DOHA, Qatar, November 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Online voting for winner of Qatar Foundation's flagship media initiative starts Saturday night on http://www.starsofscience.com after final customer validation episode airs on MBC4 

Viewers of Stars of Science from Marrakesh to Muscat will soon have the opportunity to help choose the Arab world's best innovator, as the eighth season of Qatar Foundation's TV show nears its climactic finale. For the first time ever in the region, fans will help crown the show's winner, opening the voting process through http://www.starsofscience.com . Voting goes live at the conclusion of the upcoming episode this Saturday November 12^th, which kicks off at 10:30PM KSA/ 7:30PM GMT on MBC4.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7975851-stars-of-science-finalists-online-vote

Last week, two innovators, Ghassan Yusuf of Bahrain and Sevag Babikian of Lebanon, cleared the customer validation stage to reach the finale. Expect high drama in this Saturday's episode, when Abderrahim Bourouis of Algeria, Saif Al Farai of Oman and Sadeem Qdaisat of Jordan will vie for the last two finalist spots.

Stars of Science has become a platform for generating innovations that solve regional problems with impact felt worldwide through the success stories of its alumni. Every Saturday night, viewers have watched in anticipation for their favorite competitor to advance to the next stage. Soon they will have a say in who wins the competition, as the show's winner and three runners up will be ranked by combining the result of jury and online public voting. The final four innovators will earn a share of a $600,000 prize.

"Stars of Science is a catalyst of positive change for young people in the Arab world, prompting thousands to become interested in the limitless potential of science and technology," noted Aysha Al Mudahka, a SOS jury member. "Arabs can solve the biggest problems that face not only our region, but the world. Encouraging the bright minds of our generation to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship benefits our communities and helps to strengthen knowledge-based economies."    

At present, there are two known finalists in the running. One is Sevag, a savvy mechanical engineer who wants to turn the 3D printing world upside down with his "modifix" invention. A rapidly growing industry that by some estimates is forecast to be worth in excess of 10 billion USD in the coming years, 3D printing is used in almost every sector, from aerospace to medicine. Sevag's device could be a leap forward for 3D printers; it streamlines the way the machines fabricate complicated structures, opening up a new world of possibilities for creative minds.

The second finalist so far is Ghassan. He wants to take Taekwondo, an ancient martial art enjoyed by tens of millions around the world, into the digital age. His "Take One" device uses advanced technology to automatically score Taekwondo moves to accurately adjudicate matches alongside judges and act as an archive reference guide for players and their fans. The innovation could help boost the sport's popularity around the globe.

Find out who will join Sevag and Ghassan in the final four line up, tune into this week's Stars of Science episode on Saturday, November 12^th at 10:30PM KSA/ 7:30PM GMT on MBC4. Then vote for your favorite on http://www.starsofscience.com . Voting ends at 6:00PM KSA/ 3:00PM GMT on Thursday, November 17^th.

Please visit:

Website - http://www.starsofscience.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/StarsofScienceTV

Twitter - https://twitter.com/starsofscience

Youtube- http://www.youtube.com/user/Starsofsciencetv

Instagram- starsofsciencetv

Stars of Science 

Stars of Science, the flagship "edutainment reality" TV format initiated by Qatar Foundation, is the Arab world's leading innovation show that enables the region's aspiring science and technology entrepreneurs.

In this eighth season, nine candidates are challenged to develop creative solutions to regional problems within the fields of information technology, energy, environment, and health. An expert panel of jurors assesses and eliminates candidates and their innovative products in Prototyping and Customer Validation episodes until only four remain. These four finalists vie for a share of $600,000 in seed funding, determined by a jury deliberation and online voting from the public.

Stars of Science airs every Saturday on MBC4 at 10:30pm KSA / 7:30 pm GMT till November 19th 2016. 

Qatar Foundation - Unlocking Human Potential 

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) is a private, non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from a carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential, for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world.  Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.  

QF's work encompasses education, research and community development.  World-class universities are brought to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. At the same time, QF builds Qatar's innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing solutions through key sciences.  The Foundation also works to foster a progressive society while enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar's heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.

http://www.qf.org.qa/

About MBC Group 

MBC Group (Middle East Broadcasting Center) is the largest and leading private media company in the Middle East & North Africa region. For the past 25 years, MBC Group was able to enrich people's lives through information, interaction and entertainment. In 2002, nearly a decade after the launch of MBC1 in London, back in 1991, and as the 1^st private free-to-air Arab satellite TV channel, MBC Group moved its headquarters to Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, where it remains.

Today, MBC Group includes 20 TV channels: MBC1 (general family entertainment); MBC2 and MBC MAX (24-hour western movies); MBC3 (children's edutainment with a mix of both local productions and western acquisitions); MBC4 (entertainment for young families with a female-focus); MBC Action (an indigenous adrenaline-packed channel targeting young males with local and homegrown productions); MBC Variety (Western films and general entertainment with uninterrupted broadcasting); Al Arabiya News Channel (the 24-hour Arabic language news channel); Al Hadath (an extension of Al Arabiya News Channel with a specific focus on real events in the Arab world and beyond); Wanasah (24-hour Arabic music channel); MBC DRAMA (24/7 Arabic drama); MBC MASR (general family entertainment geared towards the Egyptian family); MBC MASR 2 (providing the Egyptian audience with superior quality entertainment);  MBC + Drama (exclusive on MyHD); MBC Bollywood (delivering the freshest in Bollywood content geared towards the region via an Arabized interface); and most recently four sports channels, MBC PRO SPORTS (geared towards the "Saudi Football Premier League" fans in the Kingdom); and MBC USA (the channel is present on "Dish Network" in the US, and targets Arab audiences aboard; the channel is dedicated to offer and broadcast a wide range of content from the prominent MBC channels including movies, series and global formats).

In July 2011, seven channels within MBC Group began to broadcast in HD across the MENA Region: MBC1 HD, MBC2 HD, MBC4 HD, MBC Action HD, MBC Drama HD, MBC Max HD and Al Arabiya HD. In 2013, MBC3 HD joined the collection of HD channels followed by MBC Variety HD in 2014.

MBC Group also includes two FM radio stations: MBC FM (Gulf music) and Panorama FM (contemporary Arabic hit music); as well as O3 Productions, a premium content drama production company. Furthermore, MBC Group includes online platforms: http://www.mbc.net, http://www.alarabiya.net, http://www.shahid.net (the first free VOD and catch-up portal in the Arab world) and http://www.actionha.net, and http://www.mbcprosports.net among others

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Video: 
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SOURCE Stars of Science