The Abu Dhabi Science Festival returns with new locations and science packed roadshow

Abu Dhabi: Held under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and organised by the Abu Dhabi Technology Development Committee (TDC), the award winning Abu Dhabi Science Festival (ADSF) is back for the 3rd consecutive year. Running from the 14th to the 23rd of November, ADSF will once again amaze its young visitors with the wondrous world of science. Moving to new, bigger and more exciting locations at the du Forum on Yas Island and the Abu Dhabi Corniche (East Plaza), ADSF 2013 is sure to ignite the imagination of its young visitors and their families alike. ADSF is setting the bar even higher this year by reaching out to new locations in the UAE. In addition to past activities taking place in Al Ain and Al Gharbia, ADSF 2013 is this year launching a regional tour that will showcase key science activities in the Northern Emirates, including, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Umm Al Qaiwain. The Director-General of TDC, Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, said, "Now in its 3rd edition, the Abu Dhabi Science Festival is pushing further towards realising its aims of instilling a passion for science and technology within our youth. The continued success of the festival is a testament to the need of such activities that deliver great science content in a fun and accessible way." The Organised School Tours Programme (OST), is an integral part of the Festival that caters to students giving them the chance to attend the festival accompanied by their teachers. This programme is made possible through TDC's partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), ADSF's Education Partner, which enables the Festival to align its activities with the science curriculum, thus giving children the experience of connecting fun activities with learning. Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, said, "As part of the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision, it is vital to become familiar with science and technology in order to fit into a globally competitive market environment. During the 2012/2013 academic school year, a total of 10,861 students across private and public schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi entered the Science stream, and with events like this Science Festival, more students will be encouraged to take up Science subjects." Dr. Mugheer added, "As part of the New School Model, science promotes theory and application, while encouraging students to become independent thinkers. Students enjoy the subject rather than memorise it." New festival attractions for 2013 include signature shows such as MTV's Crazy Lab, Zapata Flyboard Show and balloon sculptor, Jason Hackenwerth. As part of ADSF's new attractions, a new space has been created called 'Launch Pad' at the du Forum where ADSF partners can showcase their work, ideas and concepts to festival visitors in an informal way. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri, CEO of Tawazun, the presenting sponsor, stated, "Two years after its launch, the Abu Dhabi Science Festival has proven effective in attracting young people to science through engaging and fun-filled programmes and innovative methods to promote a love for science among the youth. We in Tawazun are extremely delighted to continue our support to this landmark event as part of our commitment to investing in the development of Emirati young talent in the fields of science and technology. We look forward to further success this year and the years to come." Simon Gage, EISF Director, said, "This year, ADSF starts to explore in earnest the wealth and diversity of science done right here in the UAE. From zoologists studying wildlife to high-tech enterprises, we are starting to reveal that the country is full of people working as scientists, technologists and engineers." ADSF 2013 will also see a concentrated focus to increase the involvement of university students - Science Communicators - to deliver popular content. Over 900 university students, including ADSF Alumni, will be recruited locally and provided with world-class expert training to deliver science programmes in uniquely engaging ways to excite the next generation of scientists. The Science Communicators will be selected from volunteers across eleven partner universities, including Al Ain University for Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi University, Al Hosn University, Emirates College for Advanced Education, Higher Colleges of Technology - Abu Dhabi Women's College, Higher Colleges of Technology - Men's College, Khalifa University, New York University - Abu Dhabi, the Petroleum Institute, United Arab Emirates University and Zayed University. The 3rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival is organised by the Technology Development Committee (TDC) in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) as Education Partner', Edinburgh International Science Festival (EISF) as Content Partner', Tawazun as Presenting Sponsor', Dolphin Energy as Gold Sponsor; ADNOC, Etihad Airways, Total and Masdar as Affiliate Sponsors' with the festival produced by Flash Entertainment. Families can plan their visit in advance, find more information and buy tickets online by visiting the ADSF2013 website. – Emirates News Agency, WAM