ABU DHABI // An energetic Emirati girl from Dubai who dreams of one day planting the UAE flag on Mars is the winner of the national Genes in Space competition.
Alia Al Mansoori’s proposal to study how exposure to space affects the health of live organisms at cellular level was chosen by a panel of experts as the winner from five teams of eight pupils who made it to the final round of judging.
Alia, 14, will see her experiment blasted into space from the Kennedy Space Centre between March and July to be tested by astronauts on the International Space Station.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, here’s the spaceship I’m going to Mars on,’ because I feel like I’m getting closer to that big goal,” the Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha pupil said.
“I’ve always felt that this is what I’m born to do, this is for me.”
The award was presented by Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, who congratulated all of the students who took part.
“I think all of you are winners because the idea is gaining knowledge,” said Dr Al Ahbabi.
“Young people like you, you are the future. One day, inshallah, we will see one of you as an astronaut.”
The UAE is the first country outside the US to host the Genes in Space competition.
When it was launched by the UAE Space Agency, Boeing and The National in November 2015, it challenged children from Grades 7 to 12 to come up with an experiment that applied DNA analysis to real-life challenges in space exploration.
Organisers received more than 100 submissions from 75 schools, involving about 300 pupils and teachers from across the country. “For a nation the size of the UAE, that’s about 10 times the engagement we had in the US,” said Dr Sebastian Kraves, a molecular neurobiologist.
Dr Kraves co-invented a device called the miniPCR DNA Discovery System, which the pupils used to carry out their experiments.
Five teams of pupils from Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Brighton College Al Ain, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Gems Modern Academy and Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha were selected as finalists in November.
Each team won a miniPCR for their school and were paired with mentors to fine-tune their entries.
“Judges were impressed not only by the quantity, but by the quality and breadth of the submissions,” Dr Kraves said.
“They ranged from experiments to protect astronauts’ DNA from cosmic radiation to protecting their bones from degradation in ways that can cause us to not only travel to space better, but live healthier lives here on Earth.”
The teams presented their experiments to a room full of scientists, academics, journalists and a panel of five expert judges gathered for the final day of the Global Space Congress in Abu Dhabi.
Each presentation was followed by gruelling questions from the judges. Eighty per cent of the judging had been made in the lead-up to the presentations.
“When we present our work, we are used to having our work criticised and challenged. This is part of being a scientist,” said Dr Luisa Cochella, a Genes in Space judge from Austria’s Research Institute of Molecular Pathology.
“The only way in which we grow and learn is by challenging what we know. This is what you want to develop in a scientist – a critical, curious mind.”
Kevin Foley, head of Boeing’s global sales and marketing, called Genes in Space an extremely successful event.
“It’s been an impressive display of how talented the UAE youth and education system are,” Mr Foley said. “The students were brilliant, their proposals were incredible. Our winner is going to be a tremendous representative for UAE youth.”
Dr Kraves said his team, with experts from Boeing and the Space Agency, would work with Alia for the next 60 days to prepare her experiment for space. For Alia, this will be the first step towards achieving her ultimate dream.
“I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut,” she said. “When I go to Mars, hopefully I’ll be taking an Emirati flag with me and I’ll be planting it on the planet.”
Rashid Murooshid, Editor-in-Chief of The National, said: "On behalf of The National, I'm very pleased to congratulate Alia on her incredible achievement today and the exciting future that lies ahead.
“We are incredibly proud to have supported such a rewarding competition, particularly since this is the first edition of Genes in Space to take place outside the US.
"The support offered by The National is a reflection of our deep commitment to education, and forms part of our contribution to transitioning the UAE."
rpennington@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
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Investors: Core42
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
Match info
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)
BlacKkKlansman
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Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
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- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
RESULTS
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.
Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.
Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.
Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries