MUBS Science Rally 2019: Rewarding Lebanese Youth for Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking

For the sixth year in a row, MUBS organized its science rally competition aiming to reward critical thinking and curiosity among Lebanese youth in an annual celebration that brings together high school students from around Lebanon and tests their knowledge through questions posed by leading scientists from Lebanon and USA. The MUBS Science Rally, as the competition is known, is an embodiment of Carl Sagan’s statement that “science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”. It aims to encourage and reward young minds to question phenomena using a scientific approach, and finding scientific explanations to observations in their everyday life. The event was under the patronage of the Minister of Education and Higher Education, H.E. Mr. Akram Chehayeb, and organized by the School of Health Sciences and the Research Office at MUBS. Talented students from 16 prominent Lebanese high schools came together on Friday February 22nd 2019 to test their scientific knowledge in the Auditorium of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education at UNESCO. The event was opened by inspiring speeches by special guest speaker Ms. Michele Hajal, Dr. Hatem Alamy, Chairman of Board of Trustees, and Dr. Nader Hdeify, Ministry of Education representative. Dr Hdeify highlighted the importance of research and science in shaping the future of young generation and showed support and encouragement for this unique effort to advance scientific thinking in our country. The competition consisted of several rounds, judged by a jury of prominent Lebanese scientists and professors: Dr. Areej Merhi, Lecturer and Researcher, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University .Dr. Rim Hojeij, Assistant Professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Lebanese International University, MUBS. Dr. Omar Deeb, Assistant Professor of Physics, International Lebanese University, MUBS .Ms. Rita Helou, Licensed Dietitian/Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Notre Dame University. Dr. Chaza Harmouch, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Lebanese University, Branch III Tripoli The event was attended by an audience headed by Dr. Nael Alami, Vice President for Research and Innovation, and members of the MUBS Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, in addition to the contestants’ friends, families, teachers, and school principals who provided great support for the teams, in an environment of friendly and lively competition. This year’s winning schools are: 1st Place: Shouf National College; winning 5 airline tickets 2nd Place: Maroun Abboud School-Aley; winning a cash prize of $800 3rd Place: Thoraya Fares Abou Aalfa High School; winning a cash price of $600 4th Place: Ain Dara Official School; winning MUBS Scholarships for Curious Minds Congratulations to the all contestants - keep up the spirit of scientific inquiry and critical thinking.