahrain, NASA, Clever Play, NSSA, Bahrain’s
first space science hackathon, sustainable development goals, national plan for
digital economy
