Dr. Tareef Alaama, President of King Abdulaziz University, sponsored the closing ceremony of the “Redefining Plastic” competition, held under the theme “Young Innovators for a Changing Future.” The event, organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in collaboration with SABIC and the Oil Sustainability Program, and strategically partnered with the Scientific Endowment, took place on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at the College of Architecture and Planning’s lobby. The event was attended by Dr. Amin bin Yousef Naaman, Vice President for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the university.
The competition saw the participation of 80 students across 20 teams representing various colleges and disciplines. These students contributed to developing innovative solutions for tackling plastic waste challenges while honing their skills in this critical field. The competition’s three top prizes, totaling 50,000 SAR, were fiercely contested. The team from the College of Architecture and Planning, along with the College of Human Sciences and Design, won first place and a prize of 25,000 SAR. Second place, with a prize of 15,000 SAR, was awarded to a team from the College of Science, while third place, worth 10,000 SAR, went to a team from the College of Economics and Administration and the Applied College.
The competition aimed to raise awareness about the importance of plastic recycling while enhancing students’ innovation skills in this field. Participants were encouraged to devise sustainable practices and innovative solutions to address plastic waste challenges across four key areas: waste management (collection, sorting, and safe disposal), reuse (finding new ways to repurpose plastic products after their lifecycle ends), recycling (mechanical or chemical transformation of used plastics into new raw materials), and redesign (creating new forms and functions for plastics, while considering sustainability principles and highlighting the value of plastic products in society).
The Scientific Endowment’s partnership with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in this competition aligns with its active contributions to environmental causes. This includes initiatives under its “Don’t Throw It, Endow It” program, which seeks to raise public awareness about separating consumer waste from other types of waste and promotes environmental volunteerism. These efforts contribute to achieving the quality-of-life targets outlined in Saudi Vision 2030, while also developing the skills and capabilities of King Abdulaziz University students across various scientific disciplines, positively reflecting on the university’s outcomes and supporting its mission to serve and develop the community. |