JoYS winners take part in BT Young Scientist Exhibition in Dublin

AMMAN — The Jordanian delegation to Ireland has returned to Amman after their participation in the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, held in Dublin.

Basel Abu Salameh and Seif Nakhleh, from the Jubilee Institute won first place in 2022 in the first ever Jordan Young Scientists (JoYS) competition with the project titled “Xchange”, which helps people with hearing impairments communicate more efficiently. 

The JoYS winners had the chance to showcase their project at this exhibition, as well as to engage with and learn from other students participating from Europe and Africa, according to a statement from the Irish embassy. 

During the exhibition, the Irish Deputy Prime Minister Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister for Overseas Development, Seán Fleming visited the Jordanian booth and they had a talk with the students where they got a more comprehensive idea regarding the winning project in Jordan as well as learning more about the implementation of Young Scientist Programme here.

Basel and Saif also got the chance to visit well-known places in Ireland such as the Dogpatch Labs, which is a startup hub promoting innovation, a visit to Trinity College where they met the Provost of Trinity, Linda Doyle and had a tour there. Another destination was EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum, which showcases information about the Irish diaspora and emigration to other countries. 

The students shared their feelings about their whole journey with JoYS. Basel said: “From the very beginning to the very end, it was a delightful experience for me, and I consider it the greatest of all time”.

The ambassador of Ireland, Marianne Bolger, who greeted the students on their departure to Ireland, said: “It was wonderful to see young Jordanian talent participate in the BT Young Scientists exhibition for the first time. I am inspired by the X-Change project and how it seeks to support and enhance communication for the deaf community.  The JoYS initiative, which was launched by the Embassy of Ireland, is the one that I am extremely proud to be part of and my hope is that it will grow in strength each year in Jordan into the future. I look forward to viewing this year’s competing projects at the 2023 Exhibition in June”. 

Mohammad Tahboub, JoYS chairperson, who joined the students in this trip, said: “Our participation as a Jordanian delegation with our Jordanian students is a proud moment for all of us, seeing them participating in such important events and International Exhibitions motivates us more to support this kind of initiatives more and more.”

Manar Abdullah, JoYS coordinator, said: “One of the highlights of my career and a way for me to give back to the community is being a part of the Jordan Young Scientist Initiative. In my opinion, it is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation does have the fair chance and opportunity to show their creativity in order to assist in the growth of our beloved Jordan on a scientific and economic level.”