Empowering Tomorrow's Engineers: Insights from the UAE Speak Out for Engineering Event

On Saturday 27 January 2024, Speak Out for Engineering (SOfE) competition in the UAE marked its third virtual heat, boasting a prominent level of competitiveness.

The IMechE UAE Panel collaborated with Academic Liaison Officers (ALOs) from various University Chapters in the UAE to plan and promote this groundbreaking event, the first of its kind in the region. The participating university chapters included University of Birmingham Dubai campus, Manipal Institute of Higher Education Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus, and University of Bolton Ras Al Khaimah Campus.

The event aimed to foster the communication skills of young engineers, focusing on both verbal and visual aspects of explaining technical subjects in mechanical engineering.

Mr. Faisal Saeed, Vice Chair of the UAE Panel for the Middle East & Africa Region, delivered a welcoming note.

Distinguished judges with diverse backgrounds, Mr. Safi Ghauri, Ms. Uroosa Kanwal, Mr. M Araiz Khan and Mr. Sayid Nazam Rizvi, provided valuable feedback to the seven participants.

The live event allowed participants to submit abstracts beforehand, and each contestant had 30 minutes allocated, comprising a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. After the presentations, judges had 15 minutes for deliberation before announcing the results.

The final standings were as follows:

Winner – Ms. Mina Abdella (University of Birmingham, Dubai Campus) with the topic "Net Zero Green Hydrogen Production in the GCC Region.”

Runner Up – Ms. Asma’u Umar (Heriot Watt University, Dubai campus) presenting on "Adaptive Mobility Tricycle for children.”

In his closing remarks, Mr. Faisal Saeed expressed gratitude to participants, event coordinators, and judges. He also outlined the next steps on behalf of IMechE, thereby concluding the successful proceedings.