The British Council, in partnership with Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), has launched FameLab 2021, providing opportunities for young scientists in the country to present and share their ideas.
The winner of the adult category will go on to represent Qatar in the online international FameLab finals at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK. FameLab is the world’s leading science communication competition. It aims to find and mentor young science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) researchers who want to share their stories with the world.
Participants of FameLab are expected to deliver an entertaining and original three-minute talk about any scientific topic without using PowerPoint or other electronic presentation tools and with limited use of props. The talk must be scientifically accurate and engaging to a non-scientific audience.
To prepare for the competition, the participants will receive online science communication skills training in Arabic and English, which will be delivered by science communication trainers and will run for a week during June 2021.
After the auditions in July, 20 contestants who make it to the second stage will be invited to attend a two-day FameLab Masterclass – an advanced science communication training course delivered by one of the leading communicators in the UK during September 2021. This course will help participants prepare for the national final that will take place online during the same month.
Sam Ayton, British Council country director, said: “While FameLab allows us to ignite conversations around science, it is the skills of science communication that we aim to nurture and advance each year. More than ever we need scientists who can communicate accessibly and attractively – people who can take complex ideas and make them simple and compelling for all. We are delighted to be working with our partners QNRF and the MoEHE to help young scientists in Qatar develop these skills.”
Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, QNRF executive director, said: “Competitions like the FameLab not only help put Qatar on the global map of scientific research and innovation but also provide an opportunity for our talented students and young researchers to pursue their scientific passion and build their skills through focused training and public engagement opportunities. The performance of Qatari finalists in previous editions of FameLab has proven that the thriving research and innovation infrastructure in Qatar is producing exceptional talent, and we aim to continue on this path by offering more opportunities for new cohorts of talented scientists and researchers to raise the flag of Qatar around the world.”
Ahmed al-Maani, FameLab national winner for 2020 in the adult category, said on his journey: “The FameLab experience is one of the most beautiful in my life, I made new friends, learned a plethora of unique information, and most importantly I learned a key lesson in life, which is you have to persevere and try to reach your goals. I participated for three years in a row and finally succeeded and achieved my goal of becoming the National Qatar Finalist for 2019/2020 thanks to FameLab.”
Student category national winner, Ahmed Walid said: “My FameLab journey was a war which I fought with passion not weapons. I never thought about being a FameLab winner; but my heart has always been beating with enthusiasm towards cardiology. I can now say that FameLab truly revealed my ardour.”