ShareKUWAIT: The second edition of the Kuwait National Robotics Championship, which qualifies for international championships in the field, kicked off on Sunday with the participation of more than 800 male and female students—representing all educational levels from the public and private schools and sectors. The program is organized by Kuwait University, the Ministry of Education, and the Public Authority for Youth.
Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science at Kuwait University, Dr. Mohammad Bin Sabt, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of the championship that more than 800 male and female students formed more than 170 teams participating in this championship from various governorates and educational levels, explaining that the winning team will represent Kuwait in the (VEX) global competition, which will be announced on Tuesday.
The participating teams are distributed across several competitions, most notably VEX Robotics—for robots qualifying for the international competition, the (SeaPerch) water robotics competitions, the (Aerial Drone) drone competitions, and the open innovation challenge that encourages the development of practical solutions to world problems such as introducing artificial intelligence in traffic solutions, school cafeterias, and others.
He pointed out that interest in artificial intelligence, robotics, and their applications “in our lives has become a priority for educational systems in the world,” praising the great interest that this field receives from public and private schools and universities in the country. Bin Sabt stated that the university team that won the championship in its first session went on to represent Kuwait in the (VEX) global competition last year in the US, and the team was able to win the award for best robot among 120 teams from around the world—becoming the first team from an Arab university in the Middle East to obtain this title.
Regarding Kuwait University’s adaptation to this new vital field, Bin Sabt stated that the College of Science, in cooperation with the College of Life Sciences, is about to launch two new programs in the field of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the next academic year (in September), indicating that Kuwaiti students on scholarship for postgraduate studies in this field now exceed 400 male and female students.
For his part, the Acting Director General of the Youth Authority, Nasser Al-Sheikh, told KUNA that one of the most important goals of holding this event is to enhance the culture of innovation and move towards achieving Kuwait’s goals in developing and promoting interest in technology among young people for the benefit of the society and the nation. He noted the great interest shown by Kuwaiti youths through these qualifiers and championships, wishing them success.
The championship witnessed an exhibition with the participation of KUNA, governmental and private agencies, including the Ministries of Interior and Defense. They displayed their applications and inventions in artificial intelligence and robotics technologies in combating explosives, terrorism, and fires. — KUNA
