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Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation’s (QF) flagship edutainment programme will launch its Season 17 on September 12, introducing a lineup of innovators and digital creators, joining long-time presenter, Khalid Aljumaily. Joining the jury this season is Dr Bothaina al-Mulla, a Qatari Ob-Gyn physician at Sidra Medicine and Hamad Medical Corporation, as well as a motivational speaker. “Being invited to join the jury of a show I’ve long admired was an honour,” said Dr al-Mulla. “What struck me most this season is the calibre of the contestants. As a medical professional, it is exciting to see so many bright minds tackling real-world challenges with purpose and precision.” The participants’ journey unfolds at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of QF a place designed not just for invention, but for scale and substance — where science meets entrepreneurship to tackle real-world challenges and turn ideas into lasting impact. Seven innovators from across the Arab world will develop and refine their ideas in the Stars of Science studios at QSTP. Over the course of 12 weeks, they will receive expert mentorship and access to resources as they set their sights on the title of Top Arab Innovator. Each innovator will play a role in contributing to QSTP’s vision of creating a future where technology and science positively impact humanity and the natural world.

The Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), a member of Qatar Foundation, has wrapped up Creative Labs, a two-week, studio-based training programme where more than 30 students turned their ideas into working prototypes. Hosted at the QSTP and Qatar Scientific Club (QSC), the programme attracted more than 160 applications. By the end of the programme, participants had developed 17 prototypes after an intensive journey through hands-on innovation, design thinking, and technology integration. Teams developed inclusive health wearables, designed playful furniture for the elderly, reimagined single-use event items with biodegradable alternatives such as mycelium and potato starch, and built games that spark conversations about social issues. Each project combined social purpose with emerging technology, encouraging participants to explore problems from fresh angles and to design solutions with impact. Developed with NuVuX, a global leader in creative education, impacting more than 13,000 students and 1,850 teachers through their design-based practices, and delivered in partnership with the QSC and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), Creative Labs brought high school and university students, educators, mentors, and industry partners together under one roof. “Creative Labs proves what is possible when curiosity and purpose come together,” QSTP Innovation and Entrepreneurship director Hayfa al-Abdulla said. “In our studios, educators and students are not just learning – they are inventing, prototyping, and building solutions the world needs, backed by Qatar’s leading innovation partners.” “The QSTP, through programmes like these, is shaping a generation of impact-driven innovators who will redefine industries, drive new ventures, and disrupt markets,” she said. “We take pride in our collaboration with the QSTP through the Creative Labs programme, empowering students and innovative educators,” said QSC deputy executive director Abdulrahman Saleh Khamis. “By opening our fully equipped and advanced laboratories and workshops to participants, we aim to support the development of promising prototypes and innovations.” “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to fostering research, innovation, and advancing Qatar’s knowledge-based economy,” he said. Participants left with practical solutions and the skills to apply them. The ideas developed hold promise to impact community, meet human purpose, and reinforce the QSTP’s role as a global tech hub, a statement added.

Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Doha Debates has welcomed a new cohort of 195 young leaders from across the globe into its ambassador programme.Furthering Doha Debates’ goal of empowering young people to bridge differences and build consensus through constructive debate, participants in the Doha Debates Ambassador Programme learn to engage in intercultural dialogue and generate solutions to the world’s most timely and complex issues.At the start of the 12-week programme, ambassadors join an online community of practice guided by facilitation and intercultural communication expert Dr Brandon Ferderer, systems-thinking specialist Jennifer Geist, and several international guest speakers.Participants will build critical communication, systems-thinking, and consensus-building skills to prepare them for the second half of the programme, where they work in small teams to produce a Majlis-style debate that examines a global issue of concern to their generation.As well as acquiring valuable intercultural communication tools and techniques, ambassadors form lifelong connections with their peers and often engage with Doha Debates long after the programme concludes. Programme graduates have participated in live debates and town halls, podcasts and other special events. A group of 20 alumni will mentor the incoming cohort.Alumni have also created their own community projects showcasing the skills they acquired in the programme and reflecting its majlis-style approach. Former ambassador Ahmed Berramdane hosted Majlis-style workshops at the American Cultural Center Algiers, while Murshidul Alam Bhuiyan launched the Human Heroes Project, a space for authentic story-sharing to bridge divides. Meanwhile, Ayomide Emmanuel Akinwale, Rami Mroueh, Fils Jean Pierre Mutsinzi, Hafsa Rasheed, and Azra Shahab co-created a global affairs podcast promoting peaceful dialogue among youth.This cohort represents 68 countries across six continents, including Iraq, Somalia, India, Nigeria, Kenya, Afghanistan, Qatar, the US, and the UK. Many are current students or alumni of QF partner universities.“We warmly welcome our seventh cohort into the Doha Debates Ambassador Programme,” said Amjad Atallah, managing director of Doha Debates.

Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with QIIB to explore collaborative pathways that will broaden access to services and create business development opportunities.The MoU was signed between Dr Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Chief Executive Officer of Sidra Medicine and Dr Abdulbasit Ahmad al-Shaibei, Chief Executive Officer of QIIB. Tinubu-Karch said: “The MoU with QIIB is a testament to Sidra Medicine’s commitment to improving our service delivery model and securing new and innovative ways of providing access to care as well as expanding our brand presence in Qatar.This also highlights our mutual goal to establish partnerships that extends the reach of the banking sector to patient communities.” QIIB is a privately owned Islamic bank in Qatar that offers personal and corporate Islamic banking solutions.The MoU with Sidra Medicine will also seek to establish new access points for patients including healthcare financing options. Dr al-Shaibei stated: “We are pleased at QIIB to sign this memorandum of understanding with Sidra Medicine, which we consider an important milestone in strengthening co-operation with a leading medical institution of distinguished reputation. “We hope that this partnership will contribute to providing innovative solutions that offer patients broader options and support the sustainability of medical services.This collaboration also reflects our commitment to our social role and our drive to build strategic partnerships that align with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and promote comprehensive development.” He added: “At QIIB, we place our commitment to society at the core of our strategy, ensuring that our initiatives are aligned with the Third Financial Sector Strategic Plan launched by the Qatar Central Bank, which places strong emphasis on sustainability and financial inclusion. Through such partnerships, we reaffirm our role in supporting the national economy and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals, with positive impact on both individuals and the wider community.”

An emerging field of research, known as epigenetics, has become a focal point at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a member of Qatar Foundation, which is making significant strides in advancing this cutting-edge discipline. In alignment with its mission to drive transformative scientific research, HBKU is exploring how a combination of environmental, lifestyle, behavioural, and genetic factors interact to influence gene expression. Dr Nady El Hajj, an associate professor at the College of Health and Life Sciences at HBKU, said, “Epigenetics is the study of how external factors, such as diet, lifestyle, and environment, affect the way our genes function. “These changes help determine how our genotype – our genetic makeup – is expressed in our phenotype – our physical traits characteristics – impacting everything from disease development to the way we age,” he explained. Dr El Hajj and his team are studying the role of epigenetics in aging and longevity, focusing on how DNA methylation – the process by which a methyl group is added to DNA – influences the aging process. “We are using a tool called epigenetic clocks that measure DNA methylation at specific sites to predict both chronological and biological age,” said Dr El Hajj. “This allows us to assess not only someone’s biological age, but also how lifestyle factors, like diet and exercise, can impact their true biological age.” According to Dr El Hajj, the significance of studying biological age cannot be overstated. “Two individuals of the same chronological age may have very different biological ages,” he says. “For example, someone with a healthy lifestyle will have a younger biological age than someone with a poor diet and unhealthy habits.” Dr El Hajj’s work extends to the detection of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease through epigenetic biomarkers. As he explains: “Epigenetic changes can occur early in disease progression, sometimes even before symptoms manifest, allowing for timely intervention.” In addition to these advancements, Dr El Hajj and his team are investigating the impact of epigenetics on mental health, particularly how traumatic experiences can leave an imprint on the epigenome. “Epigenetic modifications have been shown to affect genes linked to mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder,” he said. “People who experience trauma, whether from war or other life events, can pass on epigenetic changes that influence their mental health. This raises important questions about the potential intergenerational impact of trauma.” HBKU is also exploring how these epigenetic changes may be inherited across generations. “There is evidence that certain epigenetic modifications, especially those caused by environmental stressors, can be passed down from parents to their children,” says Dr El Hajj. “However, it is important to understand that not all epigenetic changes are inherited. During fertilisation, most epigenetic patterns are reprogrammed, but some can escape this reprogramming and be transmitted to offspring."

At Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Marhaba event – the traditional welcome to its new students at the start of the academic year – the latest arrivals to Education City learned about the importance of stepping out of their comfort zones and seizing service-learning opportunities – from local outreach initiatives to international projects – to help tackle real-world challenges and drive meaningful, positive change.Juyoung Kim, a senior at Northwestern University in Qatar, spoke to more than 800 new students who attended the event at Multaqa, telling the story of her service trips to Laos and Nepal.In Laos, she helped build an eco-dorm for students who once had to walk long distances just to attend school.The new facility allowed them to live nearby and focus on their education.In Nepal, Kim contributed to a sustainable project that provided clean energy for a family living in the mountains.“It’s about being part of something – something bigger than yourself,” she told the students.“It’s about connection, empathy, and understanding,” Kim added. “These trips taught me to approach every community with humility, respect, I learned how to work with people – not just for them. And the value of every small act of kindness and collaboration.”Her advice for students is “step outside your comfort zone, be willing to learn, to contribute, and to grow”.“These opportunities may feel intimidating at first, but trust me, they will be the most meaningful experiences that you will have – not just as a student but as the global citizens you will all very proudly grow into,” she said.Amani Benamor, from QF partner university Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), also spoke at Marhaba.She recounted that when she first began her journey at Education City last year, she believed – like many new students – that university, and especially medicine, was only about achieving good grades, sitting exams, and ultimately earning a degree.“However, the further I’ve gone into my journey, the more I ask the question: ‘Shouldn’t we, as active global citizens, be more than just a number on a transcript?’” Benamor recounted. “And shouldn’t life – the centre of all disciplines taught at the QF – be more than just memorising facts and checking off boxes?”“In Education City, learning goes far beyond the classroom,” she continued. “From volunteering, research, or even extracurriculars, real growth happens when we apply what we’ve learned in the classroom to real-world challenges.”“The QF is not just a place to study,” Benamor told the students, adding: “It is a place to learn how to grow, and how to help.”At QF universities, community service begins the moment they arrive.Their orientation week is more than just introductions and icebreakers; it is a chance to make a difference.At the WCM-Q, for example, new students took part in a hands-on initiative by packing donation boxes for Qatar Charity and serving a luncheon to recognise the contributions of support workers, learning from day one that service is a cornerstone of their journey at Education City.