Sharjah: TRENDS Research and Advisory, the research partner of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), announced through its Youth Council the winners of the first edition of the ‘Future Researchers’ competition, which targeted university students across the UAE. The winners of the top three places were honoured during a special ceremony held at the TRENDS pavilion at SIBF.
According to Emirates News Agency, first place was awarded to Meera Al Hosani from the American University of Sharjah for her research on ‘Achieving Personal Data Privacy and Security in the Tech Era.’ Li Ziqi from the University of Sharjah received second place for the research titled ‘BRICS+ Governance at the Crossroads of AI and Green Development: Insights from the Expansion of New Members.’ The third place was secured by Alya Bin Khamas, also from the University of Sharjah, for her work on ‘Unlocking South to South Potential: Exploring the BRICS+ Expansion and the Prospect of Mitigation and Rapprochement.’
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory, stated that the ‘Future Researchers’ competition aligns with the centre’s strategic vision to empower youth and strengthen their research and scientific capabilities. He noted that the initiative represents one of TRENDS’ key qualitative programmes aimed at supporting young generations and talent. Through this competition, the centre seeks to build a generation of distinguished researchers capable of shaping the future of scientific inquiry and intellectual advancement.
Dr. Al Ali further explained that the competition is a genuine and practical embodiment of the centre’s vision, ‘Investing in Youth. Investing in the Future.’ It aims to strengthen students’ research skills, from developing research ideas to collecting and analysing data, and presenting findings and recommendations in a professional scientific manner. He added that the competition also helps develop intellectual and creative abilities by encouraging participants to propose innovative solutions to future challenges.
Al Anood Al Hosani, Head of the TRENDS Youth Council, affirmed that the first edition of the ‘Future Researchers’ competition, launched by the Council, aimed to promote a culture of scientific research among university students and harness their energy and creativity in producing valuable academic work. She added that the competition received 38 research papers from students across various universities in the UAE, with the evaluation committee selecting the top three submissions.