News & Event

Students of the Sultanate of Oman achieved advanced positions in the International Science and Engineering Exhibition (ISEF), which was held in Dallas, United States, from May 13 to May 19, 2023. It is the largest and most important exhibition in the world in innovation competitions for school students, with prizes exceeding $8 million, covering 17 various fields in which nearly 2000 students from different countries of the world participated.

The Sultanate of Oman participated with three innovations, where the Dohat Al-Adab School from Muscat Governorate won the fourth place for the innovation “Using animal bones to produce filaments for a 3D printer” in the field of environmental engineering. In the field of biomedicine, Al-Amal School for Basic Education won two special awards, a financial and a scholarship at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, in addition to a financial grant from the Sigma Xi organization, which includes the publication of the students’ scientific research in the scientific journal of the organization, which is one of the ten oldest scientific journals in the world, founded in 1886. This will allow the students to present their research at the International Forum for Scientific Research in November 2023 in California, USA.

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is one of the most famous international science fairs in the world, which is held annually in the United States of America and is concerned with the scientific and cultural aspect and scientific research, by attracting wide participation from students around the world who are at pre-university level: that is, middle and high school. The fair aims to support and encourage students’ talents and skills in various scientific fields: such as engineering design, mathematics, and technological development. The Sultanate’s participation in this international exhibition (ISEF) comes out of the constant keenness of the Ministry of Education to advance its students, support their abilities in various scientific fields, and involve them in scientific forums, whether they are local, regional, or international.

Mariam Al-Rahbia, a student in grade 11 at Dohat Al-Adab School in Muscat Governorate, spoke about her participation in the international exhibition, and said: “Representing the Sultanate of Oman was a great honor for me, and going to the United States of America on behalf of my country was like a dream come true. The moment I was crowned fourth on the world level was full of feelings of joy and pride mixed together, and my ascension on the podium representing my country in itself is something I am proud of. We participated in a project in the field of environmental engineering, which was in “converting wasted animal bones into threads used in 3D printers" as with the increasing use of 3D printers, the use of plastic will also increase, so this product aims at reducing the use of plastic, as it is a problem most countries suffer from, and 3D printing technology is widespread. We also seek to establish a special factory to produce these threads in the near future.”

Shather Al Kharousi, a student in grade 11 at Dohat Al Adab School in Muscat Governorate, said: “It is a great honor to represent Oman globally and raise its name high in the

world. We developed the project through transforming the idea into a product that benefits individuals and the environment economically, as we conducted a comprehensive feasibility study for having a factory in which the world changes the method of manufacturing the product from the bones of wasted animals. Participation in a large forum such as (ISEF) is not easy, and patience is the first thing I took as a lesson. While working on research, we reached dead-ends many times but with perseverance, other roads opened up for us, and this is what made me realize the importance of striving and trying without stop to get what we want.”

Iman Al-Rahbi, a physics teacher and supervisor of the scientific innovations’ activity, said: “The feeling of achievement and winning fourth place in the field of environmental engineering at ISEF after competing with 96 projects in the field of environmental engineering was indescribable. The ISEF competition is the largest global competition for scientific innovations. Qualifying for this competition was not easy. We went through several stages, starting with the National Olympiad for Innovations, then working on all the requirements for international participation, until the project was approved by the organizer in the United States. During the work period, I learned with the students how to conduct experiments in an accurate scientific way. The students also wrote research equivalent to master's thesis research, which was a great self-confidence booster for the students. We also benefited from the knowledge of the scientific innovations of other students participating in the international exhibition.”

Fakhriya Al-Shaibani, Supervisor of Al-Amal School team, said: “The fact that the team won the international special awards in the field of biomedicine made us feel proud and value of the achievement, and created within us a spirit of challenge to achieve the best in the upcoming competitions, benefiting from our previous experience. These valuable awards gave Oman a global position in the field of innovation, and that we are able to overcome the most difficult and achieve the best.”

Basma Al Owaisi, a student in grade 11 at Al-Amal School in Al-Batinah South Governorate, said: “The preparation for participation in the International Science and Engineering Fair continued for nearly five months, which included conducting laboratory experiments to enhance and strengthen the research, following medical procedures for the production of antibiotics according to international standards, as well as discussing with specialists from universities and hospitals from all over the Sultanate of Oman. The most important part was the psychological preparations to participate in the competition, as it is the largest scientific competition for science and engineering in the world. The announcing of winning the special prizes in the ISEF competition came confirming the ability of the Omani student to win in these international competitions, and to overcome all the challenges and difficulties, and compete with students from different countries of the world. It also demonstrated the ability of the Omani student to make positive change in the world and finding solutions to the most important global issues.”

Alaa Al-Awfi, a student in grade 11 at Al-Amal School, said: “We started from research and continuous readings in the field related to the project to obtain more ideas for development and enhancement. We also held meetings to discuss the research paper and the rest of the requirements for participation in the International Science and Engineering Fair, then we moved to an application beginning with laboratory experiments, then data analysis, and finally preparations for evaluation, presentation, and psychological preparations. These awards represent a great incentive to continue the march of scientific innovations and always provide the best. They also support our scientific and innovative sense and confirm our ability to participate and achieve the goals that we strive for.”