Theme: Science and Philosophy

PHOTOS:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/149233342@N06/shares/7A85t5

The event theme is one that has never before been portrayed or discussed in the region. The Idea is unique in the sense that it opens up the listener to topics which often spark curiosity in the modern world. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a "TED-like" experience. It is important to realize the importance of the city of Sharjah as being the perfect hub for the topics in store during this independently organized TEDx event. This is because the city's developing culture and education is constantly encouraging students and scholars to discuss civilized topics such as Science and Philosophy.

American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah
University City
Sharjah, Ash Shāriqah, 26666
United Arab Emirates

Abdallah Sharif

Mechanical Engineer

A researcher and a master student in engineering systems and management with concentration in space engineering and technology in Masdar Institute. A member of MYSAT (Masdar Yahsat Satellite) team in Yahsat space lab that is building MYSAT-1 cubesat which will be launched to the space in 2018. A mechanical engineer with minor in engineering management graduated from American University of Sharjah. A science lover and promoter who believes that science should be taught the way the scientists discovered it. Also, a space geek who experienced the zero gravity by parabolic flight.

Bardia P.Shoja

Student

Student at SAIS. Experience in robotics and engineering.

Christian Bseliss

Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer

Christian Bseliss is an electronics and telecommunications engineer, currently working as a prototype developer and STEM Facilitator with Edutech Middle East. He is mainly responsible on creating prototypes using littleBits, 3D printed objects and robotics that match the newly developed curriculums to create a 'project based learning' for everyone. He manages, drafts and develops educational workshops in the field of programming, robotics and space science. He is also an invention advisor for schools during competitions held.

Farah Odeh

Student

My name is Farah Muhammad Odeh, an A student, 98% average and in the top 5 percentile of the 11th grade at SAIS. I am a motivator yet, always curious to know every aspect of life, a people’s person who likes to help others so I tried out for the basketball team, and badminton team, volunteered in the kindergarten sports day to help organize youngsters with their favorite sports games.

Hesham Jarmakani

Student

I am Hesham Jarmakani. I am a student in Dubai International School - Garhoud Branch, and I have a passion for Physics and Philosophy. When I first heard about the event, I knew that I had to make a submission since the topics are two of my favorite things to read up on. I remember during middle school I would read up on Quantum Physics and Relativity in my free time. I was so interested in the idea of how complex and intricate the universe is that a Physics teacher gave me a collection of philosophical works; from Anselm to Descartes, I became deeply engrossed into the school of thought. As the years went by, I began to realize that although they may appear to be completely different, Philosophy and Physics share many characteristics and traits.

Hind Khalid

Student

Hind Khalid is an Emirati high school student. When she’s not busy studying, she spends her time participating in workshops and activities in various fields of interests. She likes to draw and paint, write fictional short stories, read about positivity, law of attraction, mindfulness and fashion. She was the Vice Chairperson in the Literary Club in Wesgreen International School which helped her develop her leadership and public speaking skills and participating in various school activities such as public speaking events, debates and MUN (Model of United Nations) helped as well.

Jamal Chahoud

Author

to be added

Mohamed Elmorsi

Student

Environmentalist & Student at Sharjah American International School in the UAE.

Mohammed Ali

Student

My name is Mohammed Ali Al-Mazrouee from the United Arab Emirates, currently living in Sharjah a senior in Sharjah American International School (SAIS) and a delegate in Sharjah youth council. Love politics, history, and a bit of philosophy on the side.

Noor Hamad

Student

Noor Hamad is a junior high school student who has resided in Sharjah, U.A.E for seven years. Spending most of her time debating over what is true, right, or even convenient has encouraged her to participate in several highlighted school debates. Noor has been cast as the lead in school plays and even is an ardent advocate of progressive social reforms, consequently displaying a hearty interest in her studies. Her recent pursuit of philosophy has aided her with her writing, debating, and art. Demonstrating an active interest in drawing, photography and cinema/theater, Noor utilizes her excess time to capture local pulchritude and create detailed analyses of notorious cinematic works.

Saki Milton

Educator

Saki Milton is an experienced mathematics educator with more than 8 years of classroom teaching experience, including International Baccalaureate MYP teaching. Passionate about STEM education, Saki has been recognized for extensive work in the USA by founding The GEMS Camp (Girls interested in Engineering, Mathematics and Science), a non-profit organization whose mission is to build confidence in minority girls in grades 7-10 in five core areas called the 5 Karat Gems - Academics, Career, Creativity, Leadership, and Service - so that they will be successful in STEM studies and beyond. The organization has served more than 300 girls in the Dallas and Houston metro areas since 2010 partnering with major STEM employers including BP Oil, Pepsico-FritoLay, HESS Corporation, and NASA. Saki resides currently resides in Dubai and works for Pearson Education as the U.S. Schools Curriculum Manager delivering educator support to schools across the Middle East.

Shady Elkassas

HOD of Science at SAIS

Since his childhood, Shady Elkassas looked forward to a career in teaching and is committed to maintaining high standards and practices in the education of young people. He has a Master’s of Science in Education, Executive Management Diploma, and a Bachelor’s of Science. Shady believes that the capstone of education is to give every student equal opportunities to learn. For this reason, the true educator is the one who acknowledges, respects, and appreciates students’ diverse backgrounds, learning styles, intelligence, and abilities. From this perspective, he has centered his teaching repertoire around this idea and searches for the best way to meet students’ individual needs. As a head of department, he communicates the same message to his team members. He articulates a vision and mission for the science department that meets the short and long term goals. Additionally, he has taken the initiative to adopt the project-based learning and inquiry based learning methodologies to create a new foundation of STEM learning in his school. Shady strongly believes that leadership has a strong influence on education reform. This vision is shared both inside and outside of the school. He has been selected to be a speaker at TEDx and three international education conferences such as Global Educational Supplies and Solutions Exhibition (GESS) 2016 & 2017 and Fatih Educational Summit in Turkey 2016. Shady was also a GESS education award finalist for 2016 & 2017. For the past few years Shady has been associated with Sharjah American International School. He joined as High School Physics Teacher and currently handles dual responsibilities as Head of Science Department and Academic Coordinator. As Academic Coordinator he oversees departmental recruitment, staff and faculty training, and organizes academic events. As Departmental Head, he ensures departmental objectives are met, facilitate quality education for students, and supervise staff. For a significant duration, I taught Physics and was successful in generating a growing interest in the subject among students. I delivered interactive lectures, solved student difficulties, and completed all course-work in time. With Robotics being of particular interest to me, Shady led the School Robotics team and supported them win many awards at international events. Twitter: @profshady YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vol7815 Website: http://profshad9.wixsite.com/saispd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shady-elkassas-19935b7b Blog: https://sites.google.com/site/profshady/

Stephen Appea

Educator

Dr. Appea is the Assistant Principle at Sharjah American International School.

Yousef Faroukh

Student

my name is yousuf faroukh i am 19 years old i was a student is SAIS (Sharjah American international school) for 5 years, one morning our physics professor announced in the class that he wants to start a robotics club so we started it with the basics training on lego robotics which was focused more on the mechanical design more than the coding aspect our team participated in many robotics competitions and won them all we were able to compete in the WRO ( world robotics olympiad) less than a year from initiating the club we we semi-finalists we didnt stop there so we decided to learn Arduino which is an open source micro-controllers where we learned the coding spectrum and integrating electronics to our projects. after we became familiar with Arduino we learned about a new technology called raspberry pi which is a micro-processors we also integrated that into our projects i graduated my high school and started studying mechanical engineering at the university of sharjah i am now on my second year.