The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) held a press conference today (Sunday, February 4, 2018) to officially inaugurate the fourth annual Nobel Exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Nobel Foundation in Dubai’s City Walk from February 4 until March 3, 2018.
Held under the patronage of MBRF Chairman His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 2018 Exhibition bears the theme “Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Connecting Elements”. This year, the event highlights an important category of the Nobel Prize – chemistry – focusing on the achievements of Arab and Muslim chemists, who played a key role in establishing the foundations of this science.
His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, MBRF’s CEO, attended the press conference, held at the Exhibition site, along with Dr Olov Amelin, Director of the Nobel Museum in Sweden, and a number of representatives from local and international media outlets.
“The Nobel Exhibition amplifies the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation’s role as a leader in the knowledge industry, bringing ambitious initiatives to the table – initiatives that support the creation and dissemination of knowledge. This, in turn, reinforces the UAE’s strategy to build knowledge-driven, future-ready sustainable societies,” said H.E. bin Huwaireb.
“The Nobel Exhibition 2018 reaffirms the strong strategic partnership the Foundation has forged with the prestigious, world-class Nobel Foundation,” H.E. added. “This partnership allows us to offer, every year, a standout knowledge event to science enthusiasts, as well as the wider general public. The annual Exhibition encourages the youth to embrace innovation and creativity and become active players in the development of their societies and a part of the knowledge industry.”
The MBRF CEO went on to note that this year’s event sheds light on the discoveries made by Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry, including Arab and Muslim scientists such as Egyptian chemist Ahmed Zewail, underlining the role these discoveries play in improving people’s lives.
Dr Amelin, for his part, directly quoted Zewail – whom he lauded as a passionate and accomplished femtochemist – as he addressed the audience, saying: “‘I discovered how science is truly a universal language, one that forges new connections among individuals and opens the mind to ideas that go far beyond the classroom.’ These words are Ahmed Zewail’s. I think he should have been proud of this exhibition and the way MBRF is promoting science and raising science literacy.”
“The theme of this year’s exhibition, ‘The Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Connecting Elements’ underlines the role chemistry can play in addressing the problems humanity faces today, such as climate change or how to cure cancer,” Dr Amelin explained, applauding the UAE’s commitment to pushing the limits and encouraging young people to engage in the sciences and strive for knowledge.
The Nobel Exhibition 2018 is made up of five sections, showcasing the achievements of Nobel laureates in five different areas of chemistry, namely: Chemistry of Life, Chemical Reactions, Elements, Molecules, and Chemistry Changing the World.
In the Chemistry of Life section of the exhibition, visitors can explore the diverse and complex chemical processes that occur in the human body, which Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry have studied. Meanwhile, the Chemical Reactions section offers videos showcasing the various types of chemical reactions that are associated with Nobel-Prize-winning discoveries. There is also a film about Ahmed Zewail, who documented chemical reactions and explained how they unfold in detail.
In the Elements section, visitors can explore the periodic table of elements, learning the properties of each element, or watch a film about world-renowned French-Polish physicist and chemist Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Prize for the discovery of two previously unknown elements: radium and polonium. The Molecules section, on the other hand, allows visitors to build their own models of molecules, view the finished models of simple and complex molecules, or watch a film about British biological chemist Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who received the Nobel Prize for outlining how several complex molecules are structured.
Finally, in the Chemistry Changing the World section, visitors can see everyday objects that are associated with Nobel-Prize-winning discoveries in chemistry. These discoveries and their applications are also discussed in short films. In one video, students talk about the areas and problems they hope chemistry research will focus on in the future.
The Nobel Exhibition 2018 includes several weekly workshops, featuring experts and specialists form the Nobel Foundation and leading international universities. The workshops examine topics pertaining to the Zewail City of Science and Technology, as well as Ahmed Zewail’s achievements in chemistry and the criteria for selecting the winners of the Nobel Prize.
The event also includes several “Chemistry Shows”, where families and children can take part in chemical experiments, whetting their appetite for discovery. In addition to that, MBRF’s “Esterahat Sayedat” will be organising a Ladies Book Club during the event to discuss chemistry-focused publications.
