A Stars of Science Season 8 hopeful at the final casting episode on Saturday.
DOHA: Stars of Science (SOS), the Arab world’s popular ‘edutainment’ reality show developed by Qatar Foundation, showcased Season 8 hopefuls with innovative ideas on energy and environment during its final casting episode on Saturday.
Those that impressed the judges took one step closer to their goal of winning a share of $600,000 in seed funding to make their idea a reality. They will take part in the Majlis episode on October 8 at 10.30pm KSA to see who is invited to continue the journey.
Aysha Al Mudahka, a Qatari catalyst with a keen eye for up-and-coming entrepreneurs joined Professor Fouad Mrad for a third week in her role as a permanent juror. Currently the CEO of the Qatar Business Incubation Center, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the Middle East’ entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Rounding out the trio of jurors was Dr. Hosni Ghedira, a passionate environmentalist who holds a Ph.D. in Water Science from the University of Quebec, with over 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
“Our mission is clear – to find young Arab innovators with the skill, knowledge and spirit necessary to make a true difference with his or her idea,” noted Al Mudahka. “Stars of Science, guided by Qatar Foundation, has been a driver of science and technology entrepreneurship in the region since Season 1 in 2009.”
The three jury members had their hands full, judging the strengths and weaknesses of a diverse range of inventions. Some inventions focused on solar energy and wind power solutions, while others aimed to address problems like air pollution and waste management.
Nineteen candidates from the first three casting episodes have now successfully triumphed over the competition for a spot in the Majlis episode. Their next challenge is to be chosen as one of only nine candidates to be invited to develop their inventions with the help of the experts who will all work from the Stars of Science laboratories in Qatar Science & Technology Park.
Candidates will compete in small groups to advance from the prototyping stages to the customer validation rounds, where they will work on developing their idea from prototype to full-fledged product.
At the season finale, four final candidates left standing will receive a share of $600,000 in seed funding for their ideas. The winner will be chosen via a public and jury vote.
