First-of-its-kind contest in the UAE aimed at empowering students to positively think about how to impact their local communities.

Dubai, UAE – 10th February, 2020:   Samsung Gulf Electronics has announced the winners of the UAE’s first Solve for Tomorrow contest. Three teams of GEMS World Academy, Dubai students were shortlisted – with the ‘Multipurpose Vest’ developed by Jacob Lee and Tomaso Vigo taking home the Grand Prize. 
The contest challenged students in grades 6 through 12 to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to innovate a solution to a problem affecting their community. The Grand Prize Winner was selected from a pool of entries from students who submitted ideas for how they would apply STEM to making a difference.

The expert jury consisted of Jerric Wong, Head of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Gulf Electronics, Razan Al Bashiti, CEO of INJAZ UAE and Stuart Walker, Head of School/CEO at GEMS World Academy, Dubai. A multi-purpose vest with built-in cooling pads to be used by manual workers to help maintain body temperature was unanimously selected as the winner. The innovative vest also has several pockets and pouches to hold essentials such as water bottles and hand sanitizers.

Jerric Wong, Head of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: “Solve for Tomorrow is designed to inspire students to realise their ability to use their skills to address safety, environmental and health issues in their communities. We are so proud of students at GEMS World Academy, Dubai, for their ingenuity and creativity in applying STEM to solving problems in their communities and creating positive change.”

Helen Al Uzaizi, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Environmentalism Director, at GEMS World Academy, Dubai, said: “We congratulate the winners and finalists of the contest for submitting such brilliant ideas. As educators, it is our priority to utilize technology as we transition our students beyond simple memorization of facts or procedures. We also teach them how to authentically apply what they’ve learned to solve real-world problems. Programmes such as Solve for Tomorrow help our students prepare for the future and support opportunities for STEM education.” 

The second prize was won by Arvan Kedia, who proposed a unique Buddy Bear, a soft toy that has sensors for gas, water, UV radiation, heart rate, pulse and temperature to measure various health indicators. Data collected is sent to an app that can be accessed by the patient, parents, and the doctor. If a value is over the recommended level and indicates symptoms of a health problem, a buzzer will flash on the teddy bear. 

The third place winner is a Green Hygiene Table designed by Sofia Faghihy, Isabella Villa, Moervica Prashant, Jihyun Yang and Gyuwon Lee. It incorporates a disposal unit for food waste that can be used as compost for school gardens. The self-cleaning table incorporates wipers coated in disinfectant in order to diminish chances of spreading germs and bacteria.

The entries were judged on the basis of key criteria including resonance and social impact, creativity and originality, critical thinking ability, feasibility and scalability. The imaginative and astute talents of all participating students and teachers impressed both Samsung and GEMS World Academy, Dubai.

Razan Al Bashiti, CEO of Injaz UAE, said: “Solve for Tomorrow has proven to be one of the most important events for students this year. As well as being a demonstration of Samsung’s commitment to science education and promoting an interest in STEM subjects locally, it is a real energy boost for all of us involved. It was really fulfilling to see young people taking so much interest in science, especially STEM subjects.”

The Solve for Tomorrow contest is designed to inspire confidence in UAE students, priming their minds for jobs in a rapidly changing world, and providing them with the tools they need to pursue a career in STEM.