This season will see the return of Professor Fouad Mrad for the 14th consecutive season. He will be joined by accomplished Qatari medical expert, Dr Aisha A Yousuf, Medical Director of Reproductive Surgery at Sidra Medicine.
Doha: Arab innovators looking to turn ideas into inventions with the guidance of experts are set to begin their journey in the latest edition of Stars of Science, premiering on September 2.
Seven candidates from the Arab world will be invited to Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) – the technology hub of the Qatar Foundation (QF) and home to tech-based entrepreneurs and their start-ups – to compete for 12 weeks while developing , refine and test their innovations.
This season, many budding Arab entrepreneurs hope to join the show’s alumni community, which includes 154 alumni from 19 Arab countries.
Entrants will need to go through multiple elimination rounds to secure a spot in the Grand Finals, where two winners will each receive a share of the seed funding prize.
Yosouf Al Salehi, Executive Director of QSTP, said, “Today’s innovators do not operate in a vacuum. They are part of a larger ecosystem; their ideas are based on the discoveries of others before them, and their inventions often require the knowledge of experts from different disciplines. As a key contributor to Qatar’s innovation ecosystem, QSTP aims to accelerate the commercialization of market-ready technologies to realize the national drive towards economic diversification and sustainability.
“We are thrilled to be part of Stars of Science’s 13-year journey that has introduced many young Arabs to the vibrant innovation community in the region and empowered them to create new opportunities for the next generation in all sectors and economies, in line with QF’s vision to create an economic, social and sustainable legacy.
This season will see the return of Professor Fouad Mrad, for the 14th consecutive season. He will be joined by accomplished Qatari medical expert Dr. Aisha A Yousuf, Medical Director of Reproductive Surgery at Sidra Medicine, a Qatar-based hospital for women and children and a member of QF.
Professor Mrad and Dr Yousuf will serve as the two permanent members of the judging panel, with a rotating cast of established Arab experts – including Stars of Science alumni – taking the third seat on the judging panel as the season progresses.
“Serving as a judge on Stars of Science is especially rewarding for me,” Dr. Yousuf said. “As the head of the reproductive surgery department of Sidra Medicine and as a graduate of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, a partner university of QF, I use the knowledge and experience I have acquired during my experience as a student and employee of QF to support its growing research community while guiding the development of budding young Arab innovators”.
Since 2009, many alumni of the show have launched their products or established successful businesses in the Middle East and North Africa, reaching Europe, the Americas and East Asia.
“Each candidate on Stars of Science has leveraged the knowledge and resources available at QF’s leading universities, innovation hubs and research centres,” said Professor Mrad.
“QF’s ever-growing ecosystem stands out on the global stage and exposes Arab innovators to the importance of collaboration and multidisciplinary work in science and research.”
Stars of Science will air every Friday and Saturday from September 2 to October 14, on six channels in the region and online. Check the broadcast guide for channels and times at starsofscience.com.
